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Hygiene Elementary School receives the 1999 President's Environmental Youth Award

Release Date: 4/12/2000
Contact Information:
(800) 227-8917 x6613,

Release Date: 4/12/2000
Contact Information:
(800) 227-8917 x 6605,

Release Date: 4/12/2000
Contact Information:
(800) 227-8917 x6647,

Release Date: 4/12/2000
Contact Information:
(303) 776-0855

DENVER -- Carol Browner, U.S. EPA Administrator, will recognize Hygiene Elementary School, Longmont, CO, for receiving the 1999 President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA). April 11-14 Hygiene Elementary student Kacie Berman and the project faculty sponsor, Billie Pett, will travel to Washington, D.C. for the 15th annual ceremony for all PEYA award recipients.

The PEYA program encourages kids to learn about their environment and create strategies for improving their community's public and environmental health. Projects compete regionally and nationally and are judged by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on impacts, benefits, how environmental needs were met and other criteria.

The students at Hygiene Elementary School spent the entire school year learning about the rainforests of the world in a comprehensive, interdisciplinary environmental education program called "Rainforests: Wet and Wild." Students at every grade level analyzed rainforest issues through extensive use of research, computer technology, and scientific investigations. They also initiated many exciting environmental education projects that had impacts ranging from an international to a local scale.

Hygiene Elementary students had an international impact. $1,875 was raised to preserve rainforest land in Brazil, and because of this effort 75 acres of rainforest have been saved. The students organized bake sales, designed, published and sold rainforest books and calendars

With a national focus, Hygiene’s students created a rainforest-theme backdrop that was used in the nationally broadcast JASON Curriculum. This series is created and televised by The Denver Museum of Natural History. The students also donated art work to a Children’s Museum in Louisville, CO.

The students “thought globally” and “acted locally” to benefit and educate their community about the many values of rainforests. Students also worked as community volunteers to clean up the paths around Heron Lake at Pella Crossing, a county park near the school. At this park they restored nesting habitat that had been destroyed by human activity.

Additionally, a 1000 square foot rainforest model was created for the “Hygiene Children’s Rainforest.” There were 20,000 leaves, thousands of plants, vines, hundreds of animals and butterflies, and paper mache´ trees. A local news station televised the “Rainforest.” This model was donated to two groups in Boulder, CO, who work with physically and mentally challenged kids where it will be re-assembled and available to the public. Rainforest sounds and “touchables” for blind children, visuals, tastes and smells for deaf children and easy access and activities for wheelchair-bound kids will be established.

At the school, a “Recycle Patrol” was established to collect items from classrooms and to reward, with candy, those recycling properly. They also held a school-wide Rainforest Discovery Fair where they increased awareness about the importance of rainforests and motivated people to be responsible stewards of the earth.

For information about the President’s Environmental Youth Award program, phone Fran Wiscamb, 1-800-227-8917 x6613 or by Email: wiscamb.fran@epa.gov

For more information about the efforts at Hygiene Elementary contact Billie Pett (303) 776-0855 or by Email: petts@ecentral.com

View the Region 8 story on the Hygiene Elementary Project