HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful are inviting environmentally-conscious 10th through 12th grade students to help preserve Pennsylvania’s natural resources through the Young Ambassadors of Pennsylvania program.
The program empowers young Pennsylvanians to train and learn from leaders across the private sector, state government, local media, and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful to protect Pennsylvania’s environment and build leadership and problem-solving skills.
Applicants should be passionate about the environment and committed to restoring and protecting Pennsylvania’s ecological landscape through volunteerism and leadership.
“Pennsylvania’s ecological beauty and sustainability come from hard work on the ground level,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “Through litter clean-up and prevention, stream restoration, and empowering their friends and neighbors, the next generation of environmental leaders are setting the standard for the rest of us.”
“We are honored to offer the Young Ambassadors Program in partnership with PennDOT for a fifth year. Each student brings unique experiences and tremendous passion for creating meaningful change in their communities and across the Commonwealth, and we look forward to welcoming a new group of inspiring young leaders,” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “Our goal is to spark a sense of community ownership while highlighting the importance of working with local residents, businesses, and organizations to identify issues and build solutions together. We are grateful for our continued partnership with PennDOT, which allows us to expand opportunities for students and help them develop the essential skills needed for long term success.”
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful will provide education and training to program participants on topics related to the impact of litter on roadways, litter prevention, waste management and recycling, civic engagement and public policy, volunteer management, and social media marketing. In addition, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful has partnered with industry leaders, Columbia Gas – NiSource Charitable Foundation and Dow to provide Job Shadow Days to select Ambassadors.
Ambassadors will serve a one-year term from September 2026 through May 2027 and represent and uphold the mission and values of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.
Program requirements include:
- attending 6 mandatory virtual education sessions;
- conducting a community assessment and creating a summary presentation;
- organizing a community cleanup event through Pick Up Pennsylvania and conducting one community education event or activity.
Applications are being accepted April 1 through June 10. Students will be chosen through a competitive application process. Students interested in applying should visit keeppabeautiful.org and choose Programs, Education then Young Ambassadors of Pennsylvania or contact Kylie McCutcheon at 724-836-4121 x114 or kmccutcheon@keeppabeautiful.org.
