Tag Archive for: Student Poster Contest

L to R (back row): Burbank Conservation Program Specialist Amy Tremmel, Metropolitan board Vice Chair Michael Camacho, Chair Ortega, Director Stephen Faessel, Director Desi Alvarez, Cucamonga Valley Water District President Randall James Reed and Metropolitan mascot Admiral Splash, with attending student artists. Photo: Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Student poster winners

San Diego County Student Artwork Featured in 2025 Calendar

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Four San Diego County student artists from four member water agencies are among the 37 Southern California students whose artwork will appear in the 2025 Metropolitan Water District’s 36th annual “Water Is Life” Student Art Calendar.

The creative artwork of 37 kindergarten through 12th-grade students, including the students from San Diego County, was recognized for being selected at the district’s downtown Los Angeles headquarters in December.

The 2025 calendar features art from 37 students in Southern California, including four from San Diego County. Photo: Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

The 2025 calendar features art from 37 students in Southern California, including four from San Diego County. Photo: Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

During the first in-person calendar celebration in five years following virtual recognition ceremonies, the artists, their families, and local educators heard from Metropolitan Chair Adan Ortega, board director Brenda Dennstedt, and other student artists featured in the calendar.

Students also met five water mascots and took photos with them.

MWD board chairman Adán Ortega, Jr. thanked the students, their family and friends, and the many educators who support the annual contest.

San Diego student art featured in July and August 2025

Charlotte Chatham's winning artwork is featured on the July 2025 page in the calendar. 2025 calendar

Charlotte Chatham’s winning artwork is featured on the July 2025 page in the calendar.

Charlotte Chatham, a talented eighth-grade student at La Mesa Arts Academy, represents the Helix Water District in the 2025 calendar for July 2025. Her teacher is Alison Lindsay.

Three additional winners are featured on the August 2025 page.

Kenziee Bowen, Ava Fabunan, and Tristan Ong are featured in August 2025.

Kenziee Bowen, Ava Fabunan, and Tristan Ong are featured in August 2025.

Kenziee Bowen, a fourth-grade student at Carlton Oaks Elementary in Santee, represents the Padre Dam Municipal Water District. Her teacher is Amile Sicat.

Ava Fabunan, a sixth-grader at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School in Chula Vista, is the Otay Water District’s winner. Her teacher is Christina Stencil-Dare.

Ava’s creative piece highlights ways to use water wisely at home. She explains, “I thought that by making a character talking about how to conserve water, it would really inspire kids of all ages.”

Ava Fabunan's original artwork is on display with the other winners at the Metropolitan Water District in Los Angeles. Photo: Otay Water District

Ava Fabunan’s original artwork is on display with the other winners at the Metropolitan Water District in Los Angeles. Photo: Otay Water District

Calendars are available to Otay customers at its offices at 2554 Sweetwater Springs Boulevard in Spring Valley.

Tristan Ong, a fourth-grade student at Allen Elementary School in Bonita, represents the Sweetwater Authority. His teacher is Ellen Sinong.

 Conservation message delivered through creative talent

Winners were recognized at a celebration in December. Photo: Otay Water District

Winners were recognized at a celebration in December. Photo: Otay Water District

The “Water is Life” Student Art Calendar was created 36 years ago. It selects student art submitted from grades K through 12 to help convey vitally important water conservation messages. Member agencies submit artwork for consideration among the winners of their local competitions.

Artwork from the student winners will remain on display at Metropolitan’s downtown Los Angeles headquarters in January. The traveling artwork will visit member agencies throughout the year. The annual calendar is distributed to 13,000 recipients each year.

Six Student Artists Win 2023 Otay Poster Contest

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Six students from schools in the Otay Water District are the winners of the annual Student Poster Contest. More than 53 students submitted entries from schools in Chula Vista, El Cajon, and Spring Valley. The poster art depicts the value of water and using water wisely.

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Otay Water District Calls On Student Artists for Contest Entries

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The Otay Water District calls on student artists in its service area to unleash their creativity in its annual Student Poster Contest. All students in district schools from kindergarten to 12th grade are invited to illustrate a new theme for the 2023 contest – “Being water wise is …”

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Two student artists representing the Otay Water District are among the 37 Southern California students whose artwork will appear in the 2023 “Water Is Life” Student Art Calendar. Photo: MWD student artwork

Otay Water District Calls On Student Artists for Contest Entries

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The Otay Water District calls on student artists in its service area to unleash their creativity in its annual Student Poster Contest. All students in district schools from kindergarten to 12th grade are invited to illustrate a new theme for the 2023 contest – “Being water wise is …”

Otay Water District’s annual educational program encourages students to create a poster demonstrating their water awareness. Water conservation or stewardship should be reflected in the artwork.

