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Annual Trash Poster Contest

Trash Poster Contest


Mission Statement

The mission of the Oklahoma Trash Poster Contest is to provide creative tools by bringing knowledge of pollution issues and promote litter awareness within Oklahoma’s schools and communities.

2024-2025 Contest Entry Form  |  PDF Download

Thank you to the following Annual Trash Contest Sponsors:

  • Oklahoma Department Of Transportation
  • Oklahoma Department Of Environmental Quality
  • Oklahoma Turnpike Authority
  • Cherokee Nation
  • Oklahoma’s Credit Union
  • OG&E
  • OMES – Web Modernization 
  • Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department – State Parks
  • Keep Oklahoma Beautiful
  • Ardmore Beautification Council
  • Oklahoma City Beautiful
  • Oklahoma Rural Water Association
  • Solid Waste Institute Of Northeast Oklahoma
  • State Department Of Education
  • Department Of Public Safety / Oklahoma Highway Patrol
  • Oklahoma Highway Safety Office

State winners and teachers are honored at a mid-April Awards Event at the ODOT Building in Oklahoma City. The winning students are also introduced to the Oklahoma State House of Representatives and Oklahoma Senate, at the State Capitol that same day. All state winners and their teachers receive proper notification prior to the awards event.

Several thousand students enter the annual Statewide Trash Poster Contest (TPC), making poster judging very competitive and interesting! In addition to other prizes, 12 selected winning posters will be featured in 30,000 printed calendars this year.  

One additional winning poster is selected as the TPC Promotional Poster of the Year. When available a few weeks after the awards ceremony in April 2024, you can download the 2024 - 2025 poster by clicking or tapping here. The Promotional Poster of the Year and an entry form showing an additionally selected poster are included in each printed calendar.

The contest begins annually on December 1st.
The contest begins annually on January 31st.

Here’s a chance to show artistic, imaginative, and creative talent with an ORIGINAL AND POSITIVE poster/slogan design about solutions for Oklahoma’s litter problems. Win CASH and help Oklahoma “KEEP OUR LAND GRAND!”

Complete the entire entry form herewith (it may be photocopied). All poster entries must be submitted by the Contest Deadline, January 31, 2025, to your local county Department of Environmental Quality Office (see address list included with this entry form).  A 2024 - 2025 spreadsheet of Oklahoma DEQ county offices can be downloaded by clicking/tapping here.

County winners placing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in February receive certificates and those posters are submitted in to state judging. State winners will be notified in March and honored at a mid-April Awards Event in Oklahoma City. State winners each receive a cash prize, poster design T-shirt, recognition at the State Capitol by the Oklahoma House of Representatives and Oklahoma Senate, and a Legislative Award Citation. State-winning posters will build the upcoming 2026 Trash Poster Calendar.

 

We would like to give special thanks to the ODEQ County Judges, County Sponsors, other County Judges.

All students in Oklahoma's public, private, parochial, charter, tribal schools, known home schools, and correctional center facilities in grades K - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 8, 9 - 12 may participate.

Annual Trash Poster Contest

Contest Information Distribution

The contest information is first distributed to principals and superintendents in Oklahoma’s public, private, parochial, charter, tribal schools, known home schools, and correctional center facilities. Any Oklahoma school student from Kindergarten through 12th grade can enter this contest. Contest Calendars are then distributed to Oklahoma federal, state, city, and county agencies, as well as libraries, municipalities, businesses, organizations, groups, and individuals statewide. A limited number of TPC Calendars are available for free to the public within the Continental United States only

State Beautification Coordinator Melody Johnson (ODOT), is coordinated in partnership with the following representatives from their respective agencies or organization:

Name Affiliation

Sara Ivey

Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ)

Rhonda Powell

Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA)

Monique James

Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA)

Priscilla Blackfox

Cherokee Nation (CN)

Jeff Everett

OG&E

Brandon Holcomb

Oklahoma’s Credit Union (OKCU)

Jack Ripley

Office of Management & Enterprise Services (OMES)

Sterling Zearley

Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department – State Parks (OTRD-SP)

Evelyn Schaefer

Keep Oklahoma Beautiful (KOB)

Julie Maher

Ardmore Beautification Council (ABC)

Lisa Synar

Oklahoma City Beautiful (OKCB)

Bill Hix

Solid Waste Institute of Northeast Oklahoma (SWINO)

Elizabeth Maughan

Oklahoma State Department of Education (SDE)

Lindsey Farris

Oklahoma Department of Public Safety/Oklahoma Highway Patrol (DPS/OHP)

Amy Graham

Oklahoma Highway Safety Office (OHSO)

Local County Prizes: County judging by each county’s designated DEQ Office is completed during February. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place county winners will receive a certificate from DEQ and these posters will be submitted for state judging. Some local sponsors may also present other prizes, but those vary by county.

State Prizes: State judging is completed in early March. In mid-April, the 14 state winners are announced and honored at an Awards Event, and each will receive a substantial cash award for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in each grade division, and for the “Promotional Poster of the Year”, and for the Entry Form Poster. State winners will also will receive a State Contest Certificate, a t-shirt bearing their poster design, along with a mounted posterboard copy, and a laminated placemat. Teachers of the 14 state winners may receive vouchers (depending on availability) for a one-night stay at an Oklahoma State Park and contest vouchers to purchase classroom school art supplies. In addition, winning students and teachers will receive contest/sponsor promotional items at the April Awards Event.

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