(January 3, 2024) Projects are being accepted for the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Litter Hawk Youth Award Program, a recognition program for students in Kindergarten through 6th Grade. Kids can participate individually or as part of a lesson initiated by schools, home-schools, scout troops, 4-H clubs, environmental clubs or other organized groups.

The Litter Hawk Youth Award Program is a way for kids to share their hope, optimism and concerns about litter and inspire others to care for their communities through art, words or video. In coordination of the release of the revision of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s popular Open your Eyes to Litter series of books for grades K through 6, the theme is: Open Your Eyes to Litter – Show Us What You See. Projects include:

• Grades Kindergarten through 4 – Poster
• Grades 5 – Essay
• Grade 6 – Video

First place and second place winners will receive ribbons and a certificate. All participants will receive a litter hawk sticker. Deadline to participate is January 31st. Winners will be announced in May in coordination with a display of winning entries at the PA State Capitol Building.

“We are excited to see how Pennsylvania students feel and think about litter in their neighborhoods, school and other favorite places. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful believes that engaging youth in protecting the environment not only creates a direct impact on changing behaviors and attitudes, but also influences their friends and families,” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “We are all responsible for keeping our communities clean and beautiful. This program provides a fun and easy way for students to illustrate respect for the environment and their community.”

The Litter Hawk Youth Award program was created with funding provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. For more information, downloadable promotional posters and an entry form, visit https://www.keeppabeautiful.org/grants-awards/awards/litter-hawk/. Additional questions can be answered by Stephanie Larson at slarson@keeppabeautiful.org or 724-836-4121 ext. 10

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About Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s vision is a clean and beautiful Pennsylvania. Since 1990, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful has worked with hundreds of thousands of volunteers across the state to pick up nearly 155 million pounds of trash from Pennsylvania’s roadways, waterways, greenways, vacant lots, forestlands and other community spaces. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s core programming focuses on litter and illegal dump prevention, cleanup, community greening, and proper waste handling and sustainable practices. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful works with many partnering organizations on the state and grassroots level to accomplish our goal of a clean and beautiful Pennsylvania. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is the state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, Inc., the nation’s largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. To learn more about Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, visit www.keeppabeautiful.org.