President's Environmental Youth Award
The President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship projects developed by K-12 youth. The PEYA program promotes awareness of our nation's natural resources and encourages positive community involvement. Since 1971, the President of the United States has joined with EPA to recognize young people for protecting our nation's air, water, land, and ecology. It is one of the most important ways EPA and the Administration demonstrate commitment to environmental stewardship efforts created and conducted by our nation's youth.
Each year the PEYA program honors a wide variety of projects developed by young students, school classes and clubs, youth camps, and youth organizations to promote environmental awareness and action in schools and communities. Submit an environmental stewardship project or an idea for a project to apply so that your achievements can be further recognized. Applicants from all 50 states as well as U.S. territories are eligible to compete for a national Presidential award.
There are many leadership opportunities for Presidential Award winners so it is a competition AND a leadership opportunity!
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ten regional offices across the country. Each regional office will be responsible for selecting up to one winner in each age group, based on the evaluation criteria in Section 6. Applicants are welcome to include youth across multiple grade levels; however, the application will be categorized based on the applicant with the highest grade level. For example, if one applicant group consists of two 4th graders, one 3rd grader and one 6th grader, the application will be evaluated in the Grade 6-12 category.
Each award-winning project will receive a Presidential plaque. The sponsors of all qualified, non-winning applicants will receive EPA acknowledgement of the applicant's efforts to protect human health and the environment.
How do I get started? Click here and apply.
What are other activities within this narrative arc?
HOT TIP: You’ll never win the AP or SAT arms race, but you might be one of most interesting candidates a college sees if you have a leadership experience in the environmental field like this. Chances are good that you’ll also create lots of memorable and life-changing experiences and relationships (that will likely help you write some incredible college admissions essays).