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Keep Iowa Beautiful is preparing to award three $1,000 scholarships to Iowa high school seniors. 

These annual scholarships honor important figures in Keep Iowa Beautiful history who have made significant contributions to Iowa communities.  

• The Byers Scholarship – Awarded to students who plan to enroll in an Iowa college or university to study environmental science, community development, landscape architecture or architecture (historical emphasis) or community planning and sustainability. In memory of Bob Byer’s dedication to young people and environmental concerns, KIB and the Byers family established the Byers Environmental Scholarship Fund in 2009. 
• The Schnepf Scholarship – This scholarship honors Gerry Schnepf, founding Executive Director of Keep Iowa Beautiful. His career spanned 50 years of making Iowa a better place to live, work and raise a family.    
• The Fultz Scholarship – Awarded to a senior planning to study communications or marketing. This scholarship honors William J. Fultz, a founding KIB board member and artist who started an advertising agency that became the largest agriculture advertising agency in the world. 

“Keep Iowa Beautiful is proud to award scholarships to graduating high school seniors who have a record of community service and environmental stewardship,” said Andy Frantz, Executive Director of Keep Iowa Beautiful. “These students have a passion for improving the communities where they live and work, and we couldn’t be more excited to see where their educational journey takes them.” 

For more information or to apply online, visit keepiowabeautiful.org/grants-scholarships/scholarships/. Applications are due January 31, 2024, and winners will be notified in March. 

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Diamond Vogel and Keep Iowa Beautiful have announced that applications for 2023 Paint Iowa Beautiful grants will open on Monday, November 13. The longstanding partnership provides free paint to a wide variety of public service and community betterment projects throughout Iowa. 

“Our partnership with Keep Iowa Beautiful allows Diamond Vogel to assist many local organizations and volunteers that help build and strengthen Iowa communities,” said Doug Vogel, Vice-President of Marketing for the Iowa-based company. “At Diamond Vogel, we take immense pride in giving back, knowing that the true value of our work lies in the positive impact we create in the communities we call home.” 

In its 20-year partnership with Keep Iowa Beautiful, Diamond Vogel has awarded enough paint to cover over five square miles of surfaces for 1,438 community projects in Iowa. 

“Keep Iowa Beautiful is honored to continue our partnership with Diamond Vogel for these community betterment projects,” said Andy Frantz, Executive Director of Keep Iowa Beautiful. “Together, we’re committed to painting a brighter future and making Iowa a more beautiful place to live, work and play.” 

Applications are due February 9^th, 2024. For more information, visit keepiowabeautiful.org/grants-scholarships/grants/paint-iowa-beautiful/. 

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About Diamond Vogel 

Diamond Vogel is an Iowa based, family owned company started in 1926 by Andrew Vogel. It serves 13 states with seven manufacturing facilities and over 53 service center outlets providing Architectural Finishes, Industrial and Original Equipment Finishes and Home Decorating Products.  www.diamondvogel.com   

About Keep Iowa Beautiful 

Keep Iowa Beautiful was established in 2000 by Governor Robert D. Ray and Donald F. Lamberti becoming the 23^rd State Affiliate of Keep America Beautiful. It is a 501c3 charitable organization working with citizens, neighborhoods and communities in improving the vitality and cultural health of the state of Iowa.  KIB is helping build stronger communities to develop sustainable futures. For more information see our web page at www.keepiowabeautiful.org 

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Keep Iowa Beautiful is thrilled to announce the start of the 14^th Photography Contest, an annual contest aimed at raising awareness of Iowa’s natural and environmental beauty.  

The two-phase contest begins now, with the entry deadline on December 16, 2023. Each of the five categories will be awarded $100 for first place, $75 for second place and $50 for third place.  

“The annual photo contest gives local photographers a chance to contribute to the visual story of Iowa,” said Andy Frantz, Executive Director of Keep Iowa Beautiful. “There are five categories to enter your favorite photo of what makes you proud to be an Iowan and captures the beauty and spirit of Iowa. Beyond just displaying Iowa’s scenic charm, this competition also spotlights the pool of homegrown talent spanning our entire state.” 

