President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) 2023 Winners

Each year, EPA recognizes national winners of the President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA)

Winners by year: 2024 |2023 |2022 |2021 |2020and earlier

2023 Winners

Read the press release about this year's PEYA winners.

EPA Region 1:

Every Turtle Matters
By: Aanya Soni
Award Category: Grade Level K-5
Massachusetts

In her hometown of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, Aanya, a 4th grader at Edward J. Hopkins Elementary School, always hopes to spot one of her favorite animals: the turtle. Unfortunately, one too many times she has seen them fall prey to motor vehicles, particularly when they crossed roadways. Despite the discouragement of these sights, Aanya was determined to put a stop to turtle endangerment, so she began her very own wildlife conservation project: Every Turtle Matters.

Through her conservation work, Aanya learned that turtles are scavengers, omnivores, and important contributors of biomass within their ecosystems. Her newfound knowledge only inspired her more to defend these creatures, so she wrote to Edwin Harrow of the Conservation Commission searching for a solution that would keep Hopkinton’s turtles safe. Thanks to her initiative, the Conservation Commission—in collaboration with the Department of Public Works—installed turtle crossing signs in areas of notable turtle activity. It is a straightforward action for an achievable solution: the signs remind drivers to take caution, saving turtle lives in the process. This is the first time such an action has been taken in Hopkinton, and the event has helped educate residents.

Since 2021, turtle crossing signs have been placed at critical locations from the spring until the fall (when turtle precautions are most necessary). As time will prove, Aanya’s activism will not only save the lives of her favorite animal, but also save the lives of others, reminding drivers to always take nature into consideration.

Together for Waterways
By: Aryan Mago
Award Category: Grade Level 6-12
Massachusetts

Outside the classroom, Aryan—a junior at the Groton School in Groton, Massachusetts—enjoys hiking and swimming in the local watershed. His passion for waterways, and for nature in general, has led Aryan to join local watershed associations, attend awareness movements, and create his own project: Together for Waterways. Aryan was taking water quality samples for Worcester’s Cyanobacteria Monitoring Collaborative when he noticed a problem—namely, that Worcester’s water bodies are filled with litter, scum, and invasive species. Following an investigation into EPA statistics, he learned that an astonishing 67 percent of his local watershed is impaired by trash, and this excludes harmful interference from algae, nutrient pollution, and invasive plants, each of which have their own startling statistics. While the Worchester Lakes and Ponds Program is working hard to address these watershed threats, Aryan knows that community involvement is essential, so he set out to establish an organization that harnesses the creativity, technology, and media skills of savvy students to inform consumers of the consequences of their purchases. So far, Together for Waterways has distributed flyers, provided action toolkits, and brought environmental data to more than 12,500 site viewers. The results have been remarkable: between 2021 and 2022, a 37 percent decrease in plastic litter, a 48 percent reduction in nutrition pollution, and a 23 percent decline in invasive aquatic species. Aryan’s work united all of Worcester under the power of the consumer for cleaner, more sustainable watersheds.

EPA Region 2:

Honey Bee and Pollinator Health: Scientific Research & Community Outreach
By: Kaitlyn Culbert
Award Category: Grade Level 6-12
New Jersey

With the honeybee population threatened by climate change, Kaitlyn—known as the “Bee Girl” at Toms River High School North in Toms River, New Jersey—decided to take matters into her own hands by studying and protecting honeybees as both a researcher and activist. In coordination with Rutgers and Stockton Universities, Katie implemented a scientific study of Varroa mites—the leading killer of honeybees—and is currently developing a regression analysis to predict Colony Collapse Disorder. Perhaps more importantly, Katie understands that research is useless unless put into action, so she has combined her work in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) with local initiatives, collecting donations to create the 4-H Busy Bees Beekeeping Club. As a certified beekeeper herself, Kaitlyn leads the club by teaching young people about honeybees and how they can be protected. In coordination with club members, 4-H Teens, and the Master Gardeners, she also secured a 2,500-square-foot pollinator garden and maintains it for local honeybee health.

