BRUNSWICK — Teens To Trails Founder Carol Leone was selected by the White House as a “Champion of Change: Engaging the Next Generation of Conservation Leaders” for her efforts to engage communities and youth in environmental stewardship and conservation.

She was honored March 18 along with 13 other local heroes who, through innovative approaches, are creating opportunities for the next generation of Americans to take part in outdoor recreation and physical activity.

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell greeted each champion and spoke at the gathering in celebration of the local leaders from across the country who are working to get young people to play, learn, serve and work outdoors.

She shared the following story about Leone and her work with Teens To Trails:

“Seven years ago, Carol Leone founded an organization called Teens To Trails based on a simple, replicable concept: If every high school in Maine offered an Outing Club program, every student would have access to safe, healthy and fun outdoor experiences just at the time in their life when they need positive choices the most. Since that time, Carol has led the Teens To Trails movement to increase the opportunities for Maine teens to experience the out-of-doors through a variety of programs that promote and support high school outing clubs.”

All of Leon’s efforts, according to Jewell, are “dedicated to the memory of her younger daughter, Sara, whose strong connection to the out-of-doors was instrumental in developing the confident and caring, passionate and compassionate young lady she had become in her short 15 years.”

The Champions of Change program was created as an opportunity for the White House to feature individuals doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities.

To read more about Leone and the Champions of Change program, visit www.whitehouse.gov/champions.