First place in 2022 in the high school category: Michael Armenion, eleventh grade, Otay Ranch High School. Photo: Otay Water District Otay Poster Contest

First place in 2022 in the high school category: Michael Armenion, eleventh grade, Otay Ranch High School. Photo: Otay Water District

Suggested examples include turning off the water while brushing your teeth, taking short showers, protecting water from pollution, or collecting rainwater in buckets and reusing it to water plants.

“This year’s theme ‘Being water wise is…’ invites students to share the many ways they can use water efficiently inside and outside their homes or schools,” said Eileen Salmeron, communications assistant and poster contest coordinator for the Otay Water District.

“Because our region and the state have faced many droughts, it is vital that younger generations start making water efficiency their way of life.”

Prizes Awarded In Three Categories

The contest features three categories: elementary, middle, and high school. First- and second-place winners from each category will win a $50-$75 gift card, certificate, art kit, and goodie bag. The District will also feature the winners in promotional materials and hold a recognition event at a monthly board meeting later this summer.

Selected posters will also be entered in a second contest held by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. MWD will select artwork to feature in its 2024 student art calendar.

First place, middle school: Khilee Haull, seventh grade, Hillsdale Middle School. Otay poster contest

First place, middle school: Khilee Haull, seventh grade, Hillsdale Middle School. Photo: Otay Water District

Two students from the Otay Water District have their artwork featured in the 2023 MWD calendar. Seventh grader Khilee Haull at Hillsdale Middle School won first place in the 2022 Otay Water District contest.

Second place, elementary school: Christian-Kealoha Rogacion, fifth grade, Thurgood Marshall Elementary School. Photo: Otay Water District

Second place, elementary school: Christian-Kealoha Rogacion, fifth grade, Thurgood Marshall Elementary School. Photo: Otay Water District

Fifth grader Christian-Kealoha Rogacion at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School won second place in the 2022 Otay WD elementary school category.

The deadline to enter Otay’s contest is Friday, June 2, 2023. Hard-copy or digital entries are eligible.

Participants must attend a school within the water district’s service area and follow the contest guidelines at otaywater.gov/poster-contest.

Winning students in the 2023 Helix Poster Contest were honored at the May Board of Directors meeting. Photo: Helix Water District student

Helix Water District Student Poster Contest Winners Highlight What “Being Water Wise Is”

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Ten talented student artists were honored for their winning work in the annual student poster contest at the May 17 Helix Water District board meeting. The students created their winning posters to visually depict the theme “Being Water Wise Is.”

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California holds the regional poster contest to increase student awareness about water. Kindergarten through eighth-grade students in local district schools are eligible to compete. This year, 453 students from 24 schools within the Helix Water District Service area submitted posters depicting how to use water wisely.

These students took top honors

Grades K – 4

First Place – Evelyn Racine, Christ Lutheran School, Grade 3 Helix Water District student

First Place – Evelyn Racine, Christ Lutheran School, Grade 3

Second Place – Awra Boubetana, La Mesa Arts Academy, Grade 4

Second Place – Awra Boubetana, La Mesa Arts Academy, Grade 4

Third Place – Katharina Theuer, Christ Lutheran School, Grade 3 Helix Water District student

Third Place – Katharina Theuer, Christ Lutheran School, Grade 3

Honorable Mention – Aletheia Moffit, Julian Charter School Manzanita, Grade 1 Helix Water District student

Honorable Mention – Aletheia Moffit, Julian Charter School Manzanita, Grade 1

Honorable Mention – Ava Bleiweiss, Fuerte Elementary, Grade 1

Honorable Mention – Ava Bleiweiss, Fuerte Elementary, Grade 1

Grades 5 – 8

First Place – Catalina Raquel Jones, La Mesa Arts Academy, Grade 7 Helix Water District student

