Keep America Beautiful Inc.
Hometown U.S.A. Award
The Hometown U.S.A. Award is a joint program between Keep America Beautiful
Inc. (KAB) and the Boy Scouts of America. It is designed to give recognition to
the outstanding efforts of Scouts in their communities in regard to citizenship
and environmental improvement.
Background
KAB was founded in 1953 as a private organization with the purpose of
building and sustaining a national cleanliness ethic. The Boy Scouts of America
has been affiliated with KAB for more than thirty years as a member of KAB's
national advisory council, a program advisory body composed of more than eighty
public service organizations and federal agencies.
Keep America Beautiful Day, which began in 1971 as "Scouting Keep
America Beautiful Day," was originally cosponsored by KAB and Boy Scouts of
America as a massive national cleanup and recycling program. Millions of Scouts
still turn out annually to participate in similar activities during what is now
called Keep America Beautiful Week.
Purpose
- To educate Boy Scouts about citizenship in relation to conservation and to
involve them in community activities relating to environmental issues
- To offer a mechanism by which Scouts can develop positive attitudes toward
their environment and community while being exposed to interesting career
opportunities
- To provide the opportunity to honor Boy Scouts for their significant
contributions toward keeping America beautiful
Requirements
- Merit badges. Earn three merit badges from the following list of
twelve: Citizenship in the Community, Communications, Environmental Science,
Fish and Wildlife Management, Forestry, Gardening, Geology, Landscape
Architecture, Nature, Plant Science, Public Speaking, Soil and Water
Conservation.
- Community service project. In addition to earning the merit badges,
a Boy Scout is required to perform a community service project. The project
should involve a minimum of eight hours of time, two of which must involve
management planning, with the other six consisting of carrying out the
project. It should help keep America beautiful and benefit the community
either physically or financially. One way to do this is to plan the
community service project as part of Keep America Beautiful Week or Public
Lands Day.
List of Ideas for Community Service Projects
- Develop and help maintain a community garden.
- Build a nature trail for use as an outdoor classroom or for community
enjoyment.
- Develop a recycling project that involves your whole troop (i.e.,
newspaper and/or bottle collection).
- Conduct a survey of local storefronts. Determine areas where litter has
accumulated. Work with storeowners to help improve conditions.
- Plan and make a presentation to elementary students about the importance
of conserving natural resources. Take students on a nature walk, pointing
out natural resources.
- Conduct soil and water conservation activities on a heavily used trail to
prevent erosion. Record your activities.
- Construct water facilities and plant vegetation that will provide food and
shelter for wildlife in appropriate places.
- Adopt a park, block, vacant lot, etc. Erect signs urging others not to
litter or vandalize. Protect a flower bed or plant species with fencing.
Remove litter and debris. Build picnic tables or fix up old ones, paint
benches, etc.
- Research which plant species are native to your area, and plant and
maintain a community wildflower garden. Include descriptive and educational
signs for the public.
- Organize an anti-litter poster competition among junior and senior high
schoolers. Arrange for businesses to donate awards for the winners and
recruit community judges. Include media coverage. Get local businesses and
schools to display the posters.
- Become involved in a local environmental/recycling issue. Attend public
meetings, talk to public officials, and make a report to your troop about
what you have learned. Decide how you want to become involved in resolving
the issue and spend your project time educating your fellow citizens as to
your viewpoint and assisting your "side" in its campaign.
- Establish and maintain a bird sanctuary.
- Find out which birds, animals, and fish are native to your area. Write an
article on the importance of maintaining proper balance between man and
nature. Take steps to maintain habitat areas for this wildlife.
KAB Week
KAB Week developed from eleven consecutive years' observances of KAB Day. It
originated in 1971 as "Scouting Keep America Beautiful Day." KAB Day
was eventually extended to a weeklong observance (usually the fourth week of
April). Millions of citizens across the nation participate each year.
Public Lands Day
Public Lands Day involves citizen volunteers in cleaning and maintaining
nearby public lands. This event falls annually on the Saturday following Labor
Day. The purpose of Public Lands Day is to instill a sense of pride and
ownership among citizens through hands-on participation in continuing education
and improvement projects on public properties.
Getting the Patch
Scouts must complete the Hometown U.S.A. Award application form and present
it to their Scoutmaster or troop advancement chairman.
In order to qualify for the award, Scouts must have successfully completed
the requirements as outlined. The troop advancement chairman will know which
merit badges each Scout needs in order to qualify.
It is suggested that the community service project be under the overall
direction of a natural resources professional or other qualified adult
supervisor. After completing the project, the adult supervisor should sign a
statement that the project has been completed and meets the requirements of the
project sponsor.
Resources for Hometown U.S.A. Award
The following is a list of organizations and the free brochures that may be
obtained to assist Boy Scouts in earning the required merit badges included in
the Hometown U.S.A. Award.
- American Society of Landscape Architects
- Write: American Society of Landscape Architects
636 Eye Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001-3736
Web address: http://www.asla.org
- Keep America Beautiful Inc.
- Community Cleanup
- Tips for Preventing Litter in Your Community
- Take Care of America
- Wise Waste Handling Tips
- Fact sheets on recycling, municipal solid waste
- Write: Keep America Beautiful Inc.
1010 Washington Boulevard
Stamford, Connecticut, USA 06901
Web address: http://www.kab.org
- National Gardening Association
- Digging Deeper: Integrating Youth Gardens Into Schools and Communities
- Sowing the Seeds of Success
- The National Gardening Association (NGA) also hosts a grant program which
presents more than 300 grants to qualified youth gardening projects. Grant
packages include approximately $750 worth of tools, seeds, NGA manuals and
other gardening equipment and supplies. Materials about this program include
National Gardening Grant Applications. The application deadline is November
1.
- Write: National Gardening Association
180 Flynn Avenue
Burlington, VT 05401
Phone: 800-LETSGRO (538-7476)
Web address: http://www.garden.org
- U.S. Department of Agriculture—Natural Resources Conservation
Servicen
- Backyard Conservation
- Going Wild With Soil and Water Conservation
- Conservation and the Water Cycle
- Soil Erosion by Wind
- Soil Erosion by Water
- What Is a Watershed?
- Write: Conservation Communications
Natural Resources Conservation Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture
P.O. Box 2890
Washington, DC 20013
Web address: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov
- U.S. Department of the Interior—Fish and Wildlife Service
- For the Birds
- Why Save Endangered Species?
- National Wildlife Refuges: A Visitor's Guide
- Write: U.S. Department of the Interior
Fish and Wildlife Service
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240
Web address: http://www.fws.gov
Within their local communities, Boy Scouts may contact the following:
- Consultants—naturalists, park rangers, refuge managers,
biologists, foresters, 4-H extension agents, science teachers, librarians,
policemen, KAB coordinators
- Groups—parks and recreation department, wildlife refuges,
sanitation department, recycling center, nature or science center, state
fish hatchery, soil and water conservation or natural resources district
Application Form
Download an application for for the Keep America
Beautiful Inc. Hometown U.S.A. Award