National Programs The momentum of our programs grows each year as Keep America Beautiful continues to address new challenges and build new tools that help communities become cleaner, safer, and more livable. Addressing issues of national importance with turnkey solutions, Keep America Beautiful’s programs have been proven to achieve dramatic local results.
> Cigarette Litter Prevention Program
More than 50 new communities countrywide implemented the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program (CLPP) in 2006, achieving an average reduction in cigarette litter of 48 percent. Thanks to the ongoing support of Philip Morris USA, Keep America Beautiful expanded the program to include other settings such as parks, beaches and recreation areas. The CD Guide to Cigarette Litter Prevention, produced in 2005, was distributed to every affiliate member in our network and to more than 1,700 individuals who requested it via the KAB Web site. During the year, thousands of additional CDs were distributed at conferences for other organizations, and Philip Morris USA also provided the CD to its employees across the country. The contents of the CD Guide to Cigarette Litter Prevention has transitioned to www.preventcigarettelitter.org, which provides strategies to prevent cigarette litter and an overview about how to start a cigarette litter prevention program in a community. Because of the early successes of the CLPP, Philip Morris USA has extended its commitment to Keep America Beautiful by providing a significant grant for 2007 and beyond to be dedicated to raising awareness of litter issues, advancing litter prevention strategies, and expanding the CLPP and other litter prevention programs. > Graffiti Hurts®
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Keep America Beautiful unveiled its latest educational resource, the Graffiti Hurts® poster, in an effort to help students and adults advance graffiti (Top) A screen shot of the new Cigarette Litter Prevention Program Web site at www.preventcigarettelitter.org. (Bottom) Volunteers of Keep Kansas City Beautiful prepare for a graffiti paint-out. (Photo courtesy of Keep Kansas City Beautiful)
prevention efforts in their communities. The poster, sponsored by The Sherwin WilliamsCompany, maker of Krylon paint, features valuable lessons that help students become more aware of the negative effects of graffiti and how it can be prevented. The 17"x22" color poster brings the Graffiti Hurts® message into any classroom, library, or community center. The back panels contain two new Graffiti Hurts® lessons that will challenge students in grades 5-8 to consider the impact of graffiti vandalism. It also directs people to online learning activities at the Graffiti Hurts® Web site (www.graffitihurts.org), including Graffiti Hurts® Trivia, a Jeopardy-like game that tests student knowledge about graffiti and graffiti prevention. The winners of the biennial Graffiti Hurts® National Award competition were:
Keep Dallas Beautiful, Dallas, Texas (communities greater than 300,000 population); Together Against Graffiti, El Mirage, Ariz. (communities less than 300,000 population); and Celebrate the Arts, Wilmington, N.C. (paint brush mural). The cities that took top honors were successful in bringing together community partners and engaging citizen volunteers in the fight against graffiti. Winning programs received a cash award of up to $1,000, a plaque, and graffiti prevention prizes. Winners in the community “under 300,000” and “over 300,000” populations each received a FlashCAM-880 Wireless graffiti deterrent system manufactured by Q-Star Technology. The winner in the “paint brush mural” category received a Graffiti Removal Starter Pack from Urban Restoration Group.
(Clockwise, from far left) Volunteers paint over a graffiti-vandalized wall during Dallas’ Graffiti Wipeout. A Keep Kansas City Beautiful volunteer paints over graffiti. Over 600 volunteers helped to remove
graffiti from various locations during Keep Glendale (Calif.) Beautiful’s Great Graffiti Paint Out Day. (Photos courtesy of Keep Dallas Beautiful, Keep Kansas City Beautiful and Keep Glendale Beautiful)
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