EPA Region 3:

Food for the Future
By: Maryland Coalition to Re-Imagine School Waste
Team Members: Advika Agarwal, Shrusti Amula, and Angelina Xu
Award Category: Grade Level 6-12
Maryland

Climate change threatens many aspects of society, but the food supply chain is especially vulnerable. This, combined with the challenge of hunger in America, spurred Richard Montgomery High School Maryland Coalition to Re-Imagine School Waste into action in Bethesda, Maryland. The group recently launched the first school food rescue and diversion program in Montgomery County, Maryland, which redistributes unopened food and diverts food scraps from incinerators to compost facilities. As part of this work, members of the coalition have advocated for funds and policies to expand this program. They currently divert approximately 1,800 pounds of food each month from 20 different schools, and the coalition is one of only five recipients of a $48,000 grant from the World Wildlife Fund in pursuit of reducing these schools’ carbon footprints.

Members of the coalition understand the importance of grassroots movements, which is why—in addition to creating and sustaining their program—they also organized more than 6,000 teachers and students to write to their local legislators in pursuit of funding legislation. Thanks in part to their efforts, which included training high school volunteers to testify before county legislators, the senate and the house passed a bill into law that allocates $1.25 million in funds over the next five years to food redistribution programs. Through collaboration and creativity, the Maryland Coalition to Re-Imagine School Waste is reducing the county’s carbon footprint, fighting food scarcity, and leading legislative action to address food waste.

EPA Region 4:

Preventing the Extinction of the Araucaria angustifolia
By: Katherine Nicole Torres Haragutchi
Award Category: Grade Level K-5
Florida

Hoping to go beyond the curriculum at Timberlin Creek Elementary School in Saint Augustine, Florida, Nicole founded the Extinction Club, a group dedicated to promoting awareness of species facing extinction. After two years of running this program, Nicole remembered the “pinhao,” a tasty seed of the critically endangered Araucaria angustifolia, and she suddenly found herself spurred to save yet another species threatened with extinction. In the spirit of her club, Nicole asked her friends to serve as ambassadors to Brazil as part of her “If You Can Dream” Foundation, which would raise local awareness of the Araucaria angustifolia and its endangered status. Through their collective efforts, Nicole and her team raised funds, met with the Environment Secretary of Cascavel City, and defined locations to plant Araucaria angustifolia seeds—locations that placed an emphasis on municipal parks to raise awareness while boosting the plant’s population.

Nicole’s event resulted in the planting of Araucaria angustifolia across nine locations. To raise awareness, she partnered with reporters for the local television broadcasting company, CATVe, to record the event on television with additional appearances on the local radio, in the newspaper, and online. Her work is an exemplary “agriculture as activism,” combining knowledge, action, and awareness to protect a species facing the existential threat of climate change. Nicole and the Extinction Club have already made a difference for this vulnerable species, but this is only the beginning. With all the endangered species of the world, they are just getting started.

Baxter Stream Clean Up
By: Roman Kenneth Phillips
Award Category: Grade Level 6-12
South Carolina

After installing wood duck boxes as part of his Eagle Scout project, Roman of South Carolina’s Fort Mill High School often enjoyed visiting nearby Lake Elliott to watch the local ducks, but the trash that had accumulated in the river was quite an eyesore. After realizing that the lake’s adjacent stream eventually flows into the Catawba River—the area’s main source of drinking water—he decided to take matters into his own hands and launch a cleanup initiative. Since then, and with the help of some friends, Roman recruited volunteers from the Eagle Scouts, the Alpha Soccer Academy, the South Carolina School of the Deaf and Blind, and other organizations to clean up over 16,000 pounds of waste in the Lake Elliot area.

Roman’s effort at the lake have had a rippling effect throughout his community. The Environmental Toxicology Lab at Clemson University, for example, worked with him to collect soil and water samples for and analysis of microplastics; hopefully, this research will lead to cleaner streams, not only in Roman’s area, but across the nation as well. Additionally, organizations such as the Tega Lions Club and the Catawba Riverkeepers have sought Roman for information about his initiatives, lessons on recycling, and ways to support a cleaner York County. He has even contributed monthly articles to his neighborhood newsletter and created a social media page to coordinate meetups. While Roman’s work is ongoing—and while he continues to combat air and water pollution for Lake Elliott—he has already made a substantial impact on his local community.

