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LINCOLN, NEB., 11-YEAR-OLD WINS PRESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL YOUTH AWARD

Release Date: 04/04/2005
Contact Information:

Environmental News
Denise Morrison
913-551-7402
morrison.denise@epa.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 4, 2005

LINCOLN, NEB., 11-YEAR-OLD WINS PRESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL YOUTH AWARD

A fifth-grade student from Humann Elementary School in Lincoln, Neb., teamed with the Nebraska Groundwater Foundation in Lincoln to win EPA Region 7’s Presidential Environmental Youth Award for 2005 by developing a new Science Olympiad event.

The event, Awesome Aquifers, was developed by Allyson Lien, 11. Students in the event build a model aquifer and demonstrate ground-water properties. Allyson worked closely with the Groundwater Foundation in creating this event.

Allyson competed with other groups throughout, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. She has been involved in ground-water related activities and events in Nebraska and California.

EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Gulliford, in Kansas City, Kan., said, “The Presidential Environmental Youth Awards encourage young people like Allyson to become engaged in environmental projects to protect our ecology.”

Allyson served as an assistant in setting up and preparing for various Science Olympiad trial and test procedures; built models for events; researched information for model aquifer building, and built ground-water flow models. She served as a test proctor at Science Olympiad 2004, monitoring and grading the Awesome Aquifers event tiebreaker.

Allyson has taught others in her community about ground water through hands-on activities, showing adults and young people that they can make a difference in addressing ground-water issues.

Allyson’s involvement in water-related education began when she was chosen as a delegate to the 2004 Tunza International Children’s Conference on the Environment in Rio de Janeiro. She took part in a four-day learning and sharing experience with more than 450 children from 52 different countries. She wrote an article on ground water during the conference that was published in the delegate newsletter.

EPA has sponsored the President’s Environmental Youth Awards Program since 1971. The program has two components: the regional certificate program and the national awards competition. Regional certificates are awarded by each of the 10 EPA regions. One outstanding project from each region is selected for national honors. Allyson won the national honors.

The annual awards program is sponsored by EPA to recognize outstanding young people involved in their communities. Applications must be submitted by July 31. They can be obtained in Region 7 from:

EPA Region 7
Office of External Programs
Denise Morrison
901 N. Fifth St.
Kansas City, KS 66101
Telephone (913) 551-7402
morrison.denise@epa.gov
Toll-free Environmental Action Line (800) 223-0425
Electronically: https://www.epa.gov/enviroed