Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful (KPB) honored students across Pennsylvania today 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 July 4, 2026. 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 Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and PA 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 through 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 https://www.keeppabeautiful.org/grants-awards/awards/litter-hawk/. Winners will also be featured on Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Facebook page.
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