More than 500 participate in

Litter Hawk Youth Award program

Winners of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Litter Hawk Youth Award program were recognized at a ceremony at the PA State Capitol Building on April 3.

Among the runners-up was Abigail Kalista, a kindergarten student at the Bishop Guilfoyle Academy.

Winning students, their parents, guardians and teachers, and legislators with winning students in their district, were invited to attend a ceremony honoring the Litter Hawk Youth Award winners and participants.

More than 60 people showed up to support and celebrate the winners and their efforts.

Representatives of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, along with Ramez Ziadeh, acting executive deputy secretary, PA Department of Environmental Protection, and Christian Cassidy-Amstutz, strategic initiatives and grants manager, America250PA, provided remarks about the importance of educating youth about litter and antilittering behaviors.

The program, funded by the PA Department of Environmental Protection, provides a way for students in kindergarten through grade 6 to express their concerns about litter through art, words or video. Each participant completed a project specific to their grade level.

This year’s theme was “Join the Greatest American Cleanup! Show us how you can keep your community litter free for America’s 250th birthday,” 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.

More than 500 students participated in this year’s program. First- and second-place winners in each grade level received certificates and a Litter Hawk decal. Winning entries were displayed in the East Wing Rotunda of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building in Harrisburg through April 30. See photos from the awards ceremony at Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Flickr page.

Pennsylvania students can participate individually or as part of a lesson initiated by schools, environmental clubs, scout groups or other organized groups.

To view winning entries and for more information about the program, visit www.keeppabeautiful.org/grants-awards/awards/.