
Hillsborough County Water Resources alongside the City of Tampa are putting a call out to the county's students, from the little ones barely tall enough to reach a sink to the high schoolers on the cusp of adulthood, to channel their inner artists for a good cause this holiday season – the Drop Savers Water Conservation Poster Contest is underway, aiming to uplift young voices in the pressing conversation of water conservation, Hillsborough County announced.
Serving as a pertinent educational experience, participants are tasked to create a poster that visually communicates a conservation idea or a slogan that underscores the importance of saving water—crafting their message on a 8 ½ x 11-inch canvas using a variety of traditional mediums, say crayons or paints, but leaving no room for the sleek finish of photographs and the digital strokes of computer graphics; these young artists from kindergarten through 12th grade will be segmented into five age-appropriate divisions to ensure a fair play of creativity and each school has the chance to put forth one winning poster per division, with the contest running until February 15, 2025.
Not only will the winning posters across the divisions morph into custom jigsaw puzzles and be showcased in the halls of recognition, but they will also gift their creators with tangible incentives such as water conservation kits, a state park prize package, and water bottles adorned with their winning design – while the victorious students and their creations will advance to compete at the state level hosted by the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association, as Hillsborough County outlines.
A nod of appreciation doesn't end there however, for all first-, second-, and third-place winners will be invited to a Hillsborough County School Board meeting, not solely for accreditation but also for a certificate of recognition and to witness their artwork go digital in an online exhibit—potentially catching the eye of the media. Recognition, both in its tangible and intangible forms, coalesces to honor these young students who participate in this earnest effort to kindle awareness around the sanctity of water, its conservation a manifesto of continued life on our shared planet.