Empowering Clean, Healthy and Thriving Communities

In October Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful held its Annual Conference in State College, PA celebrating 35 years of stewardship, sustainability, and environmental education. The conference offered valuable opportunities for our state affiliates, volunteers, partners and sponsors to come together, review our past achievements, exchange insights and ideas, and grow collectively as our mission is more important now than ever.

The Conference kicked off with a tour of the Penn State Arboretum, and an evening of networking in which all attendees were encouraged to wear an item that had been created from recycled materials. Our guests were very creative!

Our Keynot speaker, Dr. Lara Fowler, Penn State Dickinson Law, drew on her 30+ years of experience on the challenges and changes we face in building sustainable, resilient communites.

Jessica Shirley, Secretary, PA Department of Environmental Protection, spoke to the importance of grassroots involvement in Community Improvement efforts across the Commonwealth. Additionally, Ms. Shirley led the final session of "Affiliates in the Shark Tank", where 4 KPB affiliates presented their sustainability initiatives for a chance to win $3500 in funding provided by MPLX.

There were 4 breakout sessions offering attendees the opportunity to participate in serveral discussions:

1. Harnessing Solar Energy For Your Community

2. Textiles Close-up: Second Hand Markets and Recycling

3. Community Programming that Encourages Waste Minimization and INspires the Next Generation of Environmental Stewards

4. Leveraging Corporate Partnerships to Advance Your Mission

Based on a survey sent to all participants, the conference was an overwhelming success.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful (KPB) is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering residents, municipalities, and organizations to improve their communities through litter prevention, waste reduction, environmental education, and community greening initiatives. By fostering partnerships and mobilizing volunteers, KPB works at the intersection of public health, environmental sustainability, and civic engagement to create cleaner, safer, and more vibrant places to live and work.

KPB empowers communities by providing tools, resources, and structured opportunities for civic involvement. Signature programs like Pick Up Pennsylvania mobilize thousands of volunteers annually to remove litter and illegal dumps from neighborhoods, parks, roadsides, and waterways. In 2024 alone, over 50,000 volunteers participated, collecting more than 2 million pounds of trash and recyclables statewide. These hands-on efforts foster a shared sense of ownership and pride, making residents active stakeholders in the well-being of their surroundings.

KPB offers environmental education programs designed to raise awareness and inspire long-term behavioral change, particularly among youth. Initiatives such as the Young Ambassadors of Pennsylvania and the Litter-Free School Zone Program develop leadership skills while instilling values of stewardship, responsibility, and community service. These programs empower students to become advocates and change agents within their own communities.

KPB supports municipalities and local affiliates with the tools and training needed to identify and remediate illegal dump sites and improve local waste management practices. Through the Illegal Dump Survey Program, KPB has documented thousands of sites across the state, equipping local governments with data to guide cleanups, enforcement, and prevention strategies. Additionally, the Litter Pollution Index helps communities track progress and identify problem areas.

Strategic partnerships with state agencies, businesses, and community organizations amplify KPB’s reach and impact. Collaborations with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, PennDOT, local affiliates, and private sponsors help leverage funding and volunteer power. This multi-sector approach ensures sustainability and long-term success of initiatives, particularly in underserved and rural communities.

KPB also empowers communities through beautification and green infrastructure projects that improve aesthetics and environmental function. Tree plantings, community gardens, and vacant lot revitalization projects help reduce blight, mitigate stormwater runoff, and increase access to green spaces, all of which contribute to healthier, more livable communities.

KPB tracks quantitative and qualitative metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of its programs. Success is measured not just in tons of waste removed, but also in increased community engagement, reduction of blight, and improvements to public perception and local quality of life.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s holistic, collaborative approach empowers residents to take ownership of their communities and drive meaningful change. By focusing on cleanup, education, prevention, and beautification, KPB fosters clean, healthy, and thriving places across the Commonwealth—today and for future generations.

Please see our Annual Report for complete information.