EPA Region 5:

Waukegan Zero
By: Waukegan High School Environmental Club
Team Members: Jester Abella, Krystal Hernandez, Amanda Moore-Rinehart, and Jeweleah Reyes
Award Category: Grade Level 6-12
Illinois

The Waukegan High School Environmental Club hopes to have enough trees in the City of Waukegan, Illinois, to offset the school’s emissions. This “Waukegan Zero” mission encourages partnerships between different community organizations for a joint effort to support environmental justice while raising local equity values through stewardship. The group’s leaders have conducted extensive research on the project—including research for sapling goals, sponsorships, marketing, and recruitment—to coordinate the Waukegan Zero event and plant 250 trees to offset the school’s carbon footprint. Because of their efforts, the Environmental Club’s tree-planting initiative has been promoted to the district level. In addition to the high school, 15 elementary school and five middle schools are now also included in the event’s informational and promotional efforts. Waukegan Zero took place on April 15—between Arbor Day and Earth Day—and was the kick-off event for Waukegan Earth Week.

Waukegan Zero is a quintessential stewardship project. It encourages participation from all reaches of Waukegan to bring longstanding benefits to the community’s climate, air, and water quality. The Environmental Club also combined these environmental benefits with equity: not only is the group lowering financial barriers through the free distribution of saplings (thanks in part to funding from local businesses), but it is also increasing property values and promoting equity by distributing saplings to blocks with the greatest need of tree equity. By doing so, Waukegan Zero encourages meaningful methods of combating climate change while also addressing environmental justice.

EPA Region 6:

Green Tigers
By: EAST at John Tyson Elementary School
Team Members: Izzy George and Henry Moody
Award Category: Grade Level K-5
Arkansas

In Springdale, Arkansas, John Tyson Elementary School responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by serving breakfast and lunch in plastic bags. While the precaution helped prevent the spread of disease, it also spiked the school’s plastic consumption—specifically, 200,000 plastic bags a year. In response, Izzy and Henry—two 5th grade students at the school—thought of a plan to reduce the number of plastic bags used in the cafeteria. When the principal rejected this plan, citing concerns of excessive stress on the cafeteria workers, they remained vigilant and responded by creating a program that recycles these plastic bags and prevents their contamination of the environment. Izzy and Henry contacted NexTrex, a plastic recycling company, and installed NexTrex bins in every hallway. After a successful marketing campaign, they encouraged the student body to participate in the recycling program, and already the school has prevented over 150 pounds of plastic from polluting the ecosystem.

Izzy and Henry are only just getting started. They know that John Tyson Elementary School is just one of many in Arkansas that consumes plastic, but there are only seven schools in the state with initiatives to address the environmental impacts of plastic consumption. To lead the way, they are writing an e-book about their project to share with students across the state. It is their hope that, by leading the way, they will inspire other schools to follow them on a path toward a more environmentally sustainable future.

EPA Region 8:

The Three Composteers
Team Members: Amelia Ashby, Sloan Clary, and Annabel Montero
Award Category: Grade Level K-5
Colorado

At Prairie Winds Elementary School in Monument, Colorado, three 5th grade students—Amelia, Sloan, and Annabel—could not help but notice the amount of waste generated from their school cafeteria, and they decided to put that waste to good use by composting. First, the “Three Composteers” started with their own classroom by creating an indoor worm bin that would compost leftovers from lunch. The worm bin—a simple combination of soil, newspaper, coconut coir, water, and worms—received the students’ food waste while also educating the class on worms, composting, and sustainability.

After they improved sustainability at the classroom level, the Three Composteers still saw an opportunity to compost for the entire school. As their efforts gained traction, they moved from a worm bin for the class to a larger composting pile that would accommodate more waste. Following a noticeable reduction in the school’s monthly trash, Amelia, Sloan, and Annabel later improved this process by making an official compost collector for the school cafeteria. They also created a list of what can be composted and placed it on the collector to make the process even easier for students looking to help. Today, composting is a part of daily life at Prairie Winds, and the Three Composteers teach other students about the process and importance of composting. It is their hope that new students will adopt their composting responsibilities—first by volunteering with them, then by managing the process themselves—as Amelia, Sloan, and Annabel graduate and expand their compositing initiatives to a new school.

