About Us

HISTORY

In 2000, after the City of Yankton lost the bid for a major manufacturing company due in part to the ”blighted and depressed look of the community” a group of individuals and community leaders determined it was time to take action. They formed the first South Dakota affiliate of Keep America Beautiful to begin cleaning up and beautifying our community.

Keep Yankton Beautiful is now one of only two South Dakota affiliates under the national Keep America Beautiful organization and a partner to the first South Dakota campus affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, Keep Mount Marty Beautiful!

BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE:

Improving the quality of life and showing community pride begins with each one of us. KYB’s goal is to educate every household to begin utilizing city recycling opportunities, taking personal responsibility in reducing litter and supporting beautification projects throughout Yankton and the surrounding area.

Personal responsibility can begin by doing the following:

• Create block awareness and clubs for cleaning up our neighborhoods.
• Educating our children about environmental responsibility.
  Check-out the following links for resources and information on environmental issues:
  NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, EPA (Environmental Protection Agency),  Earth 911,  and Keep America Beautiful
• Participate in recycling, reducing and reusing.  Click here for more information on Yankton recycling.

Keep Yankton Beautiful works on changing attitudes in the following manner:

• Educate the public and promote recycling projects and collection drives.
• Work with community leaders and volunteers to eliminate abandoned vehicles and illegal dumping.
• Increase public awareness and proper disposal of all forms of litter.
• Mobilize annual community cleanup campaigns and litter free events.
• Beautify all major corridors into Yankton. Encourage residential and commercial owners to “clean up” and “green up” to improve the physical appearance of their property.

HOW WE SPREAD THE MESSAGE:

Education and Awareness

• Provide education and materials to local schools and youth organizations.
• Monthly articles in newspapers. 
  10th Anniversary Article in Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan (click on "article" to read the story)
• Public service announcements.
• Presentations to local civic groups and organizations contact us to speak to your group/organization!
• Sponsor litter free events.
• Word of mouth.