2002
WREN Placemat Contest Update
PA CleanWays of
Lawrence County, in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Lawrence
County, and the Lawrence County Recycling/Solid Waste Department was
awarded a Water Resources Education Network (WREN) Grant through the
League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania Citizen Education Fund last year.
The $5,000 grant was used for a placemat contest.
The
project started with the cleanup of an illegal dumpsite that has the
potential to contaminate local drinking water sources. The Hawthorne
Road site was chosen for the cleanup footage because of the trash present
and the small stream that flows through the site into the Beaver River.
The Beaver River serves as a drinking water source for numerous communities.
The cleanup was filmed and a video was made.
The
main component of the program was a placemat contest open to young people
ages 8 - 18. Those interested in submitting entries had to watch the
short video, which is also available for use by local schools and various
youth organizations for other water and environmental protection programs.
The youth were then asked to make a drawing emphasizing drinking water
protection, based on what they learned from the video.
A
panel of judges is currently being established to review approximately
50 entries. The judges are being selected from the local arts community.
The overall winner will receive a $100 savings bond provided by the
sponsoring organizations. Winners in the other age categories, 8-9,
10-11, 12-14, and 15-18, will receive $50 bonds.
The
top drawing will be used on a restaurant placemat, along with information
about the effects of illegally dumping trash in our waterways, overall
water conservation efforts, and how to properly manage household hazardous
waste. Approximately 50,000 placemats will be printed and distributed
to restaurants in the county.
This page last updated:
February 7, 2004