First Place – Catalina Raquel Jones, La Mesa Arts Academy, Grade 7

Second Place – Heaton Grey Hadidian, Christ Lutheran School, Grade 8

Second Place – Heaton Grey Hadidian, Christ Lutheran School, Grade 8

 

Third Place – Audrey Robinson, La Mesa Arts Academy, Grade 7

Third Place – Audrey Robinson, La Mesa Arts Academy, Grade 7

Honorable Mention – Valerie Silva, Mount Vernon Elementary, Grade 5

Honorable Mention – Valerie Silva, Mount Vernon Elementary, Grade 5

Honorable Mention – Cameryn Kovar, Saint Martin of Tours Academy, Grade 7

Honorable Mention – Cameryn Kovar, Saint Martin of Tours Academy, Grade 7

Helix Water District student artists featured in regional calendars

All winning posters will be forwarded to the Metropolitan Water District to be considered for inclusion in its 2024 “Being Water Wise Is” calendar.

First-place winner Catalina Jones in the Grades 5 – 8 category also won as a sixth grader in 2022, and her poster was included in the Metropolitan Water District 2023 regional calendar.

Helix Water District students were also selected for inclusion in the 2022 calendar, and in the 2021 calendar, in competition with all other regional winners.

This year’s winning posters are displayed on the Helix Water District website and Facebook page.

(Editor’s note: The Helix Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego County region.) 

Otay Water District Logo

Otay Water District Announces New Theme for Annual Student Poster Contest

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Spring Valley, Calif. – Students in kindergarten through 12th grade are invited to unleash their creativity in the Otay Water District’s annual Student Poster Contest. This year’s theme is “being water wise is…”

Otay’s annual educational program encourages students to create a poster demonstrating their water awareness. Water conservation or stewardship should be reflected in the artwork. Some examples include turning off the water while brushing your teeth, taking short showers, protecting water from pollution, or collecting rainwater in buckets and reusing it to water plants.

“This year’s theme ‘being water wise is…’ invites students to share the many ways they can use water efficiently inside and outside their homes or schools,” said Eileen Salmeron, communications assistant and poster contest coordinator for the Otay Water District. “Because our region and the state has faced many droughts, it is vital that younger generations start making water efficiency their way of life.”

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Vista Irrigation District scholarship winners (left to right): Monica Lozada, Naia Riggenbach, Sarai Rojas, Samantha Harris, Colin Gastauer. (Not pictured: Riley Robbins) Photo: Vista Irrigation District. 2024 scholarship

Six Students Awarded Scholarships by Vista Irrigation District

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Vista Irrigation District has awarded college scholarships to six high school seniors and selected three fourth-grade students as winners of two separate district‑sponsored contests.

The annual contest is open to high school seniors living or attending school within the Vista Irrigation District service area. The content is intended to increase the knowledge and awareness of water-related issues affecting the region. The district received twelve applications this year.

Scholarships for students

Naia Riggenbach from Pacific Ridge High School and Riley Robbins from Rancho Buena Vista High School each received $2,000 scholarships as winners of the Vista Irrigation District 2023 scholarship contest. Monica Lozada from San Marcos High School and Colin Gastauer, Sarai Rojas and Samantha Harris all from Vista High School received $1,500 scholarships as runners-up in the District scholarship contest.

Fourth graders promote water conservation through art

First place poster winner by student Belinda Chacon. Photo: Vista Irrigation District

First place poster winner by student Belinda Chacon. Photo: Vista Irrigation District

Grapevine Elementary School fourth-grade student Belinda Chacon received first place in the Vista Irrigation District’s 2023 Water Awareness Poster Contest.  She received a $100 award.

Second place poster winner by student Olivia Rye. Photo: Vista Irrigation District

Second place poster winner by student Olivia Rye. Photo: Vista Irrigation District

Olivia Rye from St. Francis School received a second-place award of $50.

Third place poster winner by student Caroline Noesgaard. Photo: Vista Irrigation District

Third place poster winner by student Caroline Noesgaard. Photo: Vista Irrigation District

Caroline Noesgaard from Casita Center placed third and received a $25 award.

The poster contest is open to all fourth-grade students at schools within the Vista Irrigation District service area. The contest’s goal is to promote an understanding of water issues.

