Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water, the Hon. Phil Koperberg (left) with Eureka Prize winner, OzGREEN's Sue and Colin Lennox.
'Engage, equip and enable'. This unique approach to environmental education won the OzGREEN Youth in Action program the $10 000 Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW (DECC) Allen Strom Eureka Prize for Environmental Sustainability Education.
Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water, the Hon. Phil Koperberg presented the annual Prize to OzGREEN co-founders, Colin and Sue Lennox at the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes Award Dinneron Tuesday 21 August 2007 at the Australian Technology Park in Sydney.
Youth in Action trains 'eco-entrepreneurs' through specific programs such as Youth LEAD and MYRiveR, which aim to empower young Australians to lead environmental change as a part of the broader agenda for sustainability.
From 2003-2007, Youth LEAD engaged communities in six states involving 400 individuals between the ages of 15-30 to establish a nationwide network of eco-entrepreneurs. MYRiveR Program saw local youth lead their communities 'down by the riverside' in the Murray, Darling, Murrumbidgee, Onkaparinga and Cooks catchments.
Frank Howarth, Director of the Australian Museum, praised Youth in Action's creativity and leadership building. 'It is projects like these that are helping to shift the focus from 'me' to 'we', on both a local and national level,' Mr Howarth said.
Colin Lennox, Co-founder of OzGREEN explained that the NGO which started in 1992, is in a process of scaling up its programs to extend their reach to the broader community. 'Winning the Eureka prize is recognition that our programs can have a real impact. The Eureka Prize will make a valuable contribution in assisting the growth of OzGREEN as an organisation, 'Mr Lennox said.
DECC proudly sponsors the Allen Strom Eureka Prize for Environmental Sustainability Education, which is awarded for excellence in the design, implementation and evaluation of programs for environmental sustainability education. DECC warmly congratulates all the 2007 Eureka Prize winners.
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