Students’ artwork hits the streets on Waste Pro trucks through ‘Leave the Scene Clean’ contest
Keep Lee County Beautiful Inc. continues its partnership with Waste Pro to showcase the winning artwork from the 36th annual “Leave The Scene Clean” student art contest. The top four outstanding student illustrations have been enlarged and appear on the side of a Lee County Waste Pro truck, turning the service vehicles into a mobile art gallery.
The official unveiling took place during a celebratory awards ceremony held at the Riverside Community Center. In honor of Earth Month, all student submissions are also on public display throughout April at the Northwest Regional Library.
2025 overall first place winners:
• Grades K-3: Daniela Rodriguez — Mirror Lakes Elementary
• Grades 4-6: Cathy Cheribin — Three Oaks Middle School
• Grades 7-9: Alejandra Sanchez — Mariner Middle School
• Grades 10-12: Mia De La Cruz Matos — Cypress Lake High School
In addition to being featured on Waste Pro trucks, the winning artwork will also be printed on reusable tote bags, available this fall. These eco-friendly totes can be purchased for a $5 donation through participating Lee County schools, with all proceeds staying with the schools to projects on campus.
Over the years, the “Leave The Scene Clean” project has reached more than 84,000 students and 700 teachers from public, private, and home school settings, raising more than $283,000 in support of environmental education and awareness.
The success of this initiative is made possible through generous community sponsorships. KLCB extends special thanks to its 2025 supporters: Lee County Solid Waste, Northwest Regional Library, Reworld, WM, Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, Surfing Evolutions & Preservation Foundation, Ron Jon Surf Shop, and Waste Pro.
Keep Lee County Beautiful is a private non-profit organization committed to promoting litter prevention and responsible waste management through education and community engagement. Proceeds from the tote bag sales directly benefit KLCB programs and local schools.
For more information about the art contest or other KLCB educational initiatives, please visit klcb.org.