17 High Schools Students Chosen from Across the United States to Participate in National Nonprofit’s Service-Learning Program
STAMFORD, Conn. (Nov. 26, 2019) – Keep America Beautiful®, the nation’s leading community improvement nonprofit organization, has selected 17 high school students from across the country to serve on its eighth national Youth Advisory Council (YAC) over the course of the 2019/2020 school year.
The Keep America Beautiful YAC provides a unique opportunity for high school students to participate in a service-learning and leadership development program focusing on environmental stewardship and sustainability.
“The Keep America Beautiful Youth Advisory Council provides the members’ local communities an intersectional impact on the way we approach environmental wellness, protection, and community improvement,” said Keep America Beautiful Youth & Education Programs Manager Kathryn Joblon. “In addition to providing the students with an opportunity to foster their interest in community service, our Youth Advisory Council members also serve as our partners in helping bring our programs and resources to more students nationwide.”
The members of the 2019/2020 YAC class include:
- Madison Bell, Somerville, Tennessee
- Sam Burg, Fort Myers Beach, Florida
- Cooper Carrico, Mendenhall, Mississippi
- Shannon Dougherty, Cape Coral, Florida
- Ayusha Gautam, Stamford, Connecticut
- Jaeger Griswold, Central Lake Michigan
- Alex Henson, Cape Coral, Florida
- Ashley Lin, Vancouver, Washington
- Nathan Lissy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Jordan Mallis, Stamford, Connecticut
- Megan McFadden, Naperville, Illinois
- Maximus Moquin, Ponte Verde, Florida
- Kaeli Nguyen, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Kiara Royer, New York, New York
- Ben Solomon, Sarasota, Florida
- Alison Trezek, Lithia, Florida
- Amos Zelasney, Columbus, Nebraska
The YAC members will act as ambassadors for youth service at the local level and will be provided stipends to implement local stewardship service projects. Previously, YAC classes have piloted and developed Keep America Beautiful initiatives that engage students in support of the Keep America Beautiful mission. The class of 2019/2020 will also attend the Keep America Beautiful National Conference, which takes place Feb. 12-14, 2020, in Memphis, Tennessee.
Three students from the 2018/2019 YAC class – Madison Bell, Alex Henson, and Nathan Lissy – are continuing their participation on the 2019/2020 Council.
Joblon indicated that these students will take on more significant leadership roles as well as continue their personal service projects focusing on community garden access for those living with disabilities, coastal community education and cleanups, and a native pollinator garden complete with a new bee colony, respectively.
To learn more about Keep America Beautiful’s Education programs, visit kab.org/education.
About Keep America Beautiful
Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s leading community improvement nonprofit organization, inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful strives to End Littering, Improve Recycling and Beautify America’s Communities. We believe everyone has a right to live in a clean, green and beautiful community, and shares a responsibility to contribute to that vision.
Behavior change – steeped in education, research and behavioral science – is the cornerstone of Keep America Beautiful. We empower generations of community and environmental stewards with volunteer programs, hands-on experiences, educational curricula, practical advice and other resources. The organization is driven by the work and passion of more than 600 Keep America Beautiful affiliates, millions of volunteers, and the collaborative support of corporate partners, social and civic service organizations, academia, municipalities, elected officials, and individuals. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Donate and take action at kab.org.