Vote online for Carmel "green" teen group - finalists for a $10,000 grant for eco-projects!

Carmel “green” teen group is $10,000 “Green Heroes” grant finalist

Carmel Area Roots & Shoots needs your online votes!

The local youth environmental/humanitarian group is one of ten national finalists in the Clorox GreenWorks “Green Heroes” grant contest to promote the growth of eco-friendly community projects across the country.

Until April 10, anyone over age 18 can vote online daily at http://www.greenworkscleaners.com/greenhero for their favorite projects. If the Carmel “green” teen group receives enough votes, they will win $10,000 to help make Carmel a greener community.

The group’s project idea – the Carmel Green Teen Micro-Grant Program -- aims to empower local youth by providing funding for 22 visible, youth-driven, eco-friendly community projects. Carmel Middle School student and Roots & Shoots group leader Lauren Gibson explains, “We applied for one large grant to get money to break into multiple smaller grants.”

The $10,000 grand prize would be divided into $250, $500, and $1,000 micro-grants to be offered to Carmel-area scouting, school, church, and other youth groups for green projects over the next two years. Youth from Carmel Area Roots & Shoots will partner with adults from the Carmel Green Initiative to administer and award the micro-grants.

“We hope everyone will go online and vote for our project so we can make this a reality,” said Gibson. “It would be a shame to let this opportunity slip away.” Voters are allowed one vote per email per day, now through April 10.