Cooper Stevenson, now 9 and a fourth grader at Wayne Elementary School, displays the letter he received from the White House after writing last year to tell President Joe Biden about his idea to use robotic pelicans to clean up garbage in the oceans. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

LIVERMORE FALLS — When asked by a teacher to write a persuasive letter to someone in his life, Cooper Stevenson, now 9, took his concerns straight to the president of the United States — and got a response.   

As a third grader last year at Wayne Elementary School in Readfield-based Regional School Unit 38, Cooper wrote to President Joe Biden about climate change and pitched a solution.

“My idea was pelican robots that can fly into the ocean and collect trash in their beaks and (let) the water leave through a drain pouch,” he said.

Cooper also offered to help clean up the ocean.  

Cooper, who lives in Livermore Falls, said he became passionate about climate change because of his love for sea animals and pursued the topic on his own, outside of school. He chose to address his concerns to Biden because the president “likes the animals in the ocean,” and Cooper “thought he could help.”  

Recent research has shown the Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 97% of the world’s oceans, which is negatively impacting marine life.

Cooper Stevenson, now 9 and a fourth grader at Wayne Elementary School, received this letter from the White House after writing last year to tell President Joe Biden about his idea to use robotic pelicans to clean up garbage in the oceans. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

The third grade persuasive writing unit challenges students to advocate for small changes, then explore big changes and what those could look like, said Beth Smith, who was Cooper’s teacher last year.

Most students focus on changes within their home or school. Some students choose to write to school nutrition staff members about school lunch, and others have written to celebrate their former teachers.

“They write letters to their parents and ask for puppies and video games,” Smith said. “I occasionally do have a student that wants to make a big change, and I encourage these students, just like with Cooper.” 

Smith mailed the letter to the White House at the end of the 2022-23 school year, and Biden sent a response over the summer that Cooper received recently during the first week of fourth grade. 

The president thanked Cooper for being passionate about climate change and outlined the steps the Biden administration has taken to combat the issue, including using solar energy to reduce pollution.  

“It is important that you continue to use your voice to speak out on this issue,” Biden wrote on White House letterhead. “Because of students like you, I am more confident than ever in our country’s ability to overcome any challenge we face. Always remember — when you make your voice heard, adults listen.”  

Biden receives thousands of letters each day, but his administration has not posted information online about how many he reads or the number that receive a response.

In the past, the standard practice has been for the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence to screen letters, reply to some and pass along a sampling to the chief executive. Former President Barack Obama would read 10 a day, for instance, and sometimes send a personal response.

The letters are seen as a way for the president to keep tabs on the issues that matter to Americans, including the country’s students. Some administrations prioritize responding to children, military veterans or members of certain groups.

Since she has been teaching the unit, Smith said just one other student has received a reply from the president, when Donald Trump was in office.

Cooper said he did not expect to receive a response from the president.

“I was kind of surprised,” he said, “and it felt very good.”

His mother, Natalie Stevenson, said she had no idea Cooper had sent a letter to the White House.

“Both my husband and I are proud of him to think that and take the initiative to do that,” she said. “Neither of us knew he did that. I don’t know where the idea came from, but he was clearly thinking outside of the box.”  

Cooper’s advice to those in central Maine who want to help with climate change is to pick up their trash, especially at the beach.  

“They cannot leave their trash on the beach or environmental park,” he said, “because animals can get stuck or eat it.”