CONTACT: Lauren Jandl, Chief of Staff, 802-828-3171
Attorney General Charity Clark wants to hear young Vermonters’ thoughts about the environment. For the third year in a row, the Attorney General’s Office is holding an Earth Day Essay Challenge and asking fifth and sixth graders to submit essays on the environment.
“Last year, the Attorney General’s Office received almost 200 essays from fifth- and sixth-grade students from all over Vermont,” said Attorney General Clark. “We were thrilled to see the enthusiasm that young Vermonters and their teachers had for Vermont’s environment and our essay challenge. We heard about the special connections these students have with the natural world, and their ideas for addressing climate change and protecting Vermont’s wildlife, green mountains and forests, waterways, and air quality. I look forward to reading essays from this year’s Earth Day Essay Challenge and hearing directly from our future environmental leaders and activists.”
The Attorney General’s Earth Day Essay Challenge is open to any fifth- or sixth-grade student in Vermont. The Challenge will run from February 13, 2023, through April 7, 2023.
Ideas for topics include, but are not limited to: What do you love about Vermont’s environment? How do you enjoy Vermont’s environment? What do you care most about and what does Earth Day mean to you? What are your concerns about the future of Vermont’s environment? What do you think we should do to help protect the environment? Participants do not need to cover any or all of these topics – these are just ideas. Students are encouraged to be creative and write about their thoughts on Earth Day and the environment.
All submissions will be posted on a dedicated page on the Attorney General Office’s public website on Earth Day 2023 (April 22). Posted essays will include a participant’s first name only, along with their school. Please indicate with your submission if you prefer that your essay not be posted. A link to read essays from last year’s event can be found at: https://ago.vermont.gov/divisions/environmental-protection/earth-day-essay-challenge.
Members of the Attorney General’s Environmental Protection Unit, and Attorney General Clark herself, will read all essays and provide individual feedback to each student who submits an essay. Participants will also be entered in a drawing to have Attorney General Clark pay a visit to their classroom after the essay challenge is over. Additionally, environmental attorneys will be available to virtually speak to any participating class about the environmental work of the Attorney General’s Office during the essay submission period.
For more information on the Attorney General’s Earth Day Essay Challenge, including how to submit your essay, please see the Earth Day Essay Challenge Fact Sheet.