Larry Romero, a sixth-grade student at Bruce Randolph Middle School, along with T’Keyah Henry, Andrea Hill and Shateea Blackwell, sixth-grade students at Whittier Elementary School, will travel to Washington, D.C. to accept the President’s Youth Environmental Award (PEYA) on behalf of 32 DPS students. The students will travel to Washington, D.C. April 21-24.

The students have been raising money to cover expenses related to their trip. In a show of support, Swansea Elementary School student council members raised $300 through candy sales and donations to help send Larry Romero, a former Swansea student, to Washington, D.C.

The President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) promotes local environmental awareness and inspires students to be a force within their communities. PEYA is the Environmental Protection Agency’s way of encouraging students ages five through 18 to participate in a community project that has a positive environmental impact.

The students participated in an award-winning habitat restoration project in City of Cuernavaca Park along with 32 other fifth-grade students from Swansea and Whittier elementary schools. Earth Walk is accepting donations in order to help with the rest of the cost of the trip.

The project began in April 2003 in City of Cuernavaca Park. The EPA chose their work along the South Platte River as the best youth-led environmental project in Region 8, which covers Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado.

Earth Walk, a program of FrontRange Earth Force, is a free after-school service learning program where kids experience cooperative problem solving and progressive community action. They also learn critical community building and life skills through their explorations of nature, art and culture. They work together in diverse groups and identify things they want to improve in their neighborhoods. From there they design and implement unique projects that reflect innovative and "home grown" solutions. Earth Walk service projects are always based on sustainable ecological principles and require that youth gain valuable leadership, communication and organizational skills.

Swansea Elementary School is located at 4650 Columbine St., Bruce Randolph Middle School is located at 3955 Steele St., and Whittier Elementary School is located at 2480 Downing St. For more information, please contact Justine Newell at Earth Walk 303-320-9370 or Swansea Elementary School at 303-296-8429.