District Climate Policy
By: DPS Students for Climate Action
Team Members: Caroline Brown, Farah Djama, Amelia Fernández Rodríguez, Eleanor Goldstein, Layla Jurow, Maya Kitei, Gabriel Nagel, and Mariah Rosensweig
Award Category: Grade Level 6-12
Colorado

In 2021, Denver had the worst air quality among the major cities of the world. This, combined with extreme temperatures and severe pollution of the South Platte River, motivated Denver Public Schools (DPS) students to create DPS Students for Climate Action. Inspired by recent legislation in nearby Salt Lake City, these high school students not only raised awareness of the climate crisis, but they also pushed through “end statement” DPS legislation that will mandate the district to create a climate action plan with specific objectives and procedures. Not only is this a major win for one of Colorado’s largest school districts, but now, for the first time, there is a school-based climate action policy that prioritizes environmental justice.

DPS Students for Climate Action was vital in the formation and implementation of the DPS climate policy. They met weekly to draft and revise the policy, seek endorsem*nts, and connect with board members. Students also actively participated in stakeholder meetings to develop the policy’s focus areas, which include resource management, transportation, sustainable buildings, renewable energy, food, and the student curriculum. During this process, the group consulted with diverse community leaders, always being sure to advocate for legislation and goals that align with environmental justice and benefit marginalized communities. These actions resulted in a petition with over 4,000 signatures and legislation that is the first of its kind.

Today, DPS Students for Climate Action continues to support the DPS climate policy. The group hosts workshops to inform the public about the plan and recruit future members, all to uplift underrepresented voices. It is their hope that this legislation will inspire other districts and students to push for effective and just climate legislation.

EPA Region 9:

Getting to Zero
By: Mary Bragg Green Team
Team Members: Emma Cardoza, Hailey Cruz, and Lauren Magsino
Award Category: Grade Level K-5
California

Emma, Hailey, and Lauren attend the Mary Bragg Elementary School in Cerritos, California. The 5th graders, now 6th graders, were thrilled when the campus Green Team established a lunch sorting line, one that included a share box and food donation program—it was so successful that it astoundingly reduced lunch waste from 35 trash bags to only 2 bags per day. It was no surprise then, that when the school was required to discontinue the program, Emma, Hailey, and Lauren decided to take matters into their own hands and keep the mission alive. As a result, they began their campaign, “Getting to Zero,” in the hopes of further reducing student lunch waste.

Collaborating with their teacher, the students partnered with a local pig farmer to collect edible and leftover food for his pigs. While this was a solution to the waste problem, the original mission—which helped feed the hungry—still felt incomplete, so they launched a full-scale initiative to reestablish the original share box and food donation program. After months of researching donation laws, similar school programs, and other resources, Emma, Hailey, and Lauren petitioned and advocated for six months until the original program was restored. Today, thanks to their work, Mary Bragg Elementary School feeds both people and animals while bringing its total waste closer and closer to zero. These three remarkable students turned knowledge into action, devoted time and effort, and persisted in the face of resistance to bring about meaningful environmental change in their community.

