Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful offers the Litter Free School Zone Program to public and private schools in Pennsylvania as a way to encourage students and staff to stop litter in its tracks, ensuring that it does not find its way to the neighboring streets, parks and storm drains where it would become even more harmful to the environment and community.

Litter reduces property values, is costly to the economy and leads to contamination of our land and water. Litter has a direct effect on how we, and others, feel about where we live, work and play.

The Litter Free School Zone Program is 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 cleanups or beautification events per year.

In Reading, a group of Environmental Club students regularly perform various projects as part of the Litter Free School Zone program, including cleaning up litter on the campus of Wilson High School.

Tyler Small, biology teacher and Environmental Club Advisor for the school says, “The Litter Free School Zone program has been a great addition to our environmental club. It has started an awareness about litter, recycling and trash, and their effects on the environment.

“Resources and support provided by Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful are extremely useful in helping plan events and activities for our club, like the pollinator garden that we are currently building at our school,” said Small.  “We are hopeful that by sharing the knowledge about recycling, litter and trash in our club and with the school, this knowledge will continue to stay with the students as they grow, and we will see a difference in the way that future generations handle some of the bigger problems.”

There are currently over 80 schools participating in the program. All schools are welcome-- elementary through high school, public or private. 

“Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful welcomes students, clubs, classes, and even entire school districts to participate in the Litter Free School Zone program. 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” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep PA Beautiful.

Teachers interested in participating should visit KPB’s Litter Free School Zone Program webpage or contact Stephanie Larson by sending email to: slarson@keeppabeautiful.org or calling 877-772-3673.

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 Electronics Waste website.

Sign up now for the 2019 Pick Up Pennsylvania/ International Coastal Cleanup and volunteer or set up your own cleanup event runs September 1 to October 31.  Questions should be directed to Michelle Dunn at 1-877-772-3673 Ext. 113 or send email to: mdunn@keeppabeautiful.org.

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[Posted: August 14, 2019]

8/19/2019