Brief Description
With increasing concerns about the environment throughout the world, the environmental law firm of Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox, LLP (MGKF) created an educational program to encourage greater awareness of environmental issues in schools. With two partners - NBC 10 and Wawa ~ who are equally committed to environmental education, the Environmental Community Service Award was created in 2006. The focus of the award is entitled a "Connection to Your Community." One middle school and one high school in the Delaware Valley each receive a $5,000 honorarium to be used in furthering environmental education. There is a simple application process where teachers or environment club leaders describe their current environmental program that, in some way, supports their neighborhood. They are also asked to describe the plan for furthering these studies using the $5,000 grant. The recipients of the 2006 award were Friends Central Middle School and Camden High School. The 2007 Award was launched in the fall of 2006. The deadline is February 23, 2007 and the winners will be announced around Earth Day, April 22, 2007.
Working with a team of experts, the applications are reviewed by representatives from local environmental and science organizations including the Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences and the environmental agencies in PA, NJ and Delaware. These organizations also make the application available on all of their websites. With the involvement of NBC 10, there is much greater visibility of the award through news stories, public service announcements, spotlights and on their website. Wawa, a trusted resource in the community, plays an important role as they designed the award logo and materials and manage the application submissions. They also share in the financial donation for the prize money with MGKF, and provide parties for winning schools.
Sustainability Narrative
The intention of the award is to encourage teachers and students in the Philadelphia area to be more involved with the environment under the theme of "Connection to Your Community," by enhancing their own neighborhood with environmental improvements. The award was designed to honor students as an incentive to build environmental awareness in young people which will foster an ongoing commitment to a cleaner, more environmentally-friendly community. The partnership with WAWA and NBC 10 expanded the reach of the program and created a unique partnership among three very different, but highly respected organizations, under the common goal of environmental education.
The law firm, which is spearheading the award, is strongly committed to environmental education in the Greater Philadelphia community. The Environmental Community Service Award has made a difference in the lives of hundreds of students, which means the goals of this program have been more than satisfied.
Results As stated above, the goal of building more awareness of environmental concerns has been accomplished, above all expectations. The visibility of the award on television through the great efforts of NEC 10, on eight websites and through publicity efforts of Sharla Feldscher Public Relations, the consulting firm for MGKF, has made thousands of people more aware of environmental issues. There were two winners in 2006 and eight semi-finalist schools. All winners and semi-finalists received plaques to hang in their schools, which not only adds to the visibility of the award, but also focuses ongoing attention on the importance of caring about one's environment. The student and teacher winners at Camden High School in Camden, NJ, and Friends Central Middle School in Wynnewood, PA are proud of their work and will, most likely, remember this for a lifetime, encouraging more enriching work to enhance the environment.
Camden High School's winning teacher Gracelynn Johnson used their grant money to supplement their ongoing program called 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. Doug Ross, the teacher 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.
Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox, LLP, headquartered in Bala Cynwyd, PA with an office in Cherry Hill, NJ, concentrates its practice in environmental and land use law and litigation. It represents clients ranging from Fortune 100 corporations to small, privately held enterprises, both in the Mid-Atlantic Region and on a national basis. Their commitment to education is manifested in the lawyers' participation in environmental programs outside the office.
Wawa, Inc., a privately held company, traces its roots back to 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Owner George Wood started a dairy processing plant in Wawa, PA, in 1902. The milk business was a success, due to its quality, cleanliness and "certified" process. In 1964, George's grandson Grahame Wood opened the first Wawa Food Market in Folsom, PA. Today the company operates more than 540 stores in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Wawa is known for its branded products including award-winning coffee and freshly prepared hoagies. Wawa consistently ranks among Forbes' top 200 privately held companies. "Wawa" is the Lenni-Lenape Indian word for flying goose.
NBC 10, one of 14 Owned & Operated NBC television stations, is located in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., a suburb of Philadelphia. Millions of viewers throughout Greater Philadelphia, Lehigh Valley, South Jersey and Delaware tune into NBC 10 everyday for the most up-to-date news, weather, sports, consumer, health and traffic reports. Viewers also tune in daily to watch the 10! Show, an upbeat, one-hour lifestyle and entertainment show featuring local, national and internationally known celebrities. The program airs 'live' Monday through Friday at 10 a.m. Recognized as the #1 web site (www.nbclO.com) in the top 50 markets, NBC10.com was recently awarded with the prestigious National Edward R. Murrow Award.
