Youth Education: Poster & Speaking Contest

Our Poster and Speaking Contests are one of the many programs that our Youth and Education committee coordinates to educate and inspire Wisconsin’s youth so they continue to care for our beautiful state.

The Youth Education Committee directs annual events, such as these contests, to help pass on Wisconsin's rich conservation history to future generations.

Conservation Awareness Poster Contest

The 2024 NACD Poster Contest theme was "May the Forest Be With You Always."

The Conservation Poster Contest is open to kindergarten through 12th-grade students and posters are evaluated on the following criteria:

• Conservation message
• Visual effectiveness
• Originality
• Universal appeal
• Individual artwork

Past Poster Contest themes have included:

• Healthy Soils are Full of Life
• Dig Deeper Mysteries in the Soil
• Soil to Spoon
• Conservation Habits=Healthy Habitats
• Water Is Life

Students compete at county and area competitions with the winning posters moving on to compete at the State Competition in March at the WI Land+Water’s Annual Conference. The first-place posters from the state competition will represent Wisconsin at the National Association of Conservation Districts' annual meeting.

Conservation Awareness Speaking Contest

The Conservation Speech Contest is open to Elementary Division- Grades 5-6, Junior Division- Grades 7-8, and Senior Division-Grades 9-12. The Conservation Speech Contest aims to promote the conservation of natural resources and the protection or enhancement of environmental quality.

Emphasis is placed on the subject as it relates to the locality or to Wisconsin. Students compete at county and area competitions, with the winners moving on to the State Competition in March at WI Land+Water’s Annual Conference. The first-place winners in each category share their speeches at the conference luncheon.