Keep PA Beautiful Invites Schools To Participate In Litter Free School Zone Program

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful invites schools in Pennsylvania to participate in the Litter Free School Zone Program, a comprehensive program that encourages young people to play an active role in protecting and improving our environment through recycling, litter awareness, and community stewardship.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful provides a sign recognizing the participating school as a Litter Free School Zone. The school, in turn, organizes two cleanup or beautification events per year.

There are currently over seventy schools that participate in the program. All schools are welcome – elementary through high school.  

The Lancaster Mennonite School – Hershey Campus in Dauphin County has been a Litter Free School Zone since 2015.

“The Litter Free School Zone program has given wings to an intentional environmental stewardship program at our K-12 school. There's something really helpful about being part of a movement that offers a workable accountability for campus cleanups/beautification events,” said Sue Eckert, Lancaster Mennonite Hershey Campus Elementary Music/Computer Teacher. “Older and younger students form teams to pick up trash, plant flowers, weed a garden, repaint playground equipment, and more.

“Last year, we received two park benches made from recycled plastic bags from Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful through their partnership with Giant Markets and their Bags to Benches program. We put them at the playground as an abiding reminder of environmental care,” added Eckert.  “I have nothing but thanks and praise for Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and this relevant and empowering organization!”

“Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful welcomes students, clubs, classes, and even entire school districts to participate in the Litter Free School Zone program,” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.  “This program provides a fun and easy way for students to work together, learning valuable community leadership and responsibility skills while gaining a respect for the environment and the world around them. It is also an opportunity to develop a school-wide stewardship ethic and set a community example.”

The Litter Free School Zone program is sponsored by the Department of Environment Protection.

For all the details, visit the Keep PA Beautiful’s Litter Free School Zone webpage.  Questions should be directed to Stephanie Larson at 877-772-3673 or send email to: slarson@keeppabeautiful.org.

For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful website. Click Here to become a member.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from KPB, Like them on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, Discover them on Pinterest and visit their YouTube Channel.

Also visit the Illegal Dump Free PA website for more ideas on how to clean up communities and keep them clean and KPB’s new Electronics Waste website.