Student Leaders Win Environmental Scholarship

WASHINGTON, April 10, 2007 -- Sixteen college students from around the country have been selected to study conservation in the United States and Brazil through an environmental leadership program developed by Nissan North America and World Wildlife Fund.

Now in its second year, the Nissan-WWF Environmental Leadership Program provides student leaders the opportunity to examine environmental issues and become effective advocates for conservation. The program is part of a $1 million partnership between NNA and WWF which will also help support WWF field conservation projects in the United States and Brazil.

Each winner of the Nissan-WWF Environmental Leadership Award receives a $5,000 cash prize and will participate in an Environmental Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. and Nashville, Tenn., and a research expedition in Brazil. The award recipients represent a diverse range of backgrounds and were selected based on their demonstrated leadership, academic achievement, and commitment to the environment.

"This is an opportunity for students to experience many different sides of conservation, from on-the-ground field work to policy-making to corporate environmental stewardship," said Nissan vice president Dominique Thormann. "We are proud to support WWF's conservation work for the second year, and to hopefully inspire a new, diverse group of future environmental leaders."

Each winner will be invited to attend an Environmental Leadership Summit in Washington and Nashville, June 18-23. The first part of the Summit will take place in the nation's capital, where the students will learn about conservation and environmental policymaking. They will visit institutions like the Environmental Protection Agency, the World Bank and Capitol Hill, and participate in personal development seminars and cross-cultural training activities to help prepare them for leadership roles in the global community.

In Nashville, they will participate in volunteer activities, learn about clean technology and tour a Nissan manufacturing facility. The students will also learn about Nissan's Green Program 2010, which focuses on reducing carbon dioxide emissions, minimizing exhaust emissions and accelerating recycling efforts.

The students will take a two-week field trip to Brazil in August, where they will work side-by-side with local conservation scientists, explore the Amazon rainforest by boat and participate in local cultural activities. Carbon emissions from all program air travel will be offset by investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.

"Last year, students commented on the enormous impact this program had on their personal and professional lives. For many, it was instrumental in shaping their understanding and awareness of environmental issues," said Shaun Martin, WWF's director of conservation leadership programs. "We're pleased the program will continue this year and are eager to be the vehicle for a new group of talented youth to learn about these important issues. We're confident they will make real contributions to conservation in the future."

As part of its $1 million grant, Nissan will support WWF conservation programs in the United States and Brazil. In the United States, Nissan will continue to support WWF's Southeastern Rivers and Streams Support Fund, which awards grants for grassroots projects to clean up polluted watersheds in Tennessee and Alabama. In Brazil, the donation will help fund regional conservation work in the Brazilian Amazon, which is plagued by illegal logging, slash-and-burn agriculture and other human impacts.

Nissan and WWF first launched the Environmental Leadership Program in 2006. Last year's student winners received a $5,000 prize, attended a four-day Environmental Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., and traveled to South Africa for a two-week research expedition.