This year’s theme was “Love Water, Save Water.”  The three winning posters were selected from 189 entries based upon their depiction of the theme, artwork, originality, and poster design. The winning posters will appear in the 2024 Water Awareness Calendar, which will be available free at the district’s office starting in November 2023.

(Editor’s note: The Vista Irrigation District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego County region.) 

Otay Poster Contest Winners Demonstrate the Value of Water Conservation

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Five students from Chula Vista and El Cajon schools have been selected from 123 submissions as the winners of Otay Water District’s 2022 Water is Life Student Poster Contest.

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Sweetwater Authority Logo 2019Sweetwater Authority Logo 2019

Elementary School Poster Contest Winners Illustrate The Importance of Water

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Chula Vista, Calif. – Last week, twenty local elementary school students were named winners of the Sweetwater Authority (Authority) “Water is Life” Poster Contest. The yearly contest gives K-6 students the chance to demonstrate how water is a precious and essential resource. By creating water-related art, students enhance their understanding of the importance of water.

Over one hundred students from four schools within the Authority’s service area submitted posters for this year’s contest. Of the twenty selected winners, six students will have their artwork submitted to the Metropolitan Water District’s regional contest for the chance to be featured in the agency’s 2023 art calendar.

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Eastlake Middle School-Water is Life Student Poster Contest-Otay Water District

Young Artists Win Otay WD “Water is Life” Student Poster Contest

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Five young artists from Chula Vista area schools are the winners of Otay Water District’s 2021 “Water is Life” Student Poster Contest for illustrating the value of using water wisely.

Otay’s educational program invites students to create artwork depicting the importance of water conservation and stewardship. The students are encouraged to illustrate the theme “Water is Life,” with the message focused on using water efficiently at home, school, business, and the community, and for environmental, agricultural, and recreational purposes.

The District selected winners in four categories: kindergarten to third grade, fourth to sixth grade, and middle school. The District recognized the five winners at its August Board of Directors virtual meeting. Students received prizes include a gift card, certificate, art kit, and goody bag.

“We are honored to have a talented group of students use their creative skills and knowledge to teach others the importance of being water smart,” said Eileen Salmeron, Otay communications assistant, and contest coordinator. “As California faces a drought, it is vital that our young generation knows the value of using our natural resources efficiently as possible.”

Otay Water District winning posters for 2021 include:

Middle School Winner

Isabella Blakely, eighth grade, Eastlake Middle School Young artists win Otay

First place: Isabella Blakely, eighth grade, Eastlake Middle School

Fourth – Sixth Grade Elementary School Winners

First place: Kristen Beltran, fifth grade, Thurgood Marshall Elementary School Young atists win Otay

First place: Kristen Beltran, fifth grade, Thurgood Marshall Elementary School

Second place: Ava Hilinski, fifth grade, Thurgood Marshall Elementary School young artists win Otay

Second place: Ava Hilinski, fifth grade, Thurgood Marshall Elementary School

Kindergarten – Third Grade Elementary School Winners

First place: Pablo Flores, first grade, Wolf Canyon Elementary Young artists win Otay

First place: Pablo Flores, first grade, Wolf Canyon Elementary

Second place: Elsa Mendoza, first grade, Thurgood Marshall Elementary school

Second place: Elsa Mendoza, first grade, Thurgood Marshall Elementary school

The five winning posters will now enter the regional competition in the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California annual student poster contest. Winning posters from entrants among various participating Southern California water agencies will be featured in MWD’s 2022 “Water is Life” calendar.

2021 Calendar-Lucia Perez Valles' winning entry appears on the July 2021 page. Photo: MWD 2021 calendar

Lucia Perez Valles’ winning entry appears on the July 2021 calendar page. Photo: MWD

Otay Water District students could keep a winning streak going. Sisters Lucia Perez Valles and Sofia Perez Valles both had winning artwork selected for the MWD 2021 calendar. The Valles sisters attended Olympian High School. Lucia is a sophomore, and Sonia is a senior. Lucia’s art appears on the July page, and Sonia’s appears in November.

2021 Calendar-Sofia Perez Valles' winning entry appears on the November 2021 page. Photo: MWD

Sofia Perez Valles’ winning entry appears on the November 2021 calendar page. Photo: Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California will announce the winners later this year.

To learn more about the Otay Water District’s poster contest and find additional educational programs, go to: https://bit.ly/3jTwtHg

(Editor’s note: The Otay Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)