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The Winners Are...
<br />Government Category
<br />imagine: 12,000 Posters
<br />About Litter Prevention
<br />By Joanne Orr
<br />0 klahoma's annual Trash Poster
<br />Contest is the catalyst that gets
<br />schools, families, local officials,
<br />and businesses across the state talking
<br />about ways to prevent and reduce litter.
<br />In 1999, kids created more than 12,000
<br />posters.
<br />Start With Schools
<br />The poster contest has proven to be the
<br />most effective and widespread means of
<br />reaching students. Schools receive letters,
<br />entry flyers, posters, and calendars that
<br />feature the previous year's winners.
<br />Classes that participate discuss the prob-
<br />lem of litter in depth, then create posters.
<br />Even classes who do not participate see
<br />the posters displayed on school walls and
<br />in local business windows.
<br />Choosing the Winners
<br />The Trash Poster Contest is the largest
<br />poster contest in the state of Oklahoma.
<br />Each county judges posters and awards
<br />local prizes and a certificate from the
<br />contest committee. In March, county
<br />winners are judged, and first -, second -,
<br />and third -place winners are awarded in
<br />each of four grade -level categories,
<br />totaling 12 statewide winners. The first -
<br />place winner in each division receives
<br />$250; second place receives $150; third
<br />receives $100. All 12 state winners
<br />receive a T-shirt with their poster print-
<br />ed on it, and are honored at an awards
<br />luncheon in April at the Ohio Depart-
<br />ment of Transportation (ODOT), Okla-
<br />homa City. The winners also are pre-
<br />sented to the State Legislature at the
<br />State Capitol.
<br />The winning posters receive high visi-
<br />bility on Oklahoma Educational Tele-
<br />vision Authority, in Outdoor Oklahoma
<br />Many organizations sponsor poster
<br />contests, but -- imagine!— Oklahoma's
<br />Department of Transportation received
<br />12,000 entries in 1999. An incentive for
<br />teachers doubled participation.
<br />magazine, business newsletters, news-
<br />papers, and on grocery bags. Four -color
<br />posters are distributed to schools
<br />businesses, and financial sponsors
<br />give $100 or more are credited on the
<br />poster. Calendars with the 12 winning
<br />posters are printed, and 34,000 copies
<br />are distributed statewide.
<br />Partnerships Cross Boundaries
<br />Partnerships help make the contest a
<br />success. The Oklahoma Department of
<br />Transportation (ODOT), Department of
<br />Environmental Quality, Department of
<br />Education, Keep Oklahoma Beautiful
<br />Inc., and the Cherokee Nation are in-
<br />volved in decision- making, and each
<br />contributes to mailing, printing costs,
<br />and publicity.
<br />Department of Environmental Quality
<br />environmental specialists coordinate
<br />the contest at the county level. Keep
<br />Oklahoma Beautiful Inc. promotes the
<br />contest through their 5,000 - circulation
<br />newsletter and network of communi-
<br />ties throughout the state. The Chero-
<br />kees, whose participation was initiated
<br />by past chief Wilma Mankiller, provide
<br />substantial funding and support of .
<br />program within their tribe.
<br />Financial donors include the Okla-
<br />homa Employees Credit Union, the Sierra
<br />Club, the Rural Water Association, sev-
<br />eral solid -waste related organizations,
<br />the State Parks and Resorts, and the
<br />state Department of Corrections. Many
<br />Adopt -a- Highway groups provide local
<br />sponsorship. Financial donors provide
<br />funds for the awards and luncheon.
<br />The Impact
<br />Building awareness about litter pre-
<br />vention is important to Oklahoma.
<br />ODOT spends $4 million each year
<br />picking up litter. While there are many
<br />poster contests, ours has a very high
<br />participation level at low cost.
<br />In 1999, teachers who led classes in
<br />the project were offered two nights
<br />free in a state park The incentive
<br />doubled participation in classrooms,
<br />demonstrating how important it is to
<br />entice teachers to work on these
<br />projects. •
<br />Joanne Orr, Oklahoma Department
<br />of Transportation, Oklahoma City,
<br />OK. Tel. 405/521 -4037
<br />e -mail: JOrr@odot.org
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