The Road to Zero Waste
By: Audrey Ma
Award Category: Grade Level 6-12
California

In Pasadena, 8th grader Audrey Ma started Polytechnic School’s Middle School Sustainability Club to raise awareness about climate change and implement environmental initiatives to address it. The Club’s first endeavor was the creation of a sorting and composting program because, as she researched, rotting food waste in a landfill creates methane, a greenhouse gas with more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide. Through the project, she and her club separated the middle school’s food waste for on-site composting and eventual donation to the school gardens. The Club’s project was so successful that, during the 2021–2022 school year, they expanded the food waste sorting and composting initiative to the elementary division while a high school sustainability club expanded it to the high school division. Today, the combined clubs have successfully diverted more than 16,000 pounds of food waste from the landfill each year—that translates to 30,000 pounds of carbon dioxide or 375 pounds of methane. On top of that, the Middle School Sustainability Club uses its food waste sorting and composting initiative to educate other students, kindergarten through 8th, about climate change while providing them with ideas for their own answers to the problems it poses. Even with all their current success, Audrey and her club members continue to expand the definition of “sustainability” at Polytechnic School. They have more recently begun a project on plastic reduction, for example, and they intend to complement their sorting and composting project with additional food waste reduction programs, such as donating surplus cafeteria lunches to a local non-profit, Mano a Mano, that helps distribute food to community members in need. It is their hope that the organics diversion systems implemented by the combined Middle and Upper School Sustainability Clubs at Polytechnic School will serve as a blueprint for other schools in California.

EPA Region 10:

Establishment of Kids for Urban Trees
By: Kids for Urban Trees
Team Members: Nirbhuy Arun and Alexis Gean Nicholson
Award Category: Grade Level K-5
Washington

Nirbhuy,a 2nd grader from Sacajawea Elementary School,and Alexis, a 3rd grader from Lewis and Clark Elementary School,wanted to plant trees in honor of Earth Day. By the end, they had established Kids for Urban Trees, an organization that has not only planted more than 250 trees but also inspired a whole community. Nirbhuy and Alexis have created their own banner and T-shirts, created an educational video about the urban heat island effect, and recruited other sustainability organizations, such as the Mid-Columbia Fisheries Group, to participate in habitat restoration through planting initiatives.

In 2022, Nirbhuy and Alexis began working with local municipalities to give speeches in classrooms about Kids for Urban Trees and its mission. Together, they teach interactively, inspiring students to participate with kid-sized tools and learn about proper planting. Their work has resulted in “smart planting” that considers the best locations and species for sustainability, and their work in regions like the City of Pasco has supported environmental justice by bringing the benefits of sustainability to low-income and marginalized groups. Additionally, unlike other sustainability groups in the area, Kids for Urban Trees focuses specifically on children, the voices of tomorrow, and encourages them through hands-on learning to empower themselves against the climate crisis.

Today, Nirbhuy and Alexis continue their mission to plant trees. They use presentations, models, live events, fundraising campaigns, and partnerships to take a hobby like tree planting and turn it into a movement that unites communities, inspires the next generation, and promotes both environmental justice and a cleaner planet.

Washington Youth Ocean & River Conservation Alliance (WYORCA)
By: Maanit Goel
Award Category: Grade Level 6-12
Washington

Maanit, a junior at Eastlake High School in Sammamish, Washington, has long appreciated the cultural presence of the Southern Resident orca in the greater Seattle area, which is why he was determined to protect their drastically declining population. After some thorough research, he discovered that the primary contributor to the orca’s decline is the similar decline of its primary source of food: the Pacific Northwest salmon. To restore these populations, Maanit launched the Washington Youth Ocean & River Conservation Alliance (WYORCA), the largest salmon and orca conservation coalition in the state, to replace—with renewable energy—four dams along the lower Snake River that have contributed to a 90 percent decline in keystone Chinook salmon over the past 50 years. Maanit discovered that these dams have raised the water temperatures above 68 degrees, the safety threshold for the salmon. Subsequently, he has held lectures for more than 1,2000 students and collected over 1,100 signatures petitioning federal officials for the removal and replacement of the dams.

Thanks to the WYORCA’s efforts, Senator Murray and Governor Inslee made the first official statements advocating for full renewable energy and infrastructure replacement of the Snake River dams, and thousands of students—fully aware of the intricate web of their ecosystems—are prepared to use their voices to conserve not only the Southern Resident orca and Pacific Northwest salmon, but other at-risk species as well. By using renewable energy to replace dams, and petitions to spur action, Maanit has demonstrated that conservation, environmental justice, and community involvement go hand in hand.

