2024

Where Does Rain Go? How Can We Slow the Flow?

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency honored a group of creative fifth and sixth grade students selected for their artistic and writing skills used to express environmental awareness, as part of the Agency’s Annual Poster, Poetry, and Prose Contest. The students selected from throughout Illinois were recognized at a ceremony at the Illinois State Library in Springfield.

Each year, fifth and sixth grade students in Illinois take part in the Poster, Poetry, and Prose contest as one of the agency’s environmental education initiatives. As part of the contest, participating schools study environmental concepts with an emphasis on the current year’s environmental theme. Many teachers round out the classroom instruction by having the students create posters or poetry/prose works to illustrate what they have learned and submit these to the Illinois EPA. Participating schools can select four works in each category to submit for competitive judging. This year’s theme, “Where Does Water Go? How Can We Slow the Flow?” focuses on understanding how rain moves through the landscape, the effects of droughts and floods, and how we can adapt to help protect our water resources.

“The works created by these students are an excellent display of the knowledge they gain when environmental education is incorporated in the classroom,” said Illinois EPA Director John J. Kim. “We continue to be encouraged by the interest these students and teachers have to learn more about protecting our environmental resources.”

Students, their families, and teachers were invited to an awards ceremony at the Illinois State Library, where the top award and honorable mention winners received environmental reference books for their school libraries. The winners, along with all finalists, also received certificates and ribbons for their creative efforts.

Information about the Poster, Poetry, and Prose Contest can be obtained by contacting Kristi Morris, Environmental Education Coordinator for the Illinois EPA at Kristi.Morris@Illinois.gov.

Poetry/Prose Top Award Winners