STAMFORD, Conn. — Keep America Beautiful has selected Liberty County High School student Ciara Goodmanson as one of 10 high-school students from across the country to serve on KAB’s third national Youth Advisory Council.
The YAC creates a framework for youth engagement with KAB, building on the model of youth service with KAB community-based affiliates at the local and state levels. The newly selected YAC members will provide original points of view in assessing KAB programs and implementing local service projects. They will act as ambassadors and leaders for youth service in their respective communities and states.
Goodmanson is a volunteer for Keep Liberty Beautiful, and she’s actively involved in Liberty County’s 4-H chapter, which she said has given her opportunities to participate in community activities that make a difference in the local environment. Goodmanson also teaches after-school and 4-H programs that educate elementary- and middle-school students about the environment. She served as the Earth Fairy for KLB’s Earth Day celebration.
“She is a delight,” KLB Executive Director Sara Swida said. “We have been blessed over the years to have some really incredible youth volunteers.”
YAC based its selection process on written applications, geographic representations, grade levels (mixing different grades) and interest areas, such as litter prevention, waste reduction/recycling, beautification and community greening. Two members cannot represent the same state.
The members of the 2014-15 YAC class are Brittany Amano of Honolulu, Hawaii; Deja Chappell of Montgomery, Alabama; Ciara Goodmanson of Midway; Millie Ma of Lexington, Kentucky; Ariel McAffrey of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Rachel Pohl of Fayetteville, Arkansas; Laine Rumreich of Indianapolis, Indiana; Connor Stack of Lake Arrowhead, California; Alex White of Springfield, Massachusetts; and Sarah Young of Pflugerville, Texas.
Through the support of the Wrigley Company Foundation, youth advisory council members will meet with their counterparts from across the country at the Keep America Beautiful national conference in Washington, D.C., which is Jan. 27-29, 2015. With the foundation’s support, YAC members also will be provided with a grant of up to $5,000 each to produce community-service projects in their own communities.
Keep America Beautiful is a national nonprofit that brings people together to build and sustain vibrant communities, according to a news release from the organization. With a national network of community-based affiliates, the agency works millions of volunteers to transform public spaces into attractive places.