Printable Rules and Entry Form (3 page .pdf)
Printable Entry Form Only (1 page .pdf)
Contest Theme
The 2018 Youth Conservation Poster Contest topic is Watersheds: Our Water, Our Home. This title must be on the poster for it to be eligible for judging.
A watershed is an area of land that drains rainwater, snowmelt, runoff, and groundwater into a single water body such as a stream, river, lake, or ocean. Watersheds occur on many scales, from the tiny watershed that feeds a single storm drain in a parking lot all the way up to the giant watershed of the Pacific Ocean, which encompasses large areas of several continents. The way we treat the land in our watersheds and our daily habits can have a big impact on the water we use and drink. We invite you to create a poster to tell your family and friends how and why it is important to practice good conservation habits in your watershed!
Eligibility
The National Conservation Poster Contest is open to students in grades K-12. Richland County students should submit their posters to the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District for local judging by Wednesday, April 11, 2018; students in other counties in SC should contact their local conservation district for entry deadlines and details.
Rules
- NEW RULE: Due to a new rule at the national level of competition, posters MUST be 14”x 22”. The Richland Soil and Water Conservation District can provide up to 24 sheets of 14”x22” poster paper per school; contact Chanda Cooper at cooperc@rcgov.us to request supplies. You may also cut white bulletin board paper down to the correct size.
- Any media may be used to create a flat or two-dimensional effect, including paint, marker, ink, crayon, charcoal, colored pencil, stickers, collage, wallpaper, magazines, photos, digitally-designed graphics or flat objects found in nature.
- Posters should be packaged so they remain flat when sent for judging.
- All posters must be created by an individual student rather than a team of students.
- The 2018 contest topic (Watersheds: Our Water, Our Home) must be on the poster.
- Attach a signed entry form (available here) to the back of the poster.
- Student or school names must not appear on the front of the poster.
- Entry must be contestant's original creation and may not be traced from photographs or other artists' published works.
Recommendations
- Posters should present a simple, concise visual message, similar to a billboard or bumper sticker.
- As much as possible, limit text to the contest topic (Watersheds: Our Water, Our Home); additional text tends to be difficult to read from a distance and complicates the message.
- The contest topic (Watersheds: Our Water, Our Home) should be in bold, clear, unique text at the top or bottom of the poster, above or below the illustration; OR the slogan can be incorporated into the illustration, but the words should stand out.
- Text should be large enough to be easily read.
- Avoid fluorescent-colored posters.
Evaluation
Posters will be evaluated by grade level according to the following criteria:
- Conservation Message: poster illustrates what a watershed is, why healthy watersheds are important, and/or how we can conserve water and protect water quality. (50%)
- Visual Effectiveness: poster attracts attention, uses colors and white space effectively, is easy to read, is neat, and makes good use of colors and shading. (30%)
- Originality (10%)
- Universal Appeal: information conveyed on poster is relevant in watersheds around the world (10%)
Submission
Posters completed by Richland County students should be delivered to the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District by Wednesday, April 11, 2018. Posters may be dropped off in person or mailed. Posters should be packaged to remain flat when sent for judging.
Richland Soil and Water Conservation District
2020 Hampton Street, Room 3063A
Columbia, SC 29204
Phone: (803) 576-2080
Fax: (803) 576-2088
E-mail: cooperc@rcgov.us
Competition Progression and Awards
Richland County winners will progress to the state competition; state winners will progress to the national competition. Cash prizes will be awarded at each level.
County Competition—Sponsored by the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District
Prizes: Minimum $25 prizes will be awarded to winning posters in each of five grade level categories (Grades K-1; 2-3; 4-6; 7-9; 10-12).
State Competition—Sponsored by the SC Association of Conservation Districts
Prizes: $25 prizes will be awarded to winning posters in each of five grade level categories (Grades K-1; 2-3; 4-6; 7-9; 10-12).
National Competition—Sponsored by the National Association of Conservation Districts
Prizes: First place posters in each grade-level category (Grades K-1; 2-3; 4-6; 7-9; 10-12) will receive $200; second place posters will receive $150; and third-place posters will receive $100. Monetary prizes at the national level are sponsored by the National Association of Conservation Districts Auxiliary and the Albert I. Pierce Foundation.
Printable Rules and Entry Form (3 page .pdf)
Printable Entry Form Only (1 page .pdf)
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Conservation Districts are political subdivisions of state government under the local direction of five-member Boards of Commissioners. In South Carolina, Conservation District boundaries conform to County boundaries. The Richland Soil and Water Conservation District promotes the wise use of natural resources for the benefit of the citizens of Richland County.
Contact
Richland Soil and Water Conservation District
2020 Hampton Street, Room 3063A
Columbia, SC 29204
Phone (803) 576-2080
Fax (803) 576-2088
E-mail soilandwater@rcgov.us
Facebook www.facebook.com/rswcd