BELLEFONTE — The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful announced the names of students who will take part in the 2024-25 Young Ambassadors of Pennsylvania program in a statement on Friday, Aug. 31. The 40 selected students included Zackery Laubach, a Bellefonte Area High School senior.
The program is “designed to grow community stewards and civic leaders by engaging and empowering young Pennsylvanians to keep their communities healthy and become ambassadors for a shared vision of a clean and beautiful Pennsylvania,” according to a statement from PennDOT.
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering Pennsylvanians to keep their communities clean and beautiful through initiatives like litter prevention, waste management and environmental education. KPB administers the Young Ambassadors of Pennsylvania program and will award a minimum of two $1,000 scholarships to seniors in the Young Ambassadors program, both current and past participants.
“We are proud to welcome this new slate of Young Ambassadors to our program and excited to provide opportunities for them to engage and activate within their own community, Shannon Reiter, KPB president, said.
“Together, we will explore and connect with young professionals and like-minded students from not just Pennsylvania, but across the country and make a positive impact in our shared communities. We look forward to witnessing the remarkable achievements and positive changes that will emerge from this dynamic group.”
Participants of the Young Ambassadors of Pennsylvania program were selected from an open application process and will serve for nine months as ambassadors. The program aims to help participants “develop civic leadership skills and experiences to champion and advocate for clean and beautiful communities across Pennsylvania,” according to the statement.
“Programs like Young Ambassadors are the first step in creating a lasting impact on Pennsylvania’s ecological health,” said Mike Carroll, PennDOT secretary. “These students will go on to become decision-makers and steer the state’s green future. Starting now is critical.”
