A total of $10,000 in honorariums to be awarded to institutions.
Now in its eighth year, the Annual Environmental Community Service Award will once again be presented by Wawa, NBC 10, and the environmental law firm Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox, LLP (MGKF).
The goal of the Environmental Community Service award is to raise awareness of environmental concerns and to recognize schools (6th grade or higher) in the Delaware Valley for their efforts in environmental service projects that enhance and improve the quality of life in their communities.
Each year two schools receive a $5,000 honorarium to further their environmental programs. The applications for this year’s Environmental Community Service Award are available online. All applications must be signed by a school official and submitted by Monday, March 4, 2013. Surprise presentations will be made at the winning schools prior to April 22, which is Earth Day 2013.
Since the program’s inception, more than a dozen schools in the tri-state area have been recognized for their outstanding programs. Last year, two suburban schools were recognized: The Williamstown Middle School’s (Williamstown, N.J.) winning program for its Community of Caring Gardens and the Hatboro-Horsham High School for their outdoor classroom called the Jarrett Nature Center (JNC).
In prior years, the awarded programs were just as interesting. The winning schools have been Charles F. Patton Middle School in Kennett Square, Pa.; Father Judge and Lincoln High Schools in Philadelphia; Epiphany of Our Lord School in Plymouth Meeting, Pa; Interboro High School in Prospect Park, Pa; St. Francis Xavier School in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia; Cedarbrook Middle School in Wyncote; Gateway Regional High School in Woodbury Heights, N.J.; W.B. Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences, Philadelphia.; Sadie Tanner; Mossell Alexander University of Pennsylvania Partnership School in West Philadelphia; Friends Central Middle School in Merion, Pa; and Camden High School in Camden, N.J.
Robb Fox, managing partner of Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox, LLP and one of the advocates for the award, noted he is proud of the programs they have recognized. “It’s great to see these programs not only help the schools, but have such a positive impact on the community. We are always impressed by the work being done by the students and faculty,” he said.
The individuals who judge the programs are all experts in the field of the environment and science. They are representatives from The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center, Pennsylvania and New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection, and Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control along with someone representing each sponsor— Wawa, NBC 10, and MGKF.
The Environmental Community Service Award application is available to download at http://www.wawa.com/WawaWeb/PressReleases.aspx
