Carmel Area Roots & Shoots needs your online votes!

The local youth environmental/humanitarian group, partnered with the Carmel Green Initiative, is one of ten national finalists in the Clorox GreenWorks "Green Heroes" grant contest to promote the growth of eco-friendly community projects across the country.

Until April 10, anyone over age 18 can vote online daily at www.greenworkscleaners.com/greenhero for their favorite projects.  If the Carmel "green" teen group receives enough votes, they will win $10,000 to help make Carmel a greener community.

The group's project idea - the Carmel Green Teen Micro-Grant Program -- aims to empower local youth by providing funding for 22 visible, youth-driven, eco-friendly community projects.  Carmel Middle School student and Carmel Area Roots & Shoots group leader Lauren Gibson explains, "We applied for one large grant to get money to break into multiple smaller grants."

The $10,000 grand prize would be divided into $250, $500, and $1,000 micro-grants to be offered to Carmel-area scouting, school, church, and other youth groups for green projects over the next two years.  Youth from Carmel Area Roots & Shoots will partner with adults from the Carmel Green Initiative to administer and award the micro-grants.

"We hope everyone will go online and vote for our project so we can make this a reality," said Gibson, "It would be a shame to let this opportunity slip away."

Voters are allowed one vote per email per day, now through April 10.