Interested in becoming a Young Ambassador?
The Land of Enchantment Young Ambassador Program is seeking powerful youth entering Junior or Senior year in high school for the school year 2026-2027 to support the Governor’s goal of cleaning New Mexico and enhancing the natural beauty of our state. Selected Ambassadors will participate throughout the school year organizing community projects and will work with a group of their peers on a statewide leadership and engagement project. Ambassadors are young people in their community who want to take leadership to educate and empower their community to be litter free.
Selected Ambassadors will receive a $3,000 participation stipend upon completion of the fellowship and projects. They will receive training in project management, community leadership and gain experience in leading projects.
Multiple youth will be selected from each of the six designated regional areas. The selection committee is looking for young people who: have participated in clubs or events that have provided life skills and teamwork; are interested in growing an expertise in leadership and project management; have a passion for environmental issues; and show an interest in taking a leadership role in enhancing the beauty of New Mexico.
APPLICATION DEADLINE AUGUST 21, 2026
Trash to Treasure Challenge
Trash to Treasure Challenge!
We are incredibly proud of the amount of responses we received and the range of grade levels represented. Students showed creativity and unique designs in reshaping trash into pieces of art. In the future, we could expand the project to age groups that include middle and even high school. While the youngest voices would still have a place to shine, a greater variety of responses gives a better idea of how the New Mexico Youth can make litter into art.
As Young Ambassadors of the statewide Beautification Initiative, our goal is to share our passion for creating a clean state by picking up litter and engaging our community in environmental activism. It takes every voice to make this state beautiful, so our project was uniquely designed to reach the less-involved younger population of New Mexico. In developing the Trash To Treasure Challenge, we wanted to connect children across the state to the essence of the Young Ambassador Initiative: taking something wasteful and creating beauty.
We received 29 responses from a range of grade-levels. Here’s what students created!
Success Stories
Mavericks 4H Club Cleanup #KeepLitterOut Campaign
The Mavericks 4-H Club Cleanup, part of the #KeepLitterOut campaign, partnered with Breanne Lucero, a Land of Enchantment Young Ambassador. It took place in the rural, irrigation-based town of San Antonio, New Mexico, where Breanne planned and led the event to help improve the San Antonio community and raise awareness about keeping New Mexico clean.
The group met at the church, and Breanne had four different plans prepared depending on how many volunteers showed up. With over 20 volunteers, she used the largest plan. Breanne organized everyone into teams of four, assigned areas to cover, and went over safety rules and expectations. Adults were there to supervise and support the plan, and one helped by driving around to bring supplies and pick up trash bags.
The cleanup ran from 5:00–7:00 PM with 26+ volunteers. We covered over 15 miles and collected 35 large trash bags. This helped keep trash out of the river and irrigation ditches that support local agriculture, protecting crops, animals, and the environment. It also encouraged community members to step in and help, showing strong community pride.
Number of Volunteers: 26
Number of Bags of Trash Collected: 35
Young Ambassador Nob Hill Cleanup – Albuquerque
Land of Enchantment Young Ambassadors, Kate Watkins, Sahba Ghasempour &
Oluchi Akwani coordinated a clean-up in the Nob Hill neighborhood of Albuquerque. The volunteers walked from the Jefferson parking lot and worked their way down from Monte Vista Blvd through alleyways collecting trash. We finished next to Central behind the Sign and Image Factory and gathered bags to be taken to the dump.
Number of Volunteers – 22
Number of Trash Bags Collected – 21
St. Michael’s Clean Up – Santa Fe
This event went really well. We pick up every single piece of trash outside of St. Michael’s High School. With track season going on we were able to find a lot of litter. Since there were fewer of us we used plastic grocery bags to pick up the trash. Even though we didn’t have that many people we were still able to make change!
2025-2026 Land of Enchantment Young Ambassadors
The New Mexico Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Office of the Governor, has named 14 high school students as the 2025–2026 Land of Enchantment Young Ambassadors, a new statewide leadership program focused on preventing litter and graffiti while promoting community pride. The Young Ambassadors initiative is part of NMDOT’s Que Linda program and the Governor’s youth-focused #KeepLitterOut campaign and aims to empower youth to lead local beautification efforts across New Mexico. More than 150 students applied for the inaugural program, which builds leadership, project management, and civic engagement skills.
Click the profiles below for more information.
Oluchi Akwani
Volcano Vista High School
Albuquerque
Sahba Ghasempour
Early College Academy
Albuquerque
Kate Watkins
Albuquerque High School
Albuquerque
Flora Mack
Taos High School
Carson
Evangeline “Vange” Duran
Mora High School
Chacon
Madalynn Casey
Clovis High School
Clovis
Susonia Nezwood
San Juan College High School
Farmington
Reilly Burress
Grants High School
Grants
Kenn Dejan
Jemez Valley High School
Jemez Pueblo
Breanne Lucero
Socorro High School
Lemitar
Sophia Royo-Begueria
Goddard High School
Roswell
Elise Gutierrez
St. Michael’s High School
Santa Fe
Jordyn Campion
Centennial High School
Vado
Benito Armijo Jr.
Wagon Mound Public Schools
Wagon Mound
Find an Event
Join fellow New Mexicans in upcoming trash and litter clean-up events to help keep our beautiful state clean. Together, we can protect our landscapes and create a healthier environment for future generations!
Ready to make a difference? Submit your event and be a part of the movement towards positive change. Let's take action together!
Take the Pledge
New Mexico’s stunning landscapes and vibrant communities are treasures worth protecting. By taking this pledge, you commit to doing your part in keeping our state beautiful, clean, and sustainable for future generations. Whether it’s picking up litter, recycling, or conserving resources, every small action makes a big difference. Join us in preserving the beauty of New Mexico—together, we can make a lasting impact.