EPA Recognizes Ohio Elementary Students with Presidential Environmental Award
CHICAGO (July 7, 2022) – Today, US Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 announced Eliza Chen, Eloise Chen, Emmeline Chen, Mary Rose Geiser, and Michael Geiser, students at Hilton Elementary School in Brecksville, Ohio, have won the President’s Environmental Youth Award for their project, the Monarch Butterfly Project.
“Children are naturally curious and the environment around us harbors so much diversity and opportunity for discovery,” said EPA Regional Administrator Debra Shore. “These awards recognize enterprise and leadership – in the classroom and outside its walls. We celebrate these students’ environmental stewardship.”
The mission of the Monarch Butterfly Project is to help save the monarch butterfly by inspiring community members to help the butterfly in its migration through Cuyahoga Valley and Northeast Ohio. The team developed and delivered eight presentations to more than 50 of their fellow students as well as their friends and family about the importance of taking action to save the monarchs. As part of these presentations, the team provided seeds, materials, and instruction for audiences to build their own monarch habitat.
"The kids worked on this project when school was remote and the world felt bleak,” said Bridget Geiser, Monarch Butterfly Project co-sponsor. “This project inspired them [the children] to learn more about the environment and how they could make a difference. I was surprised and touched by the kids' enthusiasm and interest in learning about the monarch butterfly and ways they could help."
"Butterflies are good because they are pollinators and pollinators are good for the earth,” said Emmaline Chen, 8-year-old awardee. "I'm happy, and I feel famous to win the award."
"Winning this award makes me feel very proud of our group for making a difference in the environment," said Eliza Chen, 10-year-old awardee.
"I feel happy, surprised, and excited to win the award. I learned so much about the monarch butterfly," said Mary Rose Geiser, 6-year-old awardee. "I can make a difference in the world by helping to save the monarch by planting milkweed and flowers and by getting the word out that they are threatened."
"I'm happy that we won the award and that we made a difference. I hope people around the world continue to take action to help the environment,” said Michael Geiser, 8-year-old awardee.
The President’s Environmental Youth Award was established by the Environmental Education Act of 1970 and recognizes outstanding community-level environmental projects by kindergarten through 12th grade youth that promote awareness of natural resources and encourages positive community involvement. Each year, this award honors a variety of local projects developed by students, school classes, summer camp attendees, and youth organizations to promote engagement in environmental stewardship and protection.
This year, 47 students who worked as a team or individually on 10 projects received the President’s Environmental Youth Award, and two students received honorable mentions. Their stewardship projects, conducted in 2021, display a commitment to advancing community garden efforts, protecting pollinators, reducing pollution, conserving water and energy, reducing food waste, and combating climate change.