The Environmental Law firm of Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox, LLP created the Environmental Community Service award in 2006 as a way to encourage environmental awareness and community service in Delaware Valley middle and high school students. The program, a partnership with Wawa and NBC10 each equally committed to supporting environmental improvements, was first awarded in May of 2006 and the second year, in May 2007. Now applications for the 2008 competition are currently being accepted.

Participating schools are asked to submit current community service projects that address environmental concerns and improves the quality of life within their community. Winners from one middle school and also one high school receive a $5,000 grant to be used in funding their environmental program. With the involvement of NBC 10, we were able to publicize the award on television in several ways - with news stories, public service announcements and on their daily website. With Wawa managing the applications, as they were the recipients of all applications, we were able to build more credibility for the "community" concept, as Wawa is a trusted resource in neighborhoods throughout the region. By working with judges from the Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences and the Department of Environmental Protection in PA, NJ and Delaware, we were able to analyze the applications with experts in the field. The applications were also made available on all their websites making this a tri-state program.

The intention of the award is encourage teachers and students in the Philadelphia area to be more involved with the environment under the theme of 'Connection to Your Community' and to enhance their own neighborhood with environmental improvements. We decided to offer this award to students with the belief that creating environmental awareness in young people fosters an ongoing commitment to a cleaner, more environmentally friendly community. Our partnership with WAWA and NBC 10 not only helped to expand the reach of our program, but also gave us the opportunity to create a unique partnership between three very different organizations, under the common goal of environmental education.

The partners, attorneys and staff at Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox, LLP believe in the importance of maintaining this commitment to environmental activism and education in the Greater Philadelphia community. They recognize the importance of continuing to offer the Environmental Community Service award to future students in the Philadelphia area. There are plans to continue this program as long as a need for environmental improvements exist in our world, which, based on current statistics, translates to many years to come.

The establishment of this award has impacted on thousands of students as it inspires teachers to focus on the environment and it recognizes outstanding programs that support communities. It's the contagious nature of this community service award that improves the lives and elevates awareness and appreciation of the environment that is the true champion of the program. Below are the winning schools:

Last year's winners were W.B. Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia and the Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander University of Pennsylvania Partnership School in West Philadelphia. Students at W.B. Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences used their grant money to support their ongoing Community Phyto-Remediation Project, with which the students study and remediate a residential lawn along Germantown Avenue that has high levels of lead present in the soil. They have been educating the community about the dangers surrounding leaded soil and encouraging residents to plant gardens in order to help beautify their community and make it sustainable.

Students at Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander University of Pennsylvania Partnership School used their grant money to continue the restoration of the grounds surrounding their school, which is part of Pennsylvania's Eastern Deciduous Forest Habitat. They purchased gardening equipment to help maintain the site, as well as native and wildlife friendly plants and outdoor garden signage to educate the community about local plant life and sustainable gardening methods.

The 2006 winners were Camden High School in Camden, NJ, and Friends Central Middle School in Wynnewood, PA. Students at Camden High School used their grant money to supplement the ongoing program, BEES (Building Environmental Education Solutions). Award money specifically went towards transportation costs for monthly BEES field trips where students visit area environmental sites, such as the Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority and the Forsythe Wildlife Refuge. Students at Friends Central used their grant money for a variety of ongoing environmental programs, including restocking their school nursery, buying compost bins for cafeteria waste, and converting a school bus to bio diesel fuel. Both schools were given the opportunity to showcase their projects on NBC 10. They also received a party sponsored by WAWA. The 2008 application was first made available on October 26, 2007 with a kick off event held at the '10!' Show studio at NBC 10. News anchor Terry Ruggles announced the details of the program on the '10!' Show, and a luncheon, catered by Wawa, followed in the studio for science leaders in the region. Also, chairing the luncheon were Robb Fox, partner of MGKF and Fred Wood, Facilities and Energy Director of Wawa.