Tom Gilbert, President, Pennsylvania Environmental Council; Shannon Reiter, President, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful; Jessica Shirley, Acting Secretary, Department of Environmental Protection; Natasha Fackler,  Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation; Kylie McCutcheon, Young Ambassador Coordinator, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful; Brady McNamara, Young Ambassador Graduate 2023; Cindy Dunn, Secretary, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; and Andy Tubbs, VP of External and Customer Affairs, Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania and Maryland at the awards ceremony.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Young Ambassadors program recognized with a Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful received a Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence for our Young Ambassador Program at a recent awards show honoring those who have made efforts to help the environment. The Young Ambassador program is offered in partnership with PA Department of Transportation and builds community stewards and civic leaders by inspiring, engaging, and empowering young Pennsylvanians to become ambassadors in their community for a shared vision of a clean and beautiful Pennsylvania.

Applications are currently being accepted until June 10, 2024, for students who will be in grades 10-12 during the 2024-2025 school year. Apply here. 

Columbia Gas Environmental Coordinator, Will Anderson and Ambassadors Riley Lepley and Maya Lin in the field.

Young Ambassadors Participate in Job Shadowing with Columbia Gas

Environmental Coordinators in the Columbia Gas Bridgeville and York facilities hosted three high school students for a job shadowing event in April.

Young Ambassadors, Riley Lepley, junior from Cumberland County, Maya Lin, junior from Delaware County and Kathryn Boidock, junior from Washington County participated in the program. Students who completed the required activities of the Ambassador program were eligible to apply.  

The students’ day began with introductions and a brief overview of what Environmental Coordinators do and how they fit into the Columbia Gas ecosystem. Later, students met with engineers to discuss projects and how the Environmental Department is involved. After receiving appropriate safety gear, the students also visited active work sites.

Environmental Coordinators Sara Tomko and Katie Dukovich led the tour of the Millers Run site in Bridgeville. Environmental Coordinator Will Anderson and Environmental Team Leader Jonathan Kilmer hosted the students in York. 

"I think one of the best things I received from the Ambassador program was the job shadowing opportunity I got to do at Columbia Gas! It was wonderful to get out and experience a day in the life of others who continuously work with their community and environment!" ~ K. Boidock

Philadelphia Water Department celebrated Earth Day by coordinating and participating in a cleanup of Mingo Creek where they picked up over 1,800 bags of trash and 3,000 tires.  

Pick Up Pennsylvania
There's still time to join us for Pick Up Pennsylvania!  Registered community improvement events can get free trash bags, gloves and safety vests provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, PennDOT and Keep America Beautiful, as supplies last. The spring program runs through May 31. Register your litter pick up, beautification, recycling or anti-litter education event at our website or contact Michelle Dunn for more information.

Photos of your Pick Up Pennsylvania cleanup can be entered in the Lens on Litter contest to earn up to $500. Questions may be directed to lensonlitter@prc.org. Additional information, sponsors, an online entry form as well as previous winners, can be found here.  

Crystal Jacobs Shipman, Streets Commissioner, Phoebe Coles, Chair, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, Kyle Lewis, Recycling Program Director and Carlton Williams, Director, Clean and Green (with Curby Bucket and Sun Ray) attend Green Schools Award Recognition Celebration.  

Litter Free School Zone

Twenty-one Philadelphia area schools who joined our Litter Free School Zone program were recognized in the Philadelphia Green Schools Award Recognition Celebration. Public, private, parochial and charter schools who pledged to keep their school grounds litter free were recognized with Litter Free School Zone signs to post at their school.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful provides the Litter Free School Zone program to public and private schools in Pennsylvania to encourage students to become stewards of their school and community and ensuring that litter does not find its way to the neighboring streets, parks and storm drains where it would become even more harmful to the environment and community. Teachers and school administrators can apply now for the 2024-2025 school year.

Keep America Beautiful Grants

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful received 150 Litter Kits and a cash award in support of Pick Up Pennsylvania. The kits will be distributed to long-standing stewardship groups who participate in Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful programs. KPB will provide mini grants to eligible Affiliates that register and report their events with Pick Up Pennsylvania.