The National Weather Association Awards Committee has selected PLAN!T NOW to receive the NWA’s Public Education Award, for exemplary services, through education and preparation, to assist citizens worldwide plan for natural disasters, and provide funds to help future scientists and emergency planners support these efforts.

The NWA is a member-led, all inclusive, 501(c)6 non-profit, professional association supporting and promoting excellence in operational meteorology and related activities since 1975. Members have many opportunities to share information, news, studies and concerns related to operational meteorology and related activities through committee work, submitting correspondence or articles to NWA publications such as the Newsletter, National Weather Digest and the online Electronic Journal of Operational Meteorology, making presentations or leading workshops at the Annual Meeting, helping to maintain and add information to the NWA Web site, and to network with great people in a wide variety of careers (from well-known senior professionals to weather enthusiasts). Members join together on many outreach education/training initiatives to students, users of weather information, and the general public. Members also have the opportunity to volunteer for many leadership positions in the organization. Weather Broadcasters have the opportunity to earn the NWA Radio and Television Weathercaster Seals of Approval. The NWA also sponsors an Annual Awards program to recognize excellence, college scholarships, grants to K-12 teachers and other programs. Membership fees provide full voting membership, National Weather Digests, monthly NWA Newsletters, reduced registration fees at NWA Annual Meetings, and reduced costs for NWA Monographs and Publications and more.

Miami, FL – PLAN!T NOW (P!N) has teamed with Scholarship America to provide scholarship aid for four community college students in the coastal United States as part of its 2010 PIN Hurricane Relief Scholarship Program (HRS P!N). Through this program, P!N will award four academic scholarships of $2,500 each to community college students studying natural hazard sciences, such as weather research, engineering, chemistry and other fields that help predict or mitigate the impacts of natural disasters on human life.

In 2008, as a means of improving hurricane preparedness in high-risk regions in the United States, P!N created the Hurricane Relief Scholarship Award for college students severely impacted by hurricanes or tropical storms. The award is given to students at four-year colleges and universities who, despite suffering significant setbacks, demonstrate academic and/or service excellence, an inner drive to succeed and a willingness to use their life experiences as teachable moments to encourage hurricane preparedness for others. P!N HRS Dreamkeepers is an exciting part of the program’s growth, now reaching the community college network. More

LOS ANGELES, CA – September 25, 2012: Hurricane season is in full gear and being educated and prepared for a severe storm is critical to making it through unscathed. In an effort to increase awareness of severe weather preparedness to children, PLAN!T NOW (P!N), has teamed up with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Weather Service (NWS), the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and the National Education Association (NEA) to produce The Young Meteorologist Program (YMP). The program is a free online resource and computer game that educates and empowers children and adults alike about severe-weather science, weather awareness and safety.

“We are so grateful to our partnering organizations for their help in creating and promoting YMP,” says Donna Lee, founder PLAN!T NOW. “Together we can help create a weather- ready nation.”

The YMP centerpiece, its online game, features a junior data collector for the Weather Center- Owlie (a digital evolution of the NOAA/NWS’s famed Owlie Skywarn). He helps kids on their online severe weather preparedness adventure. Players encounter lightning, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms- all while learning severe weather science and safety. Players who successfully complete the game earn a Young Meteorologist Certificate. The website, www.youngmeteorologist.org, also provides Young Meteorologist’s opportunities to put their knowledge to work through launching community service projects. Resources for educators, parents and meteorologists to guide Young Meteorologists are also available. More