Pacific Region Garden Clubs has a new youth contest that your club can sponsor. The Youth Pollinator Poster Contest is chaired by Terry Critchlow and is another way garden clubs can connect with our youth and their parents. Hopefully, some of those parents will want to join your club!
There is plenty of time to form a committee to sponsor this contest since the deadline to submit your first-place pollinator poster is March 1, 2026.
Who can participate in the contest? Grades K-6 can participate.
What size is the poster? Only 8×11 posters are accepted. The first-place winning poster is sent to Terry Critchlow for entry in the Pacific Region’s contest.
What kind of poster? The poster should highlight one species of the many pollinators we have in our gardens. Creativity, originality, design, and quality of artwork are considered when judging the posters.
What art materials can be used? Crayons, poster paint, watercolors, pencils, markers, etc. The color and type of paper for the poster are open to the artist’s choice.
What needs to be on each poster? On the top right-hand corner of the back of the poster, in a 3×4 space, the artist writes: their name, grade, the garden club’s name, and state. Use a pencil so this information doesn’t show on the front side of the poster.
What is not allowed? No 3D, computer-scanned, or electronically generated posters. Posters must be flat. Only original posters are accepted for the competition.
When should judging at the club level be held? Judging must occur early enough for your first-place poster to reach Terry Critchlow by March 1.
What are the awards? Certificates of Appreciation should be presented to all children participating. A printable certificate form is available on the PRGC website for participants to copy and complete. Each club can decide what to present to their first-place winner, as well as second and third-place winners. Link to printable certificate: Click Here!
What to send in? Mail the first-place poster to Terry. The poster should be copied, and the copy given to the child because their original poster may not be returned.
Why sponsor this contest? Helping children think about how important pollinators are to our environment and offering them an opportunity to express their thoughts about one pollinator through artwork is a good thing.
Note: Chinden Gardeners Club in Garden City, Idaho, made a great video about our buzzy bees and the pollinator garden the club created. It might be useful to show the video at a club meeting to generate interest before discussing the poster contest. The link is: Buzzworthy Tips; Building the Ultimate Pollinator Habitat on Vimeo
Karen Bowen
AFGC Blog Manager
Photo 1 Pollinator Partnership
Photo 2 PRGC – Pollinator poster
