The U.S. EPA, in partnership with the White House Council on Environmental Quality, celebrated the 2024 President鈥檚 Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) and the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) Awards Ceremony. This ceremony marks an annual recognition of outstanding youth who are dedicated to environmental stewardship and impressive teachers who have contributed significantly to environmental education.
鈥淓ducators and students across our country make remarkable contributions every day to protect the environment, and it鈥檚 an honor to celebrate them today,鈥� said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan.聽鈥淭hese awardees set the gold standard for environmental education as they implement innovative approaches to protect human health and tackle climate change.鈥�
鈥淓nvironmental stewardship often begins in the classroom with young people and educators who are taking our planet鈥檚 most pressing climate change and environmental justice challenges head on,鈥澛爏aid聽White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory.聽鈥淭his year鈥檚 awardees represent passionate and dedicated leaders who are tackling the climate crisis, improving public health, and delivering a more equitable future for all.鈥�
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. The PEYA program recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship projects developed by K-12 youth. This program honors and brings to light a wide variety of projects developed by these young students, school classes and clubs, youth camps, and youth organizations to promote environmental awareness and action in their schools and communities. The PEYA program promotes awareness of our nation’s natural resources and encourages positive community involvement.
Established by the 1990 National Environmental Education Act, the PIAEE program supports, encourages, and nationally honors outstanding educators who integrate environmental and place-based, experiential learning into school curricula and school facility management across the country. The PIAEE program supports the outstanding environmental projects performed by these innovative teachers who go beyond textbook instruction to incorporate methods and materials that utilize creative experiences and enrich student learning. The program recognizes elementary and secondary (K-12) education teachers, school administrators and their local education agencies, and provides funding to help support those educators in their environmental education work.