Water district's Groundwater Guardian Team seeks middle school students for free trip
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Aug. 22, 2000 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- OCWD's Groundwater Guardian Team and the Blue Planet Foundation Tuesday announced that they are soliciting applications from north-central Orange County students for an all expenses-paid trip to the National Groundwater Foundation's 2000 Youth Summit on Environmental Health.
Seventh-, eighth- and ninth-grade students can compete for this free trip. One student and a parent or guardian will be selected to attend for their interest in the environment and desire to make a difference in their community. Applications are due Sept. 15, 2000.
The three-day conference will bring together students from all over the country to educate them about the connections between environmental and human health, and inspire them to communicate a compelling message to their community about the importance of protecting natural resources including soil, water, air and habitat.
"This was a fantastic, once-in-a-lifetime experience for my daughter and me," said Kathy Blackburn, who attended the youth summit with her daughter in 1998. "Most of all, this was a growing and educational experience for my daughter; she seemed to find a renewed sense of how she could help in solving environmental issues."
Students interested in attending the Youth Summit will need to complete an application and answer two short questions about Orange County's environment. Each student will also need to write a 250-word essay about what they expect to get out of attending the summit and what they want to bring back to their community.
Additionally, a resume, including the student's community service projects or any experience related to the environment, should be attached to the application. OCWD's Groundwater Guardian Team will select the student who will attend the conference as Orange County's representative.
"Orange County Water District supports the Groundwater Foundation's programs so more people can understand both the value of and the need to protect our groundwater basins," said Irv Pickler, president of the OCWD board of directors.
The OCWD Groundwater Guardian Team is one of 24 Groundwater Guardian and Child Health Champion communities across the country selected to send a student representative to the Youth Summit. The Summit is being held in the Lied Conference Center at the Arbor Day Farm located in Nebraska City, Neb. The Groundwater Foundation -- the national organization sponsoring the event -- will pay the travel, lodging and other conference costs for the student representative and one adult sponsor to attend.
How to apply
Interested applicants should contact Sharon Lien at 714/378-3362 for an application and more information. Applications must be submitted to OCWD by Sept. 15, 2000.
Orange County Water District is a special agency that was created by the California State Legislature in 1933 to maintain and manage the groundwater basin under northern and central Orange County. OCWD's groundwater basin supplies 75% of the water needs in Anaheim, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster and Yorba Linda.
The Blue Planet Foundation is a nonprofit organization formed to implement community-based environmental-education programs focused on the conservation and protection of water. Major sponsors of the Blue Planet Foundation include Orange County Water District, the Boeing Company and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
