Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), is seeking civic and environmental leaders in 10th through 12th grades to keep Pennsylvania clean and beautiful through the Young Ambassadors of Pennsylvania program.

One of the program's aims is to attract the next generation of leaders to careers in state government. In December, the administration announced substantial increases in the number of Generation Z (Gen Z) and millennial employees who have joined the commonwealth workforce in recent years. This partnership, now in its fourth year, seeks to build on that success.

The Young Ambassadors program empowers young community stewards and civic leaders to become ambassadors in their community for a shared vision of a clean and beautiful Pennsylvania. Ambassadors will have the opportunity to train and network with industry leaders, state agencies, local media, and the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful network, and they will receive a taste of life in the public service sector.

Students will be chosen through a competitive application process. Applicants should be passionate about the environment and committed to protecting Pennsylvania's natural beauty and environmental health through volunteerism and leadership.

Chosen candidates will be asked to commit to serve as Young Ambassadors from September 2025 through May 2026 and represent and uphold the mission and values of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.

Other responsibilities will include attending six 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. Non-mandatory education sessions will also be offered on a variety of topics.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful will provide education and training to program participants on topics such as the impact of litter on roadways, litter prevention, waste management and recycling, civic engagement and related public policy, volunteer management, and social media marketing. The program will provide networking opportunities to not only build a sense of community within the program but also to promote professional development of the individual students. In addition, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful has partnered with industry leaders to provide job shadowing days to select Young Ambassadors.

Applications will be accepted through Tuesday, June 10. Students interested in applying may visit http://www.keeppabeautiful.org or contact Kylie McCutcheon at 724-836-4121, ext. 114, or kmccutcheon@keeppabeautiful.org.