Involving our youth in garden clubs is easy to do if you sponsor one of the youth contests below. Information about each contest is found on the NGC website at Youth and Scholarships | National Garden Clubs
- Pollinator Poster Contest, K-6th grade. If you need a youth activity for an event, this is a good one to do. You just need a regular-sized paper and crayons or colored pencils. Remember, only one type of pollinator — no bees and butterflies.
- Junior Essay Contest, 1-5th grades. Titled “Celebrating America’s Birthday in the Garden.”
- Smokey Bear/Woodsy Owl Poster Contest, 1-5th grades. These entries must be sponsored by a garden club. Smokey Bear says: “Only you can prevent wildfires!” ”Woodsy Owl says: “Lend a hand—care for the land!” Deadline is January 20, 2026.
- Sculpture Contest, 4-8th grades, just send 2 pictures, not the full structure. Have fun emptying the recycle bin and see what you can build.
- Youth Poetry Contest, K-12th grades. Theme: “Plant America Red, White and Blue to celebrate America’s 250th Birthday.”
A White-lined Sphinx moth feeds on flowers and pollinates them.
Did you know bats are pollinators of night-blooming flowers?
