Oxford Elementary School teacher Jackie Omania has been honored with the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators.
Ms. Omania was selected the 2019 winner from Region 9 of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which includes California, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii.
“Ms. Omania has gone above and beyond in her teaching career to better her student’s understanding of our natural world and conservation of its precious resources,” said a May 22 notice from the EPA to Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s office.
Ms. Omania is known for her successes working with students to strive for a zero-waste classroom and to safeguard the environment against global warming and plastic trash.
She hopes to attend the July 25 national awards ceremony in Washington, DC, with family members.
“Congratulations Teacher Omania!” said School Board Vice President Beatriz Leyva-Cutler. “This is huge and a deserved recognition of your educational focus and spirit of Si Se Puede!”
You can read the full EPA notice and an Oxford Newsletter report about the award online.
Ms. Omania’s third-grade class and her “Heirs to Our Oceans” environmental club were recently honored with the Emerging Voices Youth Award from the Sierra Club’s San Francisco Bay Chapter.
Ms. Omania’s students spoke at a Jan. 22 Berkeley City Council meeting where the Council approved a new ordinance that tightly limited disposable foodware in restaurants. Their example was cited as an inspiration for the Council’s action.