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Student Group Participates in EPA Roundtable

Release Date: 12/16/2010
Contact Information: Dave Bary or Joe Hubbard at 214-665-2200 or [email protected]

(DALLAS – December 16, 2010) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently hosted 65 environmental educators at the 2010 Environmental Education Roundtable in Dallas. This bi-annual meeting brings together educators from Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma to discuss public environmental outreach and educational strategies.
The meeting’s highlights included a compelling presentation from the Future Leaders of America’s Gulf, or FLAG. This group of high school students and citizens from Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes uses social networking tools to keep coastal youth educated on current events affecting the Gulf.

The group was founded when several teens wanted to discuss environmental issues on their own terms.

“There was not a place where people our age could discuss coastal issues, and we wanted to provide a forum where teens could learn how the Deepwater Horizon spill and other environmental issues will affect our futures,” explained Vincent Cannata, a senior at Vanderbilt Catholic School. “We have attended numerous meetings and participated in forums that have raised awareness and influenced opinion on issues that will shape the future of the Gulf Coast.”

FLAG’s presentation outlined how the group has helped coastal residents understand current environmental issues. The students will bring what they learned at the roundtable back to the Gulf Coast to continue educating their fellow residents.

More about activities in EPA Region 6 is available at https://www.epa.gov/region6

EPA audio file is available at https://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/dec2010.html