What's Happening in Gastonia, NC…

Three Gastonia students, known here as The Pollution Solution team (TPSt), have been awarded the President’s Environmental Youth Award.

Award winners were selected by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

The three, Grace Wynkoop, Katie Danis, and Mary Hunter Russell, noticed that the Catawba River was under threat from polluted storm water. They started a grassroots movement called ‘Save the Catawba River: One Yard at a Time’.

The girls put together information kits to educate students on storm water pollution origins and what can be done to stop it. The program was tested on fourth-grade students at Gaston Day School. The students there were intrigued to learn how everyday life produces pollution, and also learned that simple steps such as bagging yard waste and picking up after their dogs can benefit our rivers.

The White House ceremony was attended by 60 students and 17 teachers who were honored for their environmental work and education. While there, teachers and students took part in a workshop hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The workshop focused on the climate and the best methods to deliver climate education.

Subjects such as storm water pollution and climate education are prime candidates for assistance by brochure printers in efforts to educate the public.