SPRINGFIELD — On Saturday, April 5, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 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. 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, “How Can You Slash Your Trash?” invites students to think creatively on how to reduce the amount of waste they produce. This could include buying fewer single-use products; composting food waste; repairing broken items instead of replacing or buying new; and recycling items that cannot be re-used or repaired.

“Each year, the Poster, Poetry, and Prose Contest provides us the opportunity to recognize the creative and artistic talents of environmentally engaged fifth and sixth grade students throughout Illinois,” said Illinois EPA Acting Director James Jennings. “We also want to thank the teachers and families for their participation, and for incorporating this important environmental topic into the classroom so the students can learn the importance of reducing the amount of waste they create.”

Students, their families, and teachers were invited to Saturday’s 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.

A complete list of winners by school is attached. The top twelve entries will also be displayed on the Illinois EPA’s website at: https://epa.illinois.gov/topics/education/contest/elementary/2025.html.

Illinois e-News Release

Illinois EPA Celebrates Earth Month by Recognizing Young Environmentalists through Annual Poster, Poetry, and Prose Contest

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