Form 6500-04 CEQ-EPA Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental

CEQ-EPA Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators
Application
Program History
The Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) recognizes
outstanding kindergarten through grade 12 teachers who employ innovative approaches to
environmental education and use the environment as a context for learning for their students. Up
to two teachers from each of EPA’s 10 regions, from different states, will be selected for this
award. Since the passage of the 1990 National Environmental Education Act, the White House
Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), administers this award to nationally honor, support and encourage educators who
incorporate environmental education in their classrooms and teaching methods.

Eligibility







Teach K-12 on a full-time basis in a public school that is operated by a local education
agency1, including schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs;
Hold a current teaching license from the state (or valid reciprocity from the state for a license
from another state);
Have a minimum of 5 years of K-12 teaching experience, including at least 3 years of
teaching environmental education;
Anticipate a classroom teaching assignment involving environmental education for the
upcoming school year;
Be a citizen of the United States, its territories or possessions, or lawfully admitted to the
United States for permanent residency2; and
Has not been a recipient of this award in the past 5 years.

Application Requirements:
There are 6 sections to the application:
Section 1: General Information about the teacher
Teachers will provide contact information, perform an eligibility review, and a provide summary
of teaching experience.

1
For this program, a local education agency is one as defined by section 198 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (now codified at 20 U.S.C. 7801(26)).
2
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services defines lawful permanent residency as any person not a citizen of
the United States who is residing in the United States under legally recognized and lawfully recorded permanent
residence as an immigrant, also known as “Permanent Resident Alien,” “Resident Alien Permit Holder,” and “Green
Card Holder.”

2015-2016 PIAEE Application Form
OMB Control No. 2090-NEW
Approval expires:

1

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPA Form No. 6500-04

Section 2: Essays
Applicants are required to respond to essay questions addressing the selection criteria:
Innovation, Achievement, Service to the Community and Underserved Communities,
Leadership, and Integration.
Section 3: Sample Teaching Materials
Applicants must include sample teaching materials that demonstrate the teacher’s work with
students.
Section 4: Letters of Support
Each application must include 3 signed letters of support from an administrator at the teacher’s
school, a fellow teacher, and a past or current student.
Section 5: Richard C. Bartlett Award
Applicants must indicate whether they would also prefer to be considered for the Richard C.
Bartlett Award, offered by the National Environmental Education Foundation.
Section 6: Final Checklist
Applicants must complete a final checklist, certifying that they have completed all required
sections of the applications.

Selection Criteria
Teachers must have an outstanding record of teaching. Each of the factors below is meant to
illustrate the applicant's record of teaching. Applicants will be judged by the responses to the
questions in each of these five factors, as well as their sample teaching materials and letters of
support.
Innovation (25 points)
A. How does the teacher make learning about the environment unique, fun and exciting for
his or her students? For example, does the teacher use experiential or place-based
learning in ways that go above and beyond the practices of other teachers? Please be sure
to demonstrate or exemplify this in the sample teaching materials.
B. How does the teacher tailor his/her teaching methods to the needs of his/her student
population?
Achievement (15 points)
A. What positive changes has the teacher seen in student academic achievement and
behavior or attitude DVDUHVXOWRIparticipatiRQ in the teacher’s environmental
education program?

2015-2016 PIAEE Application Form

2

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Service to the Community and Underserved Populations (20 points)
Many schools are part of communities that include minority, indigenous, low-income and
underserved populations. Communities and their schools may also be located in places that are
heavily impacted by environmental pollution. While your community and school may or may not
be considered one that is impacted, please answer the following.
A. How does the teacher extend environmental education beyond the classroom? Are the
teacher’s students participating beyond the classroom in environmental, conservation, or
earth science extracurricular or communitybasedprojects and activities?
B. How does the teacher inspire the surrounding community, including parents/guardians
and members of the community to participate in environmental education activities?
Leadership (15 points)
A. How does the teacher serve as a model for students and teachers with his/her approaches
to teaching about the environment?
Integration (10 points)
A. How does the teacher help to integrate environmental education into the broader school
curriculum or coordinate environmental education with other teachers and academic
subjects?
Sample Teaching Materials (10 points)
Letters of Support (5 points)

Winners and Honorable Mentions





Winners will receive a Presidential award plaque and up to $2,500 to be used to further
their professional development in environmental education.
Award winners’ local education agencies will also receive up to $2,500 to fund
environmental activities and programs. These funds cannot be used for construction
costs, general expenses, salaries, bonuses, or other administrative expenses.
A congratulatory letter from a senior official from EPA and/or the White House.
Honorable Mention recipients will receive certificates of recognition.

