A Berks County school was among those recognized in a statewide program highlighting students’ efforts to raise awareness about litter and environmental stewardship.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful (KPB) announced the winners of the 2026 Litter Hawk Youth Award Program, which received more than 500 entries from students across the state. The annual contest encourages students to use art, writing, or video to promote keeping communities clean.
Among this year’s honorees was a group of sixth-grade students from Twin Valley Middle School in Berks County, who earned second place in the video category. The students — Elizabeth, Leighton, Mackinze, and Savannah — were recognized for their project supporting the program’s theme, “Celebrate America250 – Keep It Beautiful!”
The theme aligns with the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States on July 4, 2026, encouraging students to highlight the importance of maintaining clean and litter-free communities as part of the milestone.
“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,” DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley said.
The Litter Hawk Youth Award Program is open to students across Pennsylvania, who can participate individually or through schools and community groups. First- and second-place winners in each grade level receive medals, certificates, and decals recognizing their work.
“Each entry told a special story and showed how much our students care about their communities and the environment,” said Shannon Reiter, executive director of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “Congratulations to all of this year’s Litter Hawks.”
Winning entries are currently on display in the East Wing Rotunda of the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg through April 30. Additional displays will rotate through locations such as Pennsylvania Turnpike service plazas and PennDOT welcome centers throughout the year.
More information about the program and this year’s winners is available on the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful website.