In January, the five first-place winners will be featured on Keep Iowa Beautiful’s social media for public voting to select the Public Favorite Photo. The winner will receive an additional $100. 

The Robert D. Ray Best of Show Awards, determined by a distinguished panel, will also be announced at that time. The Robert D. Ray Best of Show award amounts are $500 for first place, $250 for second place and $100 for third place.  

The five categories are: 

Iowa Landscape 

Capture Iowa’s beauty through depictions of Iowa’s landscape, including but not limited to: farm fields, rolling hills, and wooded forests. 

Iowa Water  

Feature Iowa’s beautiful water systems with depictions of Iowa rivers, streams, ponds and lakes. 

Iowa Cities 

Iowa’s urban centers are hubs of history, culture, and beauty. This category features depictions of Iowa’s cities, street scenes, and urban landmarks. 

Iowans in Action 

This category aims to capture the spirit of Iowa through depictions of the people that live, work, and play in Iowa. All means of action that can be captured: biking, running, fishing, hunting and hiking are but a few. 

Iowa Wildlife 

Iowa is home to a variety of beautiful critters. This category aims to showcase Iowa’s beauty through depictions of Iowa’s wildlife animals: mammals, fish, birds, bugs and more! 

A $5 fee is required for each photo entered. Contest rules and entry guidelines can be found on the Keep Iowa Beautiful website: https://keepiowabeautiful.org/photography-contest 

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Des Moines, Iowa – Keep Iowa Beautiful (KIB) is proud to announce its continued sponsorship of the annual Iowa State Fair cleanup team, the OK Crew.  

The tradition of Keep Iowa Beautiful’s involvement with the Iowa State Fair began in 2001, just one year after KIB’s founding by former Governor Robert Ray and Casey’s Founder and Chairman Donald F. Lamberti. Inspired by the cleanliness standards set by Disney parks, KIB presented the idea of making the Iowa State Fair the epitome of cleanliness to the fair’s board. 

The “OK Crew” was established at the Iowa State Fair, with the primary objective of maintaining cleanliness throughout the event. Each year, the fair hired 20-24 individuals who worked diligently to pick up litter. KIB provided essential instructions and equipped the OK Crew members with distinctive t-shirts to signify their commitment to creating a litter-free environment. Armed with grabbers and plastic buckets, these dedicated volunteers roamed the fairgrounds, diligently collecting trash and ensuring that the fair remained spotless.  

Over the years, the initiative has expanded to include a greater number of trash barrels, which also feature “plastic wraps” promoting Keep Iowa Beautiful and advocating for a litter-free fair. Over 30 volunteers work tirelessly during the annual fair collecting litter, and recycling bins have been added around the fairgrounds.  

Keep Iowa Beautiful has proudly partnered with the Iowa State Fair board for an extensive litter clean-up and prevention program for many years. This collaboration has yielded remarkable results, and together, they have made significant progress in keeping the fairgrounds clean and preserving Iowa’s natural beauty. Keep Iowa Beautiful is thrilled to continue this successful partnership in the years to come.  

“Keep Iowa Beautiful is delighted to once again sponsor the Iowa State Fair cleanup and work hand-in-hand with the fair’s board,” said Andy Frantz, executive director of Keep Iowa Beautiful. “We are committed to creating a cleaner and more beautiful environment for all fairgoers, and we are excited to make the 2023 Iowa State Fair the cleanest one yet. We encourage everyone to join us in this effort and become a part of the OK Crew.”  

Keep Iowa Beautiful invites volunteers of all ages to participate in the Iowa State Fair cleanup. By dedicating their time and energy to this important cause, volunteers not only contribute to the cleanliness of the fairgrounds but also play a crucial role in preserving Iowa’s natural splendor.  

For more information on how to get involved with the Iowa State Fair cleanup and to join the OK Crew, please visit the Iowa State Fair website at www.iowastatefair.org/volunteer-resources.