Smokey Bear/Woodsy Owl Poster Contest

Click here for the Smokey Bear 2008 Poster Contest Winners

Here is what YOU and YOUR students can do to help the environment:

We’re inviting 1st through 5th grade students to demonstrate through original drawings of Smokey Bear or Woodsy Owl their understanding of fire prevention and basic environmental conservation principles.

The Grand Prize National Poster Contest Winner will win a free round trip airfare and accommodations for four to Washington, DC. A $100 U.S. Savings Bond will also be awarded to the First Place National Winners from each grade level sponsored by the National Garden Clubs, Inc.

Poster Rules

All poster entrees must be sponsored by a local Garden Club.
Posters must feature Smokey Bear or Woodsy Owl and must not feature both together.
Smokey Bear posters must be based upon and include, Smokey’s fire prevention message (Only YOU Can Prevent Wildfires!). Woodsy Owl posters must be based upon and include, Woodsy’s conservation message: Lend a Hand – Care for the Land!
The entry posters should encourage children to take a personal role in preventing wildfires or conserving natural resources.
Each entry should be 11 x 17 inches in size.
Materials that can be used include: crayons, markers, poster paints, water colors, etc.
No three-dimensional posters, computer scanned, or electronically generated images will be accepted!
The artist’s name, address, home phone number, grade level, school, teacher’s name, city, and State must be printed on the back of the poster in the lower right corner. Each poster must also show the name of the sponsoring local Garden Club. (Do not use a dark marker for this information as it may show through.)
Posters are to be completed by individual student artists. Competition may include students from 1st to 5th grade.
The Local Garden Club Chair must submit the poster entries no later than January 19, 2009, to his or her State’s Chair.
The State Garden Club Chair must submit the five winning posters from his or her State to their Regional Garden Club Chair by February 16, 2009.

Poster Tips

A good poster has a bold and simple design.
Its message is delivered both in the picture and in the slogan.
Its message is easily understood.
Posters will be judged 20 percent each for originality, design, slogan, artwork, and overall effectiveness of the message.

Poster Rights

All entries will become property of the U.S. Forest Service. Posters will not be returned to contestants. The U.S. Forest Service and the National Garden Clubs, Inc., may use the poster artwork for national educational materials and outreach.

Click here to download the 2009 Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl Poster Contest Flyer.