From Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Pictured above: Litter Hawk Awardees, along with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. Photo courtesy of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful (KPB) honored students across Pennsylvania on Thursday, April 2, for their commitment to raising awareness about litter and the importance of keeping our communities clean through art, writing, and video in the annual Litter Hawk Youth Award Program.
“Every student that takes part in the Litter Hawk program knows that litter is bad, and they are encouraging their friends, their parents, their neighbors, and their communities to be good stewards and keep Pennsylvania beautiful and litter-free,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. “As we’re preparing for America’s 250th birthday, we want to put our best foot forward, and the entries this year emphasize loving our nation and keeping it litter-free.”
This year’s Litter Hawk Youth Award theme is “Celebrate America250 – Keep It Beautiful!” in support of the nation’s 250th anniversary on Saturday, July 4. Students were asked to show how we can all keep our communities litter-free for America’s 250th birthday. Over 500 students participated in this year’s program. Promotional partners included the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.
First- and second-place winners in each grade level received medals, certificates, and a Litter Hawk decal. Check out their amazing posters, essays, and videos on Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s website.
First Place
- Alexandriah, prekindergarten, Farrell Area Elementary, Mercer County
- Calvin, kindergarten, Ringing Rocks Elementary, Montgomery County
- Carter, grade 1, Jenny Lynn Preparatory, Luzerne County
- Henry, grade 2, Norvelt Elementary, Westmoreland County
- Amelia, grade 3, Hares Hill Elementary, Chester County
- Tanesha “Gia,” grade 4, Queen of All Saints Academy, Lehigh County
- Paula, grade 5 (essay), Norwood School, Delaware County
- Beckett, Rylissa, Emalee, Teegan, grade 6 (video), West Greene School, Greene County
- Life Skills (poster): Mario, Maverick, Mason, Zurella, Krispin (grade 1); Emma, Luci, Charlotte, Namirr (grade 2); Aria, Mark, Amina, Willow, Milana, Trinity (grade 3), Wyoming Area School District, Luzerne County
Second Place
- Khloe, prekindergarten, Farrell Area Elementary, Mercer County
- Ayonna, kindergarten, Jenny Lynn Academy, Luzerne County
- Isabelle, grade 1, Holy Name Elementary, Cambria County
- Amelia, grade 2, Homeschool, Washington County
- Anwitha, grade 3, West Bradford Elementary School, Chester County
- Faith, grade 4, Homeschool, Lancaster County
- Alec, grade 5 (essay), Haine Middle School, Butler County
- Elizabeth, Leighton, Mackinze, Savannah, grade 6 (video), Twin Valley Middle School, Berks County
- Life Skills (poster): Emilia, Ethan, Eva, TJ (grade 1), Lincoln (grade 2), Charlotte (grade 3), Jack, Kate (grade 4), Brockway Elementary, Jefferson County
“Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful sends a big thank you to all the amazing students who took part in this year’s Litter Hawk Youth Award program! We loved seeing the creativity, kindness, and great ideas shared in the hundreds of projects we received,” said Shannon Reiter, Executive Director of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “Each entry told a special story and showed how much our students care about their communities and the environment. A special thank you goes out to the families and teachers who traveled to the State Capitol to celebrate. Your support helped make the awards ceremony a day to remember. Congratulations to all of this year’s Litter Hawks! We are so proud of you and can’t wait to see what you create next year.”
Winning entries will be displayed in the East Wing Rotunda of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building in Harrisburg now through Thursday, April 30. Artwork is also showcased throughout the year at various state facilities, including PA Turnpike Service Plazas and PennDOT Welcome Centers. See photos from the awards ceremony at Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Flickr page.
The Litter Hawk Youth Award program is offered annually. 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 keeppabeautiful.org/grants-awards/awards/litter-hawk. Winners will also be featured on Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Facebook page.
For more information, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s website, or follow DEP on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or X (formerly Twitter).
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