TOWSON, MD—Twenty-seven Baltimore County public schools have been awarded a total of $43,000 in environmental grants after a record-breaking year for the Clean Green 15 Litter Challenge, an initiative aimed at removing trash from local communities and waterways.
During the past year’s challenge, 8,019 volunteers from schools and community groups conducted 690 cleanups, collecting 3,702 bags of trash. This debris could otherwise have ended up in local streams and the Chesapeake Bay.
Since its inception in 2014, the program has involved nearly 60,000 students, staff, and community members in over 4,000 litter cleanups, resulting in the removal of approximately 373,000 pounds of trash, according to the county.
“Baltimore County is home to miles of beautiful shoreline, acres of forested parkland, and communities full of people who deserve a clean and healthy environment,” said County Executive Kathy Klausmeier. “The Clean Green 15 Litter Challenge is a great way to tap into residents’ community pride so we can eliminate litter in our neighborhoods and build a cleaner, greener future together.”
The Clean Green 15 Litter Challenge is a collaborative effort by local government, Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS), and the Education Foundation of BCPS. Funding for the program comes from the Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability and the Education Foundation, which combined for $23,000. This year, an additional $20,000 grant from the Baltimore Community Foundation supported “Green Boost Grants” for Community Schools within the Gwynns Falls and Jones Falls watersheds, areas where Baltimore County is under state and federal mandates to reduce trash.
“Congratulations to all those who participated in helping to keep our schools, grounds, and communities clean and green,” said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers. “Their efforts through Clean Green 15 will create dividends for years to come.”
Nearly 50 BCPS schools participated in the most recent challenge, which ran from May 2024 through April 2025. The program is open to various groups, including school-based organizations, places of worship, youth groups, and civic organizations, who report their cleanups and designate a BCPS school to receive credit for the grant competition. Volunteers collected both littered and bulk trash from diverse locations such as parks, streambanks, and schoolyards.
The environmental grants awarded to the 27 winning schools are intended to fund school-based environmental projects, with potential uses including constructing outdoor classrooms, installing rain or butterfly gardens, planting trees, and supporting environmental education initiatives.
Officials also announced that the next Clean Green 15 Litter Challenge is underway, with eligible groups able to log cleanups from May 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026, for consideration in the subsequent awards cycle.
Team BCPS Clean Green 15 Litter Challenge
Winning Schools – School Year 2024 – 2025
| Grand Prize – Cleanup Results | $3,000 | Catonsville Elementary School |
| Grand Prize – Volunteers | $3,000 | Pinewood Elementary School |
| Special School – 1st Prize | $2,000 | Watershed Public Charter School |
| Special School – 2nd Prize | $1,500 | Battle Monument School |
| High School – 1st Prize | $2,000 | Western School of Technology |
| High School – 2nd Prize | $1,500 | Carver Center for Arts and Technology |
| High School – 3rd Prize | $1,000 | Patapsco High School and Center for the Arts |
| Middle School – 1st Prize | $2,000 | Dumbarton Middle School |
| Middle School – 2nd Prize | $1,500 | Perry Hall Middle School |
| Middle School – 3rd Prize | $1,000 | General John Stricker Middle School |
| Elementary School – 1st Prize | $2,000 | Carney Elementary School |
| Elementary School – 2nd Prize | $1,500 | Hillcrest Elementary School |
| Elementary School – 3rd Prize | $1,000 | Carroll Manor Elementary School |
| Baltimore Community Foundation Green Boost Grant Awards | Community Schools located within the Gwynns Falls or Jones Falls Watersheds | |
| CS High School – 1st Prize | $2,000 | Woodlawn High School |
| CS High School–- 2nd Prize | $1,500 | Owings Mills High School |
| CS Middle School – 1st Prize | $2,000 | Woodlawn Middle School |
| CS Elementary School – 1st Prize | $2,000 | Hebbville Elementary School |
| CS Elementary School – 2nd Prize | $1,500 | Woodmoor Elementary School |
| CS Elementary School – 3rd Prize | $1,000 | Featherbed Lane Elementary School |
| CS Honorable Mention | $900 | Bedford Elementary School |
| CS Honorable Mention | $900 | Church Lane Elementary School |
| CS Honorable Mention | $900 | Deer Park Elementary School |
| CS Honorable Mention | $900 | Edmondson Heights Elementary School |
| CS Honorable Mention | $900 | Johnnycake Elementary School |
| CS Honorable Mention | $900 | Milbrook Elementary School |
| CS Honorable Mention | $900 | Wellwood Elementary School |
| CS Honorable Mention | $900 | Woodholme Elementary School |