Program Timeline
Application Deadline: March 13, 2015
Notification of Winners, Honorable Mentions, and Non-Winners: Week of May 14, 2015
EPA and White House Press Release Announcing Winners: Week of June 4, 2015

2014-2015 PIAEE Application Form

3

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Submission Instructions





Applications are accepted electronically and by hard copy. We prefer to receive
applications by email.
All applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on March 13, 2015.
Please ensure that the required supporting materials are included with the application
submissions – a checklist is found on the last page of this application.
All applicants will receive an email confirmation that their application was received.

Electronic Submissions
Email complete application package, including all supporting materials, to [email protected].
Please include “Application for 2014-2015 PIAEE” in the subject line.
Hard Copy Submissions
Hard copies must be sent by a commercial delivery service and must be delivered by 5 p.m. ET
on March 13, 2015 to be eligible for consideration. All applicants will receive a confirmation
email upon receipt.
Mail complete application package to:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Environmental Education
Attn: Carly Carroll
William Jefferson Clinton Building North, Room 1426-A
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, MC 1704-A
Washington, DC 20460
The public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated
to average 10 hours per response. Send comments on the Agency's need for this information,
the accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods for minimizing
respondent burden, including through the use of automated collection techniques to the
Director, Collection Strategies Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2822T),
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20460. Include the OMB control number in
any correspondence. Do not send the completed form to this address.

2015-2016 PIAEE Application Form

4

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Application Section 1: Contact
*required information

Teacher Contact Information:
Prefix:

*First Name:

*Last Name:

MI:

Suffix:

*Home Address:
*City:

*Zip:

*State:

*Primary Email Address:

*Home Phone:

Secondary Email Address:

Mobile Phone:

School Information:
*School Name & Street Address:

*City:

*State:

*Zip:

*School Email address:

*Phone #:

*School Website:
*School Tax ID#:

Fax #:

*Principal Name:

*Principal3KRQH:

*Principal Email:
Grades:
K

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

10th

11th

12th

☐

☐

☐

☐

☐

☐

☐

☐

☐

☐

☐

☐

☐

Teaching Experience:
How many years has the teacher taught K-12?

2015-2016 PIAEE Application Form

5

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Eligibility:
Check each box to confirm that the teacher meets the general eligibility requirements.
☐

The teacher educates K-12 full time in a public school (including a Bureau of Indian Affairs
school) that is operated by a local education agency3.

☐

The teacher has a teaching license from the State (or valid reciprocity from the State for a license
from another State).

☐

The teacher has at least 5 years of teaching experience, and at least 3 years of teaching an
environment-based curriculum and/or environmental education.

☐

The teacher has a classroom teaching assignment involving environmental education for the
coming year.

☐

The teacher is a citizen of the United States, its territories or possessions, or lawfully admitted to
the United States for permanent residency4.

☐

The teacher has not been a recipient of this award in the past 5 years

Where did you hear about this award program?
☐

EPA website

☐

EPA Headquarters Staff

☐

A friend or colleague

☐

EPA Regional Staff

☐

School Administration

☐

Press/Media

☐

Other (Please Specify):

3
For this program, a local education agency is one as defined by section 98 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (now codified at 20 U.S.C. 7801 (26)).
4
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services defines lawful permanent residency as any person not a citizen of
the United States who is residing in the United States under legally recognized and lawfully recorded permanent
residence as an immigrant, also known as “Permanent Resident Alien,” “Resident Alien Permit Holder,” and “Green
Card Holder.”

2015-2016 PIAEE Application Form

6

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Application Section 2: Essays





Essays are listed under the following five headings: Innovation, Achievement, Service to the
Community and Underserved Populations, Leadership, and Integration.
Teachers should be certain to clearly address every question in each heading area in a
separate, attached document. Teachers must include sample teaching materials and may
reference throughout their essays.
If the teacher’s response to a particular question cites information provided in response to
another question, or in the sample teaching materials, the response should clearly indicate
where the information is located so that the reviewer may easily find it.
Essay length, font type and size specifications: The total length of essays must not exceed
9 pages. An essay may start on the same page RQZKLFKthe previous essay ended. Additional
pages will not be read or evaluated. Essays are to be written in Times New Roman font, size 12,
line spacing 1.5, and margins no smaller than 1 inch.

Essay 1: Innovation
A. How does the teacher make learning about the environment unique, fun and exciting for
his or her students? For example, does the teacher using experiential or place-based
learning in ways that go above and beyond the practices of other teachers? Please be sure
to demonstrate or exemplify this in the sample teaching materials.
B. How does the teacher tailor his/her teaching methods to the needs of his/her student
population?
Essay 2: Achievement
A. What positive changes has the teacher seen in student academic achievement and
behavior or attitude as a result of their participation in the environmental
education program?
Essay 3: Service to the Community and Underserved Populations
Many schools are part of communities that include minority, indigenous, low-income and
underserved populations. Communities and their schools may also be located in places that are
heavily impacted by environmental pollution. While your community and school may or may not
be considered one that is impacted, please answer the following.
A. How does the teacher extend environmental education beyond the classroom? Are the
teacher’s students participating beyond the classroom in environmental, conservation, or
earth science extracurricular or community based-projects and activities?
B. How does the teacher inspire the surrounding community, including parents/guardians
and members of the community, to participate in environmental education activities?

