AASHTO Journal - PennDOT Recruiting Students to be ‘Young Ambassadors’

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful non-profit are inviting 10th through 12th grade students to join the Young Ambassadors of Pennsylvania program.

[Above image by PennDOT]

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful will provide education and training to program participants – who will serve from September 2026 through May 2027 – on topics related to the impact of litter on roadways, litter prevention, waste management and recycling, civic engagement and public policy, volunteer management, and social media marketing.

In addition, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful has partnered with industry leaders, Columbia Gas-NiSource Charitable Foundation and Dow Chemical to provide “Job Shadow Days” to select members of the Young Ambassador program.

PennDOT said applications for the program are being accepted through June 10, with students selected to join the program through a competitive application process.

“Pennsylvania’s ecological beauty and sustainability come from hard work on the ground level,” said Mike Carroll, PennDOT secretary, in a statement. “Through litter clean-up and prevention, stream restoration, and empowering their friends and neighbors, the next generation of environmental leaders are setting the standard for the rest of us.”

“We are honored to offer the Young Ambassadors Program in partnership with PennDOT for a fifth year,” noted Shannon Reiter, president of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.

“Each student brings unique experiences and tremendous passion for creating meaningful change in their communities and across the Commonwealth, and we look forward to welcoming a new group of inspiring young leaders,” she said.

“Our goal is to spark a sense of community ownership while highlighting the importance of working with local residents, businesses, and organizations to identify issues and build solutions together,” Reiter added. “We are grateful for our continued partnership with PennDOT, which allows us to expand opportunities for students and help them develop the essential skills needed for long term success.”