CHICAGO (June 18, 2024) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with the White House Council on Environmental Quality, announced that Vishal Swamy, a high school student from Novi, Michigan, has won the 2024 President’s Environmental Youth Award.
“We are delighted to celebrate and recognize the remarkable contributions of educators and students across our country,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Our awardees exemplify commitment to environmental education and steadfast leadership in taking creative and innovative approaches to protect human health and tackle climate change. To the awardees, we extend our sincere appreciation for your unwavering dedication to environmental stewardship – we look forward to seeing what you accomplish next.”
“Environmental stewardship often begins in the classroom with young people and educators who are taking our planet’s most pressing climate change and environmental justice challenges head on,” said White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory. “This year’s awardees represent passionate and dedicated leaders who are tackling the climate crisis, improving public health, and delivering a more equitable future for all.”
Vishal Swamy founded the Stewards Sustainability Leadership Institute 4-H Club, a youth program headquartered at Michigan State University’s Tollgate Farm dedicated to educating and involving students in their community. Its primary objective is confronting a lack of confidence and direction among youth against challenges as large as climate change. As a remedy, the program connects students to experts in the field to facilitate their projects. To date, the program has executed several projects by securing more than 30 community partnerships and $16,000 in funding. In 2023, over 15 projects were undertaken, encompassing a diverse array of missions, including an education program for composting that successfully reached over 100 community members. Vishal also spearheaded the establishment of a community pollinator garden at Tollgate Farm, planting more than 250 flowers and shrubs. The leadership institute is also collaborating with a local high school to implement strategies for reducing food waste in school cafeterias. These endeavors represent just a glimpse of Vishal’s multifaceted approach to environmental activism. Vishal hopes to inspire the younger generation to take actions for a sustainable future.
“I am extremely honored to receive this award from the EPA and am so proud of what we have accomplished at the Stewards Sustainability Leadership Institute 4-H Club in building a sustainable future for everyone,” said Vishal Swamy.
Nationally, 29 students who worked as a team or individually on 13 projects received the President’s Environmental Youth Award. Their stewardship projects, conducted in 2023, demonstrate the students’ commitment and success in advancing community garden efforts, addressing environmental justice concerns, reducing pollution, conserving water and energy, reducing food waste, and combating climate change while also effectively encouraging the involvement of people in their communities.
The President’s Environmental Youth Award was established by the Environmental Education Act of 1970 and recognizes outstanding community-level environmental projects by K-12 youth that promote awareness of natural resources and encourage positive community involvement. Each year, the award honors a variety of projects developed by students, school classes, summer camp attendees, and youth organizations that promote engagement in environmental stewardship and protection.
To read about the winning projects in detail, visit: PEYA Winners.