[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 17, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E933]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





   CONGRATULATING MICHELE KEARNS, KELLY GENOVA, AND THE STUDENTS OF 
 FESTUS' QUEST K-8 GIFTED PROGRAM FOR RECEIVING THE EPA'S PRESIDENTIAL 
                       ENVIRONMENTAL YOUTH AWARD

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                        HON. BLAINE LUETKEMEYER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 17, 2019

  Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to 
join me in congratulating Festus, Missouri teachers, Michele Kearns and 
Kelly Genova and the students of Festus' Quest K-8 Gifted Program for 
receiving the Environmental Protection Agency's Presidential 
Environmental Youth Award.
   Long before receiving this prestigious award, it all started last 
year with two teachers, Michele and Kelly deciding to come together and 
apply for a grant from the Innovative Technology Education Fund in St. 
Louis, Missouri. The pair successfully received $22,000 for their 
students. Unaware to them, with this grant, it was the start of a great 
journey for the students of Quest.
   Michele and Kelly challenged their students to apply their knowledge 
and skillset in the STEM fields to come up with uses of the grant funds 
that would be beneficial to the Festus community. The students 
identified a problem, came up with a plan to solve it, and worked 
together to execute their project perfectly.
   The students of Quest noticed that their city park had an awful 
mosquito infestation during warmer weather. Their goal was to eliminate 
the problem for park goers in an environmentally friendly way, and they 
did that with the invention of Pollinator Paradise. With Pollinator 
Paradise, the students of Quest designed, built, and installed homes 
for Indiana bats, mason bees, purple martins, humming birds, and 
monarch butterflies, all of which are natural pest controls, and 
pollinators. The end result was a more diverse makeup of wildlife and a 
more pleasant setting at the park.
   The students of Quest have demonstrated that no matter how small and 
young one might be, you don't have to wait to start making a difference 
and impacting your community. Earlier this year, Michele and Kelly 
decided that others needed to know what the students of Quest were 
accomplishing down in Festus, Missouri and applied for the EPA's 
Presidential Youth Award. Much to their surprise, they were selected to 
receive this prestigious award. As their Representative, I couldn't be 
prouder of this group. They are the perfect examples of the great 
things that can come from team work and dedication. I know this is only 
the beginning for Quest. They are our next generation of thinkers, 
inventors, teachers, doctors, and leaders, and I look forward to seeing 
what the future holds for each and every one of them.
   Madam Speaker, I ask you to join me in congratulating Michele, 
Kelly, and all the students of Quest on this distinguished award and 
for a job well done.

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