On June 8, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that the George Mason High School Environmental Group, a group of 11 students in Falls Church, Va. will receive the 2016 President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) for grade levels 6-12 for their work with healthy and sustainable farming practices. The national award is presented each year to exceptional students who demonstrate creativity, innovation, and leadership to address difficult environmental challenges. George Mason was a national pilot Project Learning Tree GreenSchool and has been engaged in the program since 2009.

The George Mason High School Environmental Group has worked for the past two years to implement two projects, with a focus on providing healthy, sustainable food sources that can be produced in an urban area. Through hydroponics and aquaculture projects, the students are contributing fresh lettuce and in the future, fresh fish to their high school cafeteria.

For their efforts, the students were awarded the Project Green Schools award for Outstanding Commitment to Green-o-vation. The team has presented their work to the Falls Church City 4H Club, the Falls Church Garden Club, and science teachers in Northern Virginia, as well as at the 2015 and 2016 Student Environmental Action Showcase at George Mason University.

Other PLT GreenSchools have done similar innovative projects. For example, see these stories about a hydroponics project at St. Paul Lutheran in Florida www.plt.org/story/greenschools-florida-st-paul-lutheran-school, and an aquaponics project at Grand Traverse Academy in Michigan. www.plt.org/story/newsletter-aquaponics-in-traverse-city-michigan/ 

For details on the new PEYA winners, visit: https://www.epa.gov/education/presidents-environmental-youth-award-peya-...  

Posted by James Riley McGirt

Manager of Project Learning Tree GreenSchools Program &

Co-Moderator NAAEE eePro Green Schools