Young Ambassadors Beautification Summit Inspires Next Generation of New Mexico Leaders
Land of Enchantment Young Ambassadors hosted the first beautification summit for New Mexico’s high school students. This event brought together students from across the state to learn about the impact litter as on our land and waterways, creating beautiful spaces, and education on how they can lead the change. The event partnered with #KEEPLITTOUT, the New Mexico youth campaign, New Mexico Department of Transportation, New Mexico Tourism Department, Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, Imagine ABQ, New Mexico Youth Conservation Corps and renowned muralist, John Paul Granillo.
The Young Ambassadors presented their capstone projects with the hopes that attendees will join the fight to #KEEPLITTEROUT of Our State. The capstone projects include:
- Trash to Treasure Challenge– an art project challenge for elementary school students
- How Youth Can Engage Policy Makers for Change (Plastic Bag Ban Bill) – a website dedicated to understanding the issue and how to act – (Click Here)
- Assessing Litter Pollution through Soil Chemistry – (Click Here to Download Presentation)
The summit also recognized youth groups positively impacting our environment like: Mark Armijo Academy YCC whose program has removed 10,960 lbs. of trash from Bernalillo County; Keep Kewa Beautiful, in partnership with the Kewa TRUTH Youth Council, has removed 1,840 lbs. of trash from Santo Domingo Pueblo; and the Land of Enchantment Young Ambassadors who are tasked with hosting clean-up events in there communities. They engaged 311 volunteers and removed 11,680 lbs. of trash.
Stay tuned. Applications will open in August 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
Desert Edge 4H Club Cleanup #KeepLitterOut Campaign – Soccoro
As youth in agriculture, we are working to reduce litter that impacts our land, livestock, wildlife, and waterways while taking care of our community.
The Desert Edge 4H Club Cleanup was completed as part of the #KeepLitterOut campaign in Socorro. Youth volunteers, along with the Socorro Gun Club, cleaned up a local gun range, removing trash that could impact the land, wildlife, and nearby waterways.
We filled two truck trailers with debris including scrap metal, wood, glass, spent shells, and general trash. An exact bag count was not possible because much of the material (like metal and wood) could not fit into trash bags, so we worked until both trailers were full. Two landfill tickets recorded 1.36 tons and 0.72 tons, totaling 2.08 tons (4,160 pounds). Using an average of about 20 pounds per trash bag, this equals 200+ bags, and with another team collecting 50 additional bags of trash, bringing the total recorded to around 250 bags.
Number of Volunteers – 25
Number of Bags of Trash Collected – 250
Big Brady Bag Up Community Clean Up Event – Clovis
Our first-ever Big Brady Bag Up saw an excellent turnout. Five youth groups participated in a two-hour cleanup along Brady Avenue, collecting a total of 102 bags of trash—equivalent to 1,540 pounds. During the event, we also unveiled our program mascot, who was very well received by attendees.
Volunteers: 77
Bags of Trash: 102
ASLA and Friends Clean and Beautiful
Number of Volunteers: 10
Number of Bags of Trash Collected: 3
ASLA students and staff observed a lot of litter along the Boca Negra Dam bike and walking trails. We gathered 10 of us and went on Monday, March 9th, for two hours in the afternoon, walking around the dam and through the underpass to the other side of Unser to pick up trash. We gathered three yard-sized trash bags of litter, helping to restore the area for wildlife and people to enjoy.
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!
There are no upcoming events at this time.
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.