Related: Grounded in Green
Kaelah Kimura ’23, Joey Misailidis ’23 and Katie Rudolf ’23 were awarded a 2022 President’s Environmental Youth Award for their “Operation Leadership Hawai’i” project. They are one of ten student teams from across the country to receive this award for outstanding community environmental projects. They accepted their award in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 4.
Presented annually by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in partnership with the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the award honors local projects developed by students, youth organizations and more that promote environmental stewardship and protection.
As part of Operation Leadership Hawai’i, the Punahou team developed a curriculum of workshops for O‘ahu students in grades 4 – 6. The workshops and classes have reached over 140 students and focus on sustainability through games, leadership-building activities, environmental design challenges, and highlight such young environmental leaders as Swedish climate activist, Greta Thunberg.
