Obama Administration Honors NWFs NaTaki Osborne Jelks with a White House Champions of Change Award

RESTON, Va. - (March 18, 2014) - The Obama Administration has selected Na’Taki Osborne Jelks, manager of Education and Advocacy Programs in National Wildlife Federation’s Atlanta office, as one of 14 White House Champions of Change for her outstanding work in engaging the next generation of conservation leaders. 

Na’Taki Osborne Jelks’ recognition comes from her initiative to develop and lead NWF’s Atlanta Earth Tomorrow® Program a multi-cultural, environmental education and leadership development program that creates opportunities for  youth from underserved communities to develop environmental literacy and life skills that help them make valuable contributions to the ecological health and leadership capacity of their communities.

"Through the Earth Tomorrow Program, I have been fortunate to work with a number of talented youth leaders who care about the future of our planet and who take action to protect and restore it for current and future generations," said Na’Taki Osborne Jelks. "I am awed by their passion and creativity and inspired by the transformations that I have witnessed in participants that propel them from the realization that there are pressing conservation challenges in their communities to engaging their peers, parents, and decision-makers in taking action for change."

"The Earth Tomorrow work is very personal for Na’Taki," said Susan Kaderka, regional executive director of NWF’s South Central Regional Center. "She is committed to engaging young people in the environmental health and sustainability of their own communities. For thousands of students she has opened up the possibility that that they can be leaders, that they can make a difference where it matters most."

Since 2001, Osborne Jelks has tirelessly worked with more than 2,500 students from across the Atlanta school system in this robust year-long program. Owing largely to her inspiring leadership and caring guidance, many of these students have gone on to pursue careers in conservation and other public service work.

Tamara Johnson, who is a former Earth Tomorrow student and now, wildlife biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Georgia commented on the tremendous impact Osborne Jelks’ guidance and support had on her life.

"I was always impressed by how much Na’Taki cared about fostering environmental stewardship in me and my fellow Earth Tomorrow students, and how she empowered us to foster it in our community," said Johnson. "Because of my exposure in Earth Tomorrow, I found a career in conservation biology, a field that I love more and more every day. Because of her own passion and her dedication, I credit Na'taki with helping me find my path. I hope that one day I can leave a lasting legacy in someone's life in a similar way that Na'taki has blessed mine."

In 2013, Earth Tomorrow® was selected to join the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC), a national effort to provide service, training, education and employment opportunities for young Americans, including low income and disadvantaged youth, to protect, restore, and enhance America's natural and cultural resources. Designation as a 21CSC member will increase NWF’s capacity to prepare youth from underserved communities for careers in conservation.

In addition to Earth Tomorrow, Osborne Jelks leads NWF’s Hike & Seek and Great American Backyard Campout events in the Atlanta area, and over the past year has been paving the way for NWF to introduce Eco-Schools in the Atlanta Public School system.  Her other work includes leading coalition building efforts to get kids connected to nature through policy and programmatic avenues, and engaging underrepresented communities in conservation efforts to combat global warming, restore habitat in Atlanta's diminishing urban forest, create green jobs, and train the next generation of environmental leaders.

The prestigious Champions of Change event honors people and organizations from across the country who are working to get young people to play, learn, serve and work outdoors. Na’Taki Osborne Jelks will be honored at a ceremony at the White House on Tuesday March 18, 2014 at 9 a.m.  The event will be streamed live at www.whitehouse.gov/live . To learn more about the White House Champions of Change program, visit www.whitehouse.gov/champions.

National Wildlife Federation is America's largest conservation organization inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future. Learn more at www.nwf.org.