·         Open Your Eyes to Litter in a Watershed Now Available!

We are excited to announce the latest update to our Open Your Eyes to Litter series, a collection of five educational activity books. The newest addition, Open Your Eyes to Litter in a Watershed, is now available in both English and Spanish, along with its comprehensive teacher's guide. This 28-page book delves into the impact of littering on watersheds, featuring vocabulary, journal prompts, and engaging activities designed to reinforce the concept of watersheds and their significance to both people and animals. This update was made possible through funding from the PA Department of Environmental Protection.

Cobbs Creek Ambassadors, volunteer to cleanup Cobbs Creek Park, Philadelphia.  

Register now for Pick Up Pennsylvania, the State’s Largest Community Improvement Program 

Registration is open for 2025 Pick Up Pennsylvania! Events scheduled from March 1 through May 31 receive free trash bags, gloves, and safety vests provided by support from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and PA Department of Transportation, as supplies last. DEP and Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association are sponsoring trash disposal, free of charge or at a reduced rate for registered program participants, at participating landfills from April 1 through April 30, with prior approval. Events can include litter cleanups, illegal dump cleanups, community greening and beautification, special collections and anti-litter education events. Events must be registered to receive free cleanup supplies.  Contact Michelle Dunn, mdunn@keeppabeautiful.org or 724.836.4121 x113 with questions.

NEW - Enter Your Pick Up Pennsylvania Cleanup in the Lens On Litter Contest to Win $500!

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is proud to sponsor the 2025 Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC), Gene Capaldi Lens on Litter photo contest, Before and After category. Participants are eligible for a monetary prize of $500. One adult and one student winner will be awarded. In order to qualify, submissions in this category must be from a Pick Up Pennsylvania registered and reported event. All Lens on Litter photo contest rules and requirements must be followed.  All submitted photos may be used by PRC and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful at their discretion. 

Erica teaches fifth grade students all about recycling. 

From Classrooms to Communities: Young Ambassadors Making a Difference

To fulfill their responsibilities as Young Ambassadors, students are required to host an educational event in their community or school. Below are a few highlights of events held so far by our class of 2024-2025. Many more are scheduled through the end of April!

Ava, a junior from Indiana County, partnered with her local library to teach children and their parents about the importance of not littering and taking care of the Earth. She read "Critters Don't Litter" by Adele Roberts and "The Great Trash Bash" by Loreen Leedy to them, followed by hosting a craft activity after each reading.

Erica, a junior from Delaware County, taught 22 fifth graders about the importance of recycling. She explained which materials are recyclable in Delaware County and how to prevent pollution. To make the lesson interactive, she created a game where the students worked together to sort objects into recycling or trash categories. Additionally, she provided recycling-themed word searches for the students to complete together.

Katie, a senior from Westmoreland County, spoke to an advanced class of middle school students about various types of pollution. She engaged them in several activities, one of which involved having the students draw their own towns. To simulate rain, she then had them spray their drawings with water. Afterward, they discussed runoff pollution and brainstormed ways to reduce it.

At the recent Policy and Practice training, four Young Ambassadors presented their community assessments and accepted feedback from our special guests and policy professionals Kelsey DeMerlis, Director, Center for Community Services, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and Marisa Balanda, Deputy Policy Director, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation:

Hannah, junior, Dauphin County - The Road to Recycling at Susquehanna Township High School

Masa, 11th grade, Erie County - Waste Reduction in Fairview Township

Callum, 10th grade, Schuylkill County - Assessing Illegal dumping in McAdoo and Kline Township 

Noori, 11th grade, Chester County - Stormwater Pollution KPB Community Assessment

The next round of applications for the 2025-2026 Program Year will be opening in April. More information to come!

Cassandra Coleman, Executive Director, America250PA; Shannon Reiter, Executive Director, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful; Jennifer Lawson, President and CEO, Keep America Beautiful celebrate at the Keep America Beautiful conference in Washington D.C.  

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Partners Recognized Nationally

Innovation Award
America250PA, recognized for its strategic partnership with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, leverages networks, organizational resources and expertise to reach common goals including community improvement, corporate engagement, and public awareness of America’s 250th Birthday.  Together, we built a community improvement grant program, Pennsylvania Day Community Improvement Grants, which supports A250PA’s official day of service, Pennsylvania Day. In just the first two years of the grant program, KPB and America250PA supported 19 grants totaling more than $38,000. The program engaged 308 volunteers. These volunteers removed 10,000 lbs. of brush and weeds, 1,500 lbs. of trash, and 59 tires. They recycled 600 lbs. of materials and added 59 gardens and planters. Watch America250PA's video to learn more. 

State Agency Partnership Award
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has been an invaluable partner to Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful (KPB) since its inception, providing essential funding and resources for various KPB programs and operational costs. This support enables us to expand our service area and continue offering core programs and technical assistance to local municipal and county affiliates, partnering organizations, and Pennsylvania residents. With DEP's backing, we can secure long-term participation in our mission to keep Pennsylvania clean and beautiful. Additionally, DEP actively participates in KPB programs and promotes them through press releases, media events, and social media channels.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) consistently supports Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful through several ongoing programs, including the annual Pick Up Pennsylvania cleanup initiative. PennDOT provides significant support via its Adopt-A-Highway program, leveraging its network of 7,500 groups to promote Pick Up Pennsylvania. PennDOT encourages participation in the event and distributes cleanup supplies to all registered participants through its 67 county maintenance facilities across the state.

In 2021, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful (KPB) entered its first contract with PennDOT to develop and launch the Young Ambassadors of Pennsylvania Program. Since then, we have graduated three classes of high school students from diverse socio-economic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds who have inspired, engaged, and empowered their peers to keep their communities clean and beautiful. Through the program, students developed civic leadership skills to champion and advocate for clean and beautiful communities across Pennsylvania.