HARRISBURG PA – Students in grades 10-12 from across Pennsylvania are being recruited to help keep the state clean and beautiful, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation says.
PennDOT and the non-profit Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful organization on Tuesday (Aug. 1, 2023) began inviting students to join their Young Ambassadors of Pennsylvania program. It hopes, in part, to inspire, engage, and empower community stewards and civic leaders. The goal: to attract them with a shared vision of a gleaming, attractive Pennsylvania.
Applicants, the sponsors said, should be passionate about the environment (above). They also should be committed to making Pennsylvania the best place to live, work and play through volunteerism and leadership.
The Young Ambassadors program provides opportunities for high school students to train and network with industry leaders, state agencies, local media and the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful network. It emphasizes increased leadership and problem-solving skills, and prepares them to make differences in their communities and beyond.
Applications are being accepted from Aug. 1 through Sept. 14. Students will be chosen through a competitive application process. Start the process online, or call Kylie McCutcheon of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful at 724-836-4121 Extension 114, or send an e-mail to kmccutcheon@keeppabeautiful.org.
Responsibilities, and opportunities too
Chosen candidates will commit to serve as ambassadors from October 2023 through May 2024, and represent and uphold the mission and values of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. Other responsibilities include:
- Attending six required virtual education sessions;
- Attending other non-mandatory sessions covering a variety of topics;
- Conducting a community assessment and creating a summary presentation;
- Organizing, and participating in at least one community cleanup event through Pick-Up Pennsylvania, and
- Conducting one community education event or activity.
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful will provide education and training to program participants. Topics intend to cover the impact of litter on roadways, litter prevention, waste management and recycling, civic engagement and related public policy, volunteer management, and social media marketing.
Additionally, organizers say the program will provide networking opportunities to build a sense of community and promote professional development of individual students. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful has partnered with Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, with funding from the NiSource Charitable Foundation, to provide “Job Shadow Days” to selected ambassadors.
The Young Ambassadors program is part of the commonwealth’s Litter Action Plan, announced in November 2021 and funded by PennDOT.
Photos provided to Travels With The Post by the Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful
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