Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful invites kids to participate in the Litter Hawk Youth Award Program, a recognition program for students in kindergarten through sixth grade, who complete a designated project specific to their grade level.

Students can participate individually or as part of a lesson initiated by schools, home schools, Scout Troops, 4-H Clubs, environmental clubs or other organized groups.

The Litter Hawk Youth Award Program is a way for kids to share their hope, optimism and concerns about litter and inspire others to care for their communities through art, words or video.

Kids are asked to address the theme: How do you keep Pennsylvania beautiful?

Projects include:

•Grades kindergarten through fourth: poster.

•Grades five and six: essay or video.

Two entries will be awarded in each grade level.

First place will receive a $25 gift card. First runner-up will receive $15 gift card.

All participants will be recognized with certificates.

The deadline to participate is Jan. 31.

Winners will be announced in April in time for Earth Day celebrations.

“We want to see how youth are keeping our neighborhoods clean and beautiful! Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful believes that engaging youth in protecting the environment not only creates a direct impact on changing behaviors and attitudes, but also influences their friends and families,” Shannon Reiter, president of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful said. “We are all responsible for keeping our communities clean and beautiful.

“This program provides a fun and easy way for students to illustrate respect for the environment and their community.”

The Litter Hawk Youth Award program was created with funding provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

For more information, downloadable promotional posters and an online entry form, visitkeeppabeautiful.org/grants-awards/awards/litter-hawk.

For more information,contact Kylie McCutcheon at kmccutcheon@keeppabeautiful.org or 1-877-772-3673, ext. 114.