Nevada Outdoor School Executive Director Andy Hart recently returned from Washington, D.C., where he was recognized as a "Champion of Change" for his work engaging the next generation of conservation leaders.
The recognition stems from the America's Great Outdoors Campaign, which President Barack Obama created in 2010. The initiative is intended to encourage people to get out and enjoy public lands. As part of the initiative, Obama asked his staff to create a recognition program to honor citizens who do extraordinary things to empower and inspire their communities.
Every month, two recognition ceremonies are held, each for different areas and industries, and a call for nominees is sent out nationwide through the Department of the Interior. The White House Commission on Environmental Quality then picks the stores that rise to the top and are inspiring and motivating.
When Hart received a call out of the blue informing him of his nomination and requesting his presence at the White House, he was taken completely by surprise.
"It all happened very quickly," he said.
Hart said he felt right away that he needed to accept the invitation and found that the NOS board felt the same way.
"How many times is NOS going to have the opportunity to receive this level of recognition?" Hart said he asked himself.
Hart was able to make the trip with his wife, Erin, and invite several NOS partners from the Washington level. A generous contribution of $500 from Humboldt General Hospital helped fund his trip, Hart said.
The event took place on March 18 at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is located inside the White House compound. About 170 people were in attendance, Hart said, and a total of 14 people were honored.
The day began at 9 a.m. with a welcome speech by Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. Following her speech, the honorees were split into two panels based on the Department of the Interior's new four-part initiative: play, learn, serve, and work.
Hart was placed on the panel that focused on "play" and "learn" addressing the issue of the disconnect youth have from nature.
"NOS is acutely aware of that," he said. "That's why we're here."
Each person on the panel was given several minutes to talk about his or her background and organization and then the group fielded questions from a moderator, Twitter users and audience members.
"It was certainly a great opportunity to establish the framework for where we're at in terms of engaging the next generation of conservation leaders," Hart said.
The rest of the event consisted of several more speeches, closing remarks and tours of the Department of the Interior offices. A reception was scheduled, but was canceled due to a snowstorm. Luckily Hart and his wife were able to take the time to make a short vacation out of the trip and explore the city.
"The experience was phenomenal," Hart said. "I still feel like I'm trying to let it sink in."
Hart said every day of his job is worth it simply because of the impact made on the kids, but to receive recognition from the White House level makes his work even more special. That work wouldn't be possible with the NOS staff and AmeriCorps members, he said.
"It's important for me to acknowledge all of the staff and AmeriCorps members at NOS the last ten years who have been working hard to get the program where it is," Hart said.
Hart has served as the executive director of the Nevada Outdoor School, a 501(c)3 non-profit, for the last five years. NOS strives to inspire the next generation of conservation leaders through a variety of inquiry-based science and experiential outdoor education initiatives.
Contact Jessica Powell at j.powell@winnemuccapublishing.net.[[In-content Ad]]
