Keep Arkansas Beautiful Unveils Mural at eStem Public Charter School
Keep Arkansas Beautiful Unveils Mural at eStem Public Charter School
Governor praises Otto the Otter Youth Education Program as part of his legacy
The Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission (KAB) unveiled its new mural located at the eStem Public Charter School building, 112 W. Third St., downtown Little Rock. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson joined partners including KAB and the Downtown Little Rock Partnership at Historic Arkansas Museum to commemorate the launch of the new mural and pay tribute to the governor’s legacy of statewide litter prevention and beautification through youth education.
“I’m proud of the work Keep Arkansas Beautiful does to promote, educate and inspire you to keep our state green, clean and litter-free,” said Governor Hutchinson. “During my years as governor, I have seen this organization’s youth outreach grow exponentially, and I’m confident it will continue to positively impact Arkansas for decades.”
Otto the Otter, the popular KAB mascot, is the figurehead for the youth education program and he features prominently in the artwork by muralist Joel Boyd. The mural was created in collaboration with the Downtown Little Rock Partnership. In the mural, Otto the Otter soars over the Little Rock skyline in an old-fashioned plane with a banner reminding students and nearby motorists to “Keep Arkansas Beautiful.” It sits on the two-story exterior brick façade wall of the school that faces W. 2nd St.
“This mural is a perfect addition to downtown,” said Stacy Hurst, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, of which KAB is a division. “Director Mark Camp’s vision for the youth education program, including the Otto mascot and this beautiful new mural, should be a source of pride for the KAB program and will truly be a lasting legacy to Gov. Hutchinson’s passion for conservation in our state.”
Otto the Otter and the program’s mission is to provide teachers with interactive resources to supplement existing nature and science curricula and teach students how litter and waste can negatively impact Arkansas.
“This mural is incredibly meaningful to KAB and its partners, as well as the community,” said Mark Camp, executive director of KAB. “We have implemented initiatives to educate Arkansas’s youth on the importance of litter prevention, such as our Otto the Otter Youth Education Program. This mural will serve as a great reminder to children to do their part and ‘Keep Arkansas Beautiful.’”
Since the program was established, KAB has implemented several initiatives to educate Arkansas’s youth. These include the creation of animated public service announcements, a cartoon, “Otto the Otter and the Great Arkansas Mystery,” a 40-page children’s book, the companion workbook and other coloring and activity pages. Distributing nearly 50,000 children's books and workbooks, the youth education program has reached more than 35,000 students across the state.