Burlington student wins Canada’s top environmental scholarship

The Toyota Earth Day Scholarship Program has recognized Andrew Wong of Burlington, Ontario as the 2010 Toyota Earth Day Scholarship National Award Winner. Toyota Canada Inc. president Yoichi Tomihara and Earth Day Canada president Jed Goldberg presented Andrew with the award at a ceremony in Toronto.

Andrew, selected from a group of 20 regional scholarship winners who were chosen from a pool of hundreds of applicants across Canada, was recognized for his outstanding achievements in environmental community service, academics and extracurricular participation.

Andrew established the Greenhouse Horticultural Society at his school and mobilized his peers to revitalize his high school’s dilapidated greenhouse, transforming it into a hub for educational enrichment. As the President of the school’s Environment Team, Andrew also lead the development of his high school’s new recycling program, planned weekly eco-certification initiatives and hosted environmental debates.

“Andrew is a shining example of environmental commitment and action,” said Jed Goldberg, President of Earth Day Canada. “He has taken an active role in improving the state of the environment and will no doubt continue to be an inspirational leader for positive environmental change.”

Andrew is also the President of the Biology Club, school representative to the BurlingtonGreen Environmental Youth Advisory Committee and volunteers with the Royal Botanical Gardens Bay Area Restoration Council. In addition, he authors the environmental blog Million Green Lights, which couples environmental innovation with world issues.

“It is this type of leadership and passion, which Andrew has shown, which will be needed to tackle the environmental issues of today and help to build the more sustainable societies of tomorrow,” said Yoichi Tomihara, president of Toyota Canada Inc. “That’s why we’re so pleased to honour Andrew with the Toyota Earth Day Scholarship National Award, for demonstrating such exemplary academic and environmental excellence. I’m confident this passionate student leader will help show all Canadians how they can live Earth Day, Every Day.”

Andrew was presented with a Panasonic notebook computer in addition to the $5,000 award he received as a regional scholarship recipient.

The Toyota Earth Day Scholarship Program was established to reward and encourage environmental commitment and action among students. This entrance scholarship is presented to graduating high school students entering their first year of post-secondary education. Recognizing that environmental issues are increasingly being tackled through multidisciplinary approaches, winners are selected regardless of their intended program of study. Now in its eighth year, $600, 00 have been awarded to 120 exceptional young Canadians.