30 Phelps County students placed in poster contest

ST. JAMES–Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District (ORSWMD) announced 30 Phelps County students were awarded prizes of the 48 winners and 26 honorable mentions in the 23rd Annual Earth Day Poster, Trash and Electronic Art Contest. All art entries were centered around the theme “Let’s Talk Trash–Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.”

“The purpose of the contest is to raise awareness about recycling and encourage the community to take part in celebrating Earth Day,” said Jill Hollowell, environmental programs specialist at Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC).

Contestants re-purposed garbage into three-dimensional pieces of art or created posters based on the theme. Entries included 531 poster entries, 73 art entries and 40 graphic art entries. The program was open to kindergarten through 12th grade, homeschool, college and university students reside in Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties.

A category of the contest was recently opened to graphic art students at colleges and universities. Tammy Snodgrass, environmental programs manager, said Rolla Technical Institute contacted her a couple of years ago with requests to accept college student entries.

“The graphic art category is only a few years old and is judged by the relevance of the piece to the theme of the contest,” Snodgrass said.

Since then, participation in the graphic art category has doubled and all categories have increased in participation since last year.

A total of 13 schools competed in the seven county contest. Phelps County winners are listed by grade:

  • Newburg R-2 Elementary School: kindergarten: 1st Place – Dani Henley; 2nd place – Jayce Dyer; honorable mentions – Laynee Caquelin and Eva Sheerer; 2nd grade: 1st place – Aeriana Graham; 2nd place – Jacayla Lewis; honorable mention – Autumn Grace; 3rd grade; 2nd place – Holle Chasteen; 4th grade; 1st place –Madison McMahon; 5th grade: honorable mention – Destiny Roemer; 6th grade; 2nd place – Aya Snyder; honorable mention – Destiny Cook, Aubrey Johnson, Brenna Bullock; 7th grade: 2nd place – Breanna Saxton
  • St. James LWJE 1st grade: 1st place – Miranda Guerrette; 2nd place – Phoebe Gargus; honorable mentions – Zynietra Sharp and Brody Branum
  • Mark Twain Elementary School: honorable mention – 3rd grade – Trinity Jernigan
  • Rolla Middle School 7th grade: Sudatta Hor

Electronic Posters:

  • Rolla Technical Institute: 1st place – Casey Collins; 2nd place – Ariel Cliburn; honorable mention – Samuel Quigley; 1st place Lilian Spoon; 2nd place – Bear Brooks
  • Missouri University of Science and Technology: 1st place – Nicole Miinch; 2nd place – Kelsey Maricic; honorable mention – Payton Lenz and Austen Clark

“We rely on the teachers to engage students in the recycling theme; some teachers have supported MRPC’s themed recycling contest for over 20 years,” Hollowell said.

The identities of the students and their schools were concealed during the judging process.

Judges for the contest included Snodgrass, Hollowell and Kelly Sink-Blair of MRPC staff; Mayor James Morgan of Crocker, Amy Beers and Emily Pfeiffer of Phelps County Bank and Jessica Tipton of Mid America Bank.

An ORSWMD grant and donations from several area sponsors funded the contest. Sponsors included Bank of Salem, Citizens Bank of Newburg, Maries County Bank, Missouri Bank, Phelps County Bank, Belle State Bank, Legends Bank, Mid America Bank, Peoples Bank, Town and Country Bank and Newburg Children’s Museum.

The ORSWMD strategy for solid waste reduction, which has been individually adopted by all member governments and approved by MDNR, involves intense education and increased recycling efforts in member counties and cities.

For more information about ORSWMD or recycling opportunities in the Ozark Rivers area, contact Tammy Snodgrass, MRPC environmental programs manager, or Jill Hollowell, MRPC environmental programs specialist, at 573-265-2993 or by email at tsnodgrass@meramecregion.org or jhollowell@meramecregion.org.

Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving eight counties and their respective cities. A professional staff of 22, directed by the MRPC board, offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and services to community members.

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MeramecRegion.