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
Farmington Cleanup Event
Land of Enchantment Young Ambassador, Susonia Nezwood, hosted a clean-up along the Animas River and Berg Park in Farmington, NM. The event drew 36 volunteers, primarily classmates and teachers to help ensure that the outdoor space is safe for families, neighbors and wildlife to use. The volunteers collected 20 bags of trash and 3 buckets of broken glass.
Help Keep Kewa Beautiful
The SFIS girls’ dorm students were on a mission to clear litter along Indian Service Road 88. Our community grew a little cleaner on March 7th, 2026 thanks to the 3rd Floor Girls’ Dorm at Santa Fe Indian School! Taking the lead for the “Keep Kewa Beautiful Initiative,” 11 volunteers, including motivated youth and supportive adults, worked together to remove an impressive 117.3 lbs. of litter. The day was a true collaborative success: SFIS kept the team hydrated and fed, Residential Advisors provided expert guidance as group leaders, and parents joined the front lines to help. We also want to thank the Santo Domingo Tribal Utility Authority for handling the waste disposal at no cost. Finally, a huge shout-out to our funders, you are the engine behind everything we do!
Keep Kewa Beautiful – The Rio Grande Elite Basketball Team Clean Up Event
On Saturday, March 14, 2026, the Rio Grande Elite basketball team, led by their coach and supported by dedicated parent volunteers, successfully completed a community cleanup for the Keep Kewa Beautiful initiative in Zone 1. Working in coordination with the Santo Domingo Education and Employment & Training Office, the group removed 199.1 lbs of trash (26 bags) from the local landscape while practicing essential workplace skills like teamwork and accountability. To ensure the safety of the youth throughout the event, tribal officials provided critical traffic control by signaling drivers to slow down near the work zone. Despite encountering a high volume of litter, the team and their coach expressed a strong sense of responsibility toward their natural lands and a willingness to return to the site to continue their stewardship efforts.
Number of Volunteers: 27
Number of Bags of Trash Collected: 26
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.