2015-2016 PIAEE Application Form

7

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Essay 4: Leadership
A. How does the teacher serve as a model for students and teachers with his/her approaches
to teaching about the environment?
Essay 5: Integration
A. How does the teacher help to integrate environmental education into the broader school
curriculum or coordinate environmental education with other teachers and academic
subjects?

2015-2016 PIAEE Application Form

8

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Application Section 3: Sample Teaching Materials
Sample teaching materials must be submitted separately as attachments to this application.
Content: Materials from one unit/curriculum or module that the teacher has taught. Indicate how
these materials were used, and how the students responded to them.
Source(s): The materials may be original to the teacher or may be from an existing education
curricula source. If existing education curricula or activities are submitted, the source of the
materials must be documented.
Length: The total length of the sample teaching materials may not exceed 5 pages. A brief description
of how the materials are used must be included. Teachers may include up to 5 pages of
photos, which must be clearly labeled. Photos are optional. Web links to supporting materials,
such as photos (5 pages or fewer) and sound and/or video recordings (10 minutes or fewer or
total playing time) may also be provided but must be accompanied by a brief description of the
project. Reviewers will not attempt to find online content for invalid hyperlinks, so please make
sure they are active.

Sample Material Titles:
Please briefly list the titles of the materials that are included with this application in the space
provided.

Sample Material Use and Student Response:
Please briefly indicate how these materials were used and how the students responded to them,
within the space provided.

2015-2016 PIAEE Application Form

9

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Application Section 4: Letters of Support
Each application must include a total of three signed letters of support. Letters must come from:
 An administrator from the teacher’s school
 A fellow teacher
 A past or current student
Letters of support should not exceed one page and must include the following:
 Relationship to the teacher;
 Familiarity with the teacher and the work for which the teacher is being considered; and,
 Perspective on why the teacher’s work is unique and innovative in the field of
environmental education, and how the teacher might inspire others to use environmental
education.
The letters must be submitted as attachments to the application. In the boxes below, identify the
individuals who provided letters of support for this teacher.

Letter 1: Administrator
Name

Title

Organization/School

Email Address

Letter 2: Fellow Teacher
Name

Title

School

Email Address

Letter 3: Past or Current Student
Name

2015-2016 PIAEE Application Form

Address or Email

10

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Application Section 5: Richard C. Bartlett Award
The Richard C. Bartlett Award was established by the National Environmental Education
Foundation (NEEF) to distinguish teachers who best represent Richard C. Bartlett’s passion for
and leadership in environmental education. EPA and the NEEF have partnered together to
administer the Richard C. Bartlett Award to one of the Presidential Innovation for Environmental
Education Award Winners for 2015.
Winner Recognition
The Richard C. Bartlett Environmental Education Award winner will receive $5,000 and two
merit winners will receive $750 each. Additionally, the $5,000 winner also receives a trip to
Washington, D.C. to meet with national environmental education leaders.
Bartlett Award winners are selected by a distinguished national panel of NEEF judges based on
the following criteria:
 Demonstrating creative, replicable approaches to environmental education;
 Adopting an interdisciplinary or systems thinking approach to integrating environmental
education across subject areas;
 Engaging others, such as fellow teachers, administrators and community members in
their environmental education efforts; and
 Increasing student achievement within and beyond the classroom.
Eligibility Requirements
 Teacher must currently be teaching at a public school in the United States.
 Teacher must have at least five years of teaching experience.
 Teacher must currently be teaching grades K-12.
 Teachers who have previously received the Richard C. Bartlett Award are not eligible to
be nominated. This does not include past merit award winners.
 If a nominee’s school has applied for NEEF’s Sustainable Energy Award, he or she may
still be nominated for the Richard C. Bartlett Award. However, if the nominee’s school
wins the Sustainable Energy Award, he or she will no longer be eligible to win the
Richard C. Bartlett Award or merit awards.

Certification: Please select one of the following.
☐

The teacher meets the eligibility requirements for the Richard C. Bartlett Award and
would like to be considered.

☐

The teacher would not like to be considered for the Richard C. Bartlett Award.

Please note that applications of those interested in being considered for the Bartlett Award will
be shared with the National Environmental Education Foundation.

2015-2016 PIAEE Application Form

11

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Application Section 6: Final Checklist
Before submitting, be sure your application package includes:
☐

Completed application, with essay responses.

☐

Copy of teacher’s teaching license, state teacher certificate, or copy of online record (an
active weblink). Do not send original certificates.

☐

Sample teaching materials.

☐

Three letters of support.

☐

Indicated preference for the Richard C. Bartlett Award.

___________________________________
Teacher Signature

2015-2016 PIAEE Application Form

Date

12

________________

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency