Champions of the Environment
Welcome to the Environmental Awareness Middle School Competition. This annual contest is open to South Carolina middle school-aged students - 6th, 7th and 8th graders in a public, private or home school setting.
- There are two divisions of competition - essay and poster.
- Cash awards will be given in each division –
1st place = $150 cash, 2nd place = $100 cash, 3rd place = $75 cash
- Winners will be recognized at the Champions of the Environment Year-end Celebration to be held at the South Carolina State Museum on
April 30, 2009.
- Everyone who prepares an entry will receive a certificate of participation.
- The theme for 2009 is: “What Being Green Means To Me.”
- Entries must be submitted to Champions of the Environment by a teacher, advisor or home school parent.
- New this year: Champions of the Environment can only accept 10 entries per educator, per division.
- Students: if there is not a teacher, advisor or other adult educator interested in submitting entries from your school, please contact the Champions’ coordinator to find out how to enter, (803) 898-4394 or lasallli@dhec.sc.gov.
Entries are due March 13, 2009
Mail entries to: Champions of the Environment
S.C. DHEC
2600 Bull Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Essay guidelines
- The topic for the essay is ”What Being Green Means To Me.”
- The essay length is 500 – 750 words. Essays not meeting these limits will be disqualified.
- Essays must be typed (double-spaced) or neatly hand written. Handwritten essays must be in ink and double-spaced on lined white paper, one side only.
- The essay must be the work of the student who enters it.
- Please, no names on the front of the essay. Names should be printed in ballpoint ink on the back of the last page of the essay.
- Entries become the property of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and will not be returned.
- One essay entry per student.
- Essays will be judged on content (as it relates to the theme), originality, writing skill (to include spelling, grammar and punctuation), and adherence to guidelines.
Poster guidelines
- The poster theme is: ”What Being Green Means To Me.”
- Posters must be at least 14” x 22 “ and no larger than 22” x 28”. No foam core, please.
- The poster must be the work of the student who enters it.
- Please, no names on the front of the poster. Names should be printed in pencil on the back.
- Entries become the property of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and will not be returned.
- One poster entry per student
- Posters will be judged on content (as it relates to the theme) – including spelling, creativity and originality, artistic quality, and adherence to guidelines.
General considerations
- Make sure students know the theme and are aware of the guidelines regarding the length of essay or poster size restrictions. Entries that do not follow the guidelines will not be judged.
- Make sure to allow time for choosing class finalists before entries are due to Champions of the Environment.
- An information sheet must accompany each entry sent to Champions for judging. This sheet must include the entrant’s name, grade level, mailing address, teacher name and school name.
- Teacher’s are encouraged to inform Champions of the Environment of the total number of students who participated from their class.
- A panel of SC DHEC staff will judge entries in each division using the criteria listed in the division guidelines.
- Entries need to be received by 5 PM March 13, 2009.
- Champions of the Environment is not responsible for late or misdirected mail.
- Winners will be notified by April 11 and invited to attend Champions of the Environment’s Year-end Celebration and luncheon at the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia on April 30, 2009 to receive their award.
Checklist for submitting entries
- Educators submitting entries have included a contact sheet with their name, an email address, school name, school phone, school mailing address, the number of entries submitted to Champions and the total number of entries prepared by their students.
- No more than 10 entries per educator per division.
- Entries meet the guidelines for the division being entered.
- Each entry has been labeled on the back.
- A student information sheet accompanies each entry. (Entrant’s name, grade level, mailing address, teacher name and school name.)
- Entries mailed in time to be received in Columbia by 5 PM March 13, 2009.
Bureau of Water . Phone: (803) 898-4300 . Fax: (803) 898-4215 . Contact Us