PA CleanWays Announces 2009 Litter Hawk Youth Award Winners

PA CleanWays this week announced the winners of the 2009 Litter Hawk Youth Award Program.

The Litter Hawk program gives children and teens a chance to illustrate their concern about littering and illegal dumping prevention, recycling, proper disposal, beautification, and stewardship through visual arts, language arts, and community outreach activities.

 

Below are the winners of this year’s program.

 

 

--Visual Arts Category: Jessica Socko from Fishing Creek Elementary School in York County submitted a sculpture made entirely of recycled materials. The sculpture is of a cardinal that is angry and about to fly away because her environment has too much litter in it.

 

--Language Arts Category: Emma Teed and Jaymie Harclerode from Windber Area Elementary in Somerset County composed a play titled “Litter Patrol” about a young girl who thoughtfully urges a peer not to litter. After careful consideration, the peer realizes that keeping the environment clean is cool and the two girls become the best of friends.

 

--Community Outreach: Teah, Nolan, and Nakai Bussell, Rebecca, Sophie, and Xenia Meholick, and Ayden Cherico from Dubois, Clearfield County, organized a community cleanup. These homeschoolers picked up litter in yards, parking lots, and the nearby woods and even created posters to educate the neighborhood residents about the importance of putting litter in its place.

 

 

--Visual Arts: Sam White from Infinity Charter School in Harrisburg, Dauphin County created a thoughtful sculpture using one week worth of recycling. Sam’s sculpture illustrates a large volume of items that could and should be recycled but are not, as opposed to the smaller quantity of items that actually make it to the recycling facility.

 

--Community Outreach: The Environmental Stewardship Club from West Perry High School in Landisburg, Perry County performed many educational and stewardship programs as part of their project. The club organized a poster contest for the elementary schools in the district where the winning entry was printed on a placemat and used at a local diner, updated a display throughout the year to help promote recycling and wise energy use, conducted a school-yard trash pick up, and instituted a recycling program. The club also has ambitious plans for the future.

 

(No entries were received in the language arts category in the 11-18 age group)

 

Nearly 100 kids from across the state participated in the Litter Hawk Youth Award Program this year. Entries were judged on creativity, the project’s ability to convey the chosen subject, and steps taken to educate the public.

 

Winners in the 10 and under age group received a gift card in the amount of $75, winners in the 11-18 age group received a gift card in the amount of $100. They were encouraged to use the gift cards in a manner that would enhance their environmental knowledge.

 

For more information, visit the PA CleanWays website.