Litter Hawk Youth Award Program
2025
An Awards Program for Pennsylvania Youth in Grades K through 6th, funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is counting on kids in grades K through 6 who care about having clean places to live and play to become LITTER HAWKS! They can help people see how litter and trash hurts our environment through art, words and video. Litter Hawks help people KEEP COMMUNITIES LITTER FREE and inspire them to dispose of their trash and recycling properly.
In support of the Greatest American Cleanup, Keep America Beautiful’s national three-year campaign to motivate, educate and celebrate communities to clean up and green up ahead of the Country’s 250th anniversary on July 4, 2026, this year’s Litter Hawk Youth Award theme is: Join the Greatest American Cleanup! Show us how you can keep your community litter free for America’s 250th birthday.- WHO: All Pennsylvania students in grades K - 6 are welcome to participate, including individuals, school classrooms, homeschoolers, scout groups, clubs and other organized groups!
- WHAT: Submit a poster, essay or video that shows how you can keep your community litter free. First and second place entries in each grade will receive certificates. All participants will receive a Litter Hawk sticker. Categories are: Poster (K-4), Essay (5) and Video (6).
- WHEN: October 31, 2024, through January 31, 2025. Winners will be announced in April 2025 in coordination with an awards ceremony at the PA State Capitol Building where all winning entries will be on display as part of the 2025 Litter Hawk Youth Exhibit. All winners and their families, guardians and teachers are welcome to attend. Special guests will include representatives from the Department of Environmental Protection and America250PA.
- WHY: To inspire others to take action and keep Pennsylvania communities litter free! Click here to learn more about the Greatest American Cleanup. DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES IS JANUARY 31, 2025.
All entries must address the theme: Join us in the Greatest American Cleanup! Show us how you can keep your community litter free for America’s 250th birthday.
- Create artwork, an essay or a video that highlight Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, the Greatest American Cleanup and ways to keep your community litter-free for America’s 250th birthday!
- One entry per person.
- Multiple students may work on and submit one video.
- Entries will be judged on creativity and how well it represents the theme.
- All entries become property of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and may be reproduced, distributed, displayed, or published in any media at any time. Original artwork cannot be returned.
APPLICATION
- Grades K-4: Poster, either mail your poster along with this fillable PDF, or upload it on the online form
- Grades 5: Essay online form
- Grades 6: Video online form
GRADES K – 4: Poster – Join the Greatest American Cleanup! Show us how you can keep your community litter free.
- Use 8.5 X 11-inch paper
- Artwork can be traditional or digital
- No three-dimensional designs
- Highlight Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, the Greatest American Cleanup and ways to keep your community litter-free for America’s 250th birthday!
- IMPORTANT - Label artwork on the back with name, grade and school
- Submit your artwork:
- Mail your artwork and a completed application to: Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful – Litter Hawk, 105 West 4th Street, 2nd floor, Greensburg, PA 15601
(This method is preferred for submissions with many entries, such as a classroom. An email will be sent to you upon receiving your submission. KPB is not responsible for lost submissions) OR - Fill out the online form and upload your project. There will be an option to type or upload an excel sheet with student names.
- DEADLINE TO SUBMIT IS JANUARY 31, 2025, AT 5:00 PM. MAILED SUBMISSIONS MUST BE POSTMARKED BY JANUARY 31, 2025.
GRADE 5: Essay – Join the Greatest American Cleanup! Tell us how you can keep your community litter free.
- Length: No more than 2 typed pages
- Highlight Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, the Greatest American Cleanup and ways to keep your community litter-free for America’s 250th birthday!
- IMPORTANT - Include your name, grade, and school on your essay.
- Upload your essay(s) with your online entry form. There will be an option to upload an excel sheet with student names.
- DEADLINE TO SUBMIT IS JANUARY 31, 2025, AT 5:00 PM.
GRADE 6: Video – Join the Greatest American Cleanup! Show us how you can keep your community litter free.
- Length: 60 seconds or less
- Highlight Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, the Greatest American Cleanup and ways to keep your community litter-free for America’s 250th birthday!
- MP4 or MOV formats preferred. If needed, a video can be converted to MP4, example: https://cloudconvert.com.
- IMPORTANT – Include school and teacher/parent/guardian in video file name.
- Upload your video or provide a link to your online video with your online entry form. There will be an option to upload an excel sheet with student names.
- DEADLINE TO SUBMIT IS JANUARY 31, 2025, AT 5:00 PM.