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
Keep Luna County Beautiful Community Event February 21, 2026 8 am – 12 pm
We had great participation this weekend. We had to cut it short by an hour due to the wind, but we still got 54 bags! The kids had a lot of fun and are trying to come up with a new cleanup dance trend for social media.
Keep Luna County Beautiful (KLCB)
(KLCB) is a local organization dedicated to keeping Luna County clean, welcoming, and environmentally healthy through litter prevention, community cleanups, and public beautification efforts. Our work focuses on creating lasting improvements to the places we all share (like roadsides, parks, neighborhoods, and community spaces) while promoting simple, sustainable habits that make a real difference over time.
This grant season, the KLCB volunteers have helped remove more than 5,800 pounds of trash from across Luna County, supporting cleaner public areas and a stronger sense of community pride. In addition to cleanup efforts, KLCB also celebrates sustainability through creative programs like the annual Recycled Art Show, which highlights how everyday materials can be reused and reimagined. Together, these projects reflect our commitment to building a cleaner, more beautiful Luna County for everyone.
We had a great event on February 7, 2026, from 8 am-12 pm! There were 39 volunteers, and the group showed great interest in doing it again. They said they loved the immediate view of everything being cleaner. They loved that community members who passed by waved and honked at them in encouragement.
Number of Bags of Trash Collected: 110
Albuquerque Sign Language Academy’s MLK Day of Service
In order to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his message of service, ASLA students and staff picked up litter and cleared invasive plants to help make our community a better place. Dr. King said, “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.”
Albuquerque Sign Language Academy picked up 3 bags of trash along the Boca Negra Canyon trail at the Petroglyph National Monument. Our second group pulled 6 or more trailer loads of invasive Russian Thistle (tumbleweeds) that were taking over the overflow parking lot at the Rio Grande Nature Center.
Number of volunteers: 36
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.