Some of Oklahoma’s best young artists, grades K-12, found creative ways to showcase how to “Keep Our Land Grand” in the 2016 Trash Poster Contest Calendar. These glossy, full-color calendars are available statewide to remind Oklahomans of all the many ways they can help keep state highways free of litter.
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation spends about $4 million annually to keep highway rights-of-way clean. This does not include the large amount of volunteer clean-up efforts throughout the year by local Adopt-a-Highway groups combined with annual events such as ODOT’s Trash-Off in April and the Great American Clean-up each spring sponsored by Keep Oklahoma Beautiful.
Calendars are sent to state and federal offices, local libraries, schools, media outlets and various other organizations statewide, nationally and internationally. The calendars are available for free from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
The deadline for this year’s competition is fast approaching.
“The contest offers teachers an opportunity to talk with students about waste problems and viable solutions. As students learn, they share their knowledge with family and friends, helping the effort to make Oklahoma a clean and beautiful state,” said Melody Johnson, ODOT’s Beautification coordinator.
Entries for the 2016 Trash Poster Contest must be submitted by Jan. 29 to the local county office of the Department of Environmental Quality, one of several partnering agencies. The contest is open to all students in kindergarten through grade 12 attending any school in Oklahoma. All first-round county winners will receive a certificate and have their entries forwarded to the statewide competition.
Each year 12 winners are selected from about 14,000 entries. This year’s winners will be featured in the 2017 calendar and one additional winner is selected for the 2017 Promotional Poster of the Year.
In addition to being featured in the calendar, state winners also will be honored at a spring awards event at ODOT headquarters in Oklahoma City after which they will be recognized by the Oklahoma House of Representatives at the state Capitol. They will also receive a T-shirt bearing the student’s design and a cash prize.
Contest sponsors include ODOT, OGE Energy Corporation, Oklahoma Employees Credit Union, Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department – Oklahoma State Parks, Oklahoma Environmental Management Authority, Oklahoma Chapter of the Sierra Club, Oklahoma Rural Water Association, Ardmore Beatification Council, Solid Waste Institute of Northeast Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Beautiful, Waste Research Inc., Keep Oklahoma Beautiful, Oklahoma Arts Council, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma Highway Safety Office, Oklahoma State Department of Education, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.
To obtain an entry form or a 2016 calendar contact the ODOT Beautification office by phone at 405-521-4037, email at beauty@odot.org or online at www.odot.org/trashposter.
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