Environmental Progress - Spring 2005

Young Environmentalists Honored at Awards Reception

Illinois EPA sponsors 18th annual competition for fifth and sixth grade students

Fifth and sixth grade writers and artists from around Illinois were recognized at an honors reception in Springfield on April 23, wrapping up the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency's 18th annual poster/prose competition.

The event was held at the new Department of Natural Resources headquarters located in the northwest corner of the State Fairgrounds inside Gate 7.

"As we observed the 35th Earth Day on April 22, the young people who participated in this year's contest are helping to carry the message of environmental awareness and stewardship into the next generation of leaders," said Illinois EPA Director Renee Cipriano.

Six winners are selected by two panels of judges each year, with three top winners in each the poetry and prose category and for posters. The top six winning entries will be on exhibit in the atrium of the Illinois EPA's headquarters building in Springfield from April 25 through May 27, and will be featured on the Illinois EPA's Poster, Poetry, and Prose Exhibit web page.

Written entry winners this year were Alex Gruebele, of Champaign, who attends Countryside School; Aram Pajian, of Lisle, from Lisle Jr. High School; and Kevin Saad, Chicago, who attends St. Monica School.

Young artists whose posters placed in the top three slots were Sarah Warso, of Willowbrook, a student at Gower Middle School; Kyle Boyce, of Lisle, who attends Lisle Jr. High School; and Brittany Stribling, of Ashland, from A-C Central Jr. High.

Each spring, after studying about the importance of protecting our air, land, and water, fifth and sixth grade youngsters are asked to draw a poster or create a written work showing what they learned about the subject. Special emphasis is given to one of the three areas on a rotating basis. This year's study focused on clean air, with "The Air We Breathe" as the event's theme.

An in-house panel from the Illinois EPA judges all entries and selects the finalists, whose entries are then judged by an outside panel of authorities, to determine the top six winners.

The youngsters, their families and teachers are invited to the reception at which the top six receive U.S. savings bonds, specially inscribed books for their school libraries, and certificates and ribbons. All finalists receive certificates and ribbons. The Agency's environmental education guide, "Environmental PathwaysÑ-Youth Investigating Pollution Issues in Illinois", meets the standards of the North American Association for Environmental Education Guidelines for Excellence and will reach more than 15,000 students in classrooms across Illinois this year.

Information about the annual event can be obtained by contacting Kristi Morris-Richards, environmental education coordinator for the IEPA at 1021 North Grand Avenue E., P.O. Box 19276, Springfield, Ill. 62794-9276.