Keep Champaign Beautiful received the 2015 Keep America Beautiful (KAB) President Circle Award recognition at Keep America Beautiful’s recent National Conference in Orlando, Florida. The President’s Circle Award recognizes exemplary performance made by certified affiliates of the national nonprofit in creating clean, green and beautiful communities. The KAB National Conference brought together more than 350 leaders from Keep America Beautiful’s national network of more than 600 state and community-based affiliates, business leaders, policymakers and other experts who shared innovative ideas and proven strategies to help end littering, improve recycling, and beautify America’s communities
In qualifying for a President’s Circle Award, Keep Champaign Beautiful has met Keep America Beautiful’s standards of merit by conducting an annual Community Appearance Index and administering activities in the areas of litter prevention, recycling and waste reduction, and beautification and community greening. Established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful consists of a national network of more than 600 statewide and community-based affiliates whose programs, initiatives and efforts, supported by millions of volunteers, help transform public spaces into beautiful places.
“One of Keep America Beautiful’s most effective tools is the work of our grassroots network of community-based affiliate organizations, which has an impact on millions of Americans each year,” said Keep America Beautiful President and CEO Jennifer Jehn. “Our affiliates are providing real solutions that help create communities that are socially connected, environmentally healthy and economically sound.”
Keep Champaign Beautiful began as a component of the Champaign Growing Greener Environmental Sustainability Plan. A steering committee was established with membership from the Neighborhood Services, Planning & Development and Public Works Departments, Champaign Park District, University of Illinois, Champaign Unit 4 Schools and WCIA. The steering committee completed an initial training workshop with Keep America Beautiful and completed two required components of the certification process including a Litter Index and Focus Area Survey. The Litter Index measures the amount of litter in the community and establishes a baseline to measure community improvement. The Focus Area Survey takes a look at the existing programs in the community to identify service gaps. The Keep Champaign Beautiful Committee is now a subcommittee of the City of Champaign’s Neighborhood Services Advisory Board.
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Contact: David Oliver | 217-403-7070 | [email protected]