Honorable Mentions

Region 2:

Reboot PC, Inc.
By: Sam Nadol
Award Category: Grade Level 6-12
New York

In 2017, Sam of Hackley High School found an opportunity to recycle e-waste from local dumps in Tarrytown, New York, by personally collecting and repairing discarded computers and peripherals, repairing them with his own salvaged materials, and offering them for sale at minimal cost. He has since created Reboot PC, Inc., a volunteer-based non-profit initiative to bring this recycling opportunity to a grand scale. To encourage community participation, Sam regularly attends local fairs and features in both local and national news, drawing attention to the e-waste crisis while also inspiring others to donate their technology to his cause. So far, Reboot, Inc., has donated 226 refurbished computers (valued at over $45,000) to recipients in need.

In 2020, Sam received a Hogg Grant from his school in support of Reboot, Inc. that allowed him to create a website for the initiative and streamline donations and requests. He visits local dumps on a weekly basis, continues to collect donations, and contacts businesses to repurpose their e-waste before they throw it away. Additionally, he continues to find ways to improve his program. Last year, for example, he officially registered Reboot PC, Inc., as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, further incentivizing businesses and individuals to donate through tax deductions. With 7 million tons of e-waste accumulating each year—and with less than 20 percent of that waste estimated to be properly recycled—Sam is creating a scalable, practical, and charitable solution to one of the nation’s largest environmental concerns.

Region 3:

Connecting the Community
By: The Charter School of Wilmington Roots & Shoots Club
Team Members: Iveena Mukherjee, Lillian Olivere, and Aadyasachi Pallem
Award Category: Grade Level 6-12
Delaware

At the Charter School of Wilmington in Delaware, Iveena, Lillian, and Aadyasachi grew increasingly concerned over the state’s environmental threats, including lead in the drinking water, the status of Delaware’s environmental legislation, and increased sea level erosion. Similarly, they were also concerned with “slacktivism,” a trend where individuals—passionate about just causes such as environmental protection—find themselves unable to find proper avenues to turn their passion into action. To address these concerns, the three of them established the Roots & Shoots Club, where they follow the latest sustainability news and research to inspire their community to foster change through activities that interest them. As an example, the club encouraged action from the fashion community through “dress-down” days, and the school’s book club collaborated with them to collect more than 100 pounds of books for donation to Habitat for Humanity and local YMCAs.

The key to this club’s ingenuity is the various media through which they communicate environmental concerns. The Roots & Shoots Club is responsible for award-winning essays on sea turtles, state-wide videos on combating climate change, environmental workshops with state senators, and a podcast. Iveena, Lillian, and Aadyasachi understand that we all have a diverse range of interests, but those interests can be avenues for environmental accountability and change. Whether it be influencing daily lifestyle decisions, reporting on the recycling process and Delaware legislation, or disseminating opportunities for grassroots movements, the Roots & Shoots Club has become a hub for Wilmington’s environmental community.

Region 9:

Owl Conservation
By: Smart Recycling Now
Team Members: Alexander Borghese, Aria Capelli, Justin Chen, and Carter Considine
Award Category: Grade Level 6-12
California

Alexander, Aria, Justin, and Carter lead Smart Recycling Now (SRN), a youth-led, non-profit organization that promotes closed-loop recycling while protecting owls. It is well known that owls keep ecosystems in balance by keeping populations of small mammals and insects in check; however, habitat destruction, the use of pesticides, and collisions with human infrastructure threaten their numbers. To address this issue, SRN partners with the nation’s only mask recycler to transform single-use, disposable face masks—a burgeoning source of waste—into plastic lumber for owl boxes. The organization reaches over 300 schools, distributing educational materials along the way and informing the public—including members of school clubs, libraries, and nature walk programs—about the benefits of recycling and the dangers of declining owl populations. SRN also offers mask collection receptacles alongside prepaid boxes to mail the masks for repurposing.

So far, more than 150 owl boxes have been built thanks to the work of Alexander, Aria, Justin, and Carter. They and other volunteers have collected over 484 pounds of plastic waste. More recently, the group has also built an autonomous recording unit for each SRN box; these collect increasingly vital data about owls to help researchers study their populations and behaviors. Looking ahead, SRN continues to grow by partnering with business and other non-profit organizations. By joining forces, they are working smarter toward a more sustainable future, one that advocates for a low-waste economy, owl population health, and a well-informed youth.

President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) 2023 Winners | US EPA (2024)