State Honoree

Jungah Kelly Lee, 14, of West Des Moines, Iowa, an eighth-grader at Stilwell Junior High School, organized a small group of youth and adult volunteers to clean up trash once a week in her neighborhood in order to make it safer and more attractive. Jungah, who moved toWest Des Moines in the fall of 2009, says she loves her new town, but is troubled by the amount of litter that regularly accumulates around her apartment complex. "People who live in our apartment buildings or who drive by throw their trash on our grounds, yards, parking lots, and sidewalks," she said. "I want to live in a prettier, healthier, and safer environment."To address her concerns, Jungah organized a small cleaning crew of kids and adults to pick up trash every week and dispose of it appropriately. She also makes a point of picking up litter whenever she encounters it, especially potentially dangerous items such as broken glass and lit cigarettes. She says she is frustrated that "people continue to carelessly and rudely trash our neighborhood," and that her apartment's management doesn't do more to keep the complex clean. But "I know we are making our neighborhood cleaner, safer, and prettier for everyone, especially for the little kids," she said. She hopes to recruit more volunteers in the future. "I feel that everyone needs to help out, and why not begin with me, even though others may think I am weird or funny."