The new 2017 Trash Poster Contest calendar is here, just in time for the New Year. Students from across all 77 counties in Oklahoma compete annually to have their posters featured in the Trash Poster Contest calendar. The ever-popular 2017 calendar is now available to the public and entries are being accepted for the 2017 contest.The Oklahoma Department of Transportation distributes 35,000 calendars to state agencies, businesses and schools statewide. Contact ODOT Beautification Office to get copies at (405) 521-2557 or email beautification@odot.org.
One poster from the 2016 contest is selected as the state Promotional Poster of the Year and printed in large format for the public to use in displays, newsletters and for promotional use to spread the word that litter is harmful to our state. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation spends $5 million annually to combat litter. That total does not include the hundreds of volunteer hours put toward the cause across the state.
The deadline for entries in the 2017 contest is Jan. 31 and students Kindergarten through the 12th grade are encouraged to show their creative talents by entering. Entries must be received at the local Department of Environmental Quality Office by Jan. 31, 2017. County judging and awards, coordinated by local DEQ offices, will take place during February and local winners will be forwarded to the state competition in March.
The contest encourages students to learn about Oklahoma’s litter issues and propose solutions through their art. Students may enter in these categories by grade: K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12.
The 13 state winners will receive cash prizes, including $250 for first place, $150 for second place, $100 for third place in each of the four divisions and one additional poster will be chosen to win $200 as the state Promotional Poster of the Year. The state winners of the 26th annual contest, their families and teachers will be invited to an awards luncheon in April and the students will be introduced on the floor of the House of Representatives at the state Capitol. Teachers of the 13 state winners will receive a two-night stay at an Oklahoma state park and art supplies for the classroom.
Entries must be original concepts with positive themes related to litter and must be 12 inches x 18 inches or 11 inches x 17 inches on heavy paper or poster board. Syndicated characters and computer generated images may not be used.
Last year more than 9,700 students participated in the statewide competition, which is a partnership of ODOT, DEQ, Oklahoma State Department of Education, Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department-Oklahoma State Parks and the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.
Additional partnerships include OGE Energy Corporation, Keep Oklahoma Beautiful, Oklahoma Arts Council, Oklahoma City Beautiful, Ardmore Beautification Council, Oklahoma Highway Safety Office, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma Employee Credit Union, Oklahoma Environmental Management Authority, Ergon Asphalt and Emulsions Inc., Sierra Club-Oklahoma Chapter, Oklahoma Rural Water Association and Solid Waste Institute of Northeast Oklahoma.
For more information and entry forms, contact the ODOT Beautification Office at (405) 521-2557, or access the ODOT website at www.odot.org and click Programs and Projects then Beautification.
