Headlands Institute Community Action Award
Released January 25, 2006

The Headlands Institute (HI) is pleased to announce the new HI Community Action Award program that seeks to recognize the important role that young people play in positively influencing and impacting their home communities and environment. We are currently seeking nominations of individual elementary or middle school classrooms (including students and teachers) who are working together to make a significant positive contribution to the environment of their home communities.

The 2006 recipient classroom will receive a $1500 award to be used to further the goals of their community project. Any California classroom team, from either public or independent schools, may be nominated. Home schools may be nominated as long as they can demonstrate that a team of students and teachers have been consistently involved in the project.

In order to be nominated, projects must already be initiated and well underway. Preference will be given to those classrooms whose projects:

• were either student-generated or are student-driven
• extend beyond the boundaries of their school grounds
• are contributing in tangible and significant ways to the local community

To nominate a classroom for the HI Community Action Award, an external party must write a letter of support that describes:

• the students and teacher(s) who’ve undertaken the project
• the project itself – the name, why and when it was initiated
• Explanation of how the teacher(s) and students work as a team on the project
• Explanation of how the project makes a significant positive contribution to the community

Letters must be as specific as possible in detailing the number of students and teachers involved and must quantify, where possible, the project and its impact on the local community.

The winning classroom will be selected by an Awards Review Panel consisting of diverse members selected by HI management. Panel members may include educational experts and community members, as well as Headlands Institute staff, board, client teachers, or client students.

Nomination letters for the 2006 HI Community Action Award must be submitted on or before April 7th, preferably by email, to , or through regular mail, to HI Community Action Award, c/o Headlands Institute, Bldg. 1033, GGNRA, Sausalito, CA 94965.

The 2006 HI Community Action Award recipient classroom will be selected by April 28, 2006 and the official award ceremony will be at the Headlands Institute on May 19, 2006. A winning classroom must be able to send at least one teacher and two students to receive the award in person on May 19th at 7:30pm. The 2006 recipient classroom will receive a $1500 award to be used specifically to further the goals of their community project.