Submission Window: October 1 - October 30, 2026
The 2nd Annual Art For Earth Contest (October 2026)
Exploring the Big Question: What kind of future are we creating between people, land, and water?
Communities around the world are rethinking sustainability, climate resilience, environmental justice, and the relationship between human systems and nature. The annual 'Art For Earth' Contest invites regional youth to use their creative voices to imagine bold futures shaped by restoration, innovation, activism, equity, healing, and hope.
The Cultural Stage for Public Engagement
An 'Art For Earth' Initiative
Open to Regional CT Youth (K–12) | Submissions Open October 2026
While our classroom workshops build deep foundational literacy within school walls, the annual 'Art For Earth' Contest serves as our megaphone to the wider community. This initiative is engineered to solve a completely different crisis: climate apathy and the lack of public dialogue surrounding regional resilience.
This annual contest operates on a fundamental truth of community mobilization: science and data inform us, yet culture and emotion move us to act.
The Cultural Stage: October 2026
Launching in October 2026, our 2nd regional competition invites youth from across Southcoast Connecticut to independently interpret environmental resilience through their own creative lenses and express their climate fears, hopes, and solutions through any creative medium they choose.
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The Focus: The collective community. By stripping away dense academic jargon, the contest brings the climate conversation directly into the public square where families, local business owners, and municipal leaders gather.
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The Climax: The competition culminates in a high-profile, public-facing exhibition and festival. Bringing youth perspectives out of school buildings and into the public eye makes vital environmental topics visible, celebrated, and accessible to a mass audience.
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The Strategic Value: This public stage generates immediate community momentum, regional media coverage, and widespread civic awareness that a traditional classroom lesson cannot achieve on its own.
Contest Theme & Prompt
The Big Question: "What kind of future are we creating between people, land, and water?"
We invite youth artists and writers across Connecticut to explore the connections binding our neighborhoods to the land and water around us.
Core Exploration Areas:
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Restoration & Healing: What does a thriving, renewed coastline or watershed look like?
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Science & Innovation: How can human ingenuity work in harmony with nature?
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Equity & Activism: How do we protect both our local environment and our neighbors?
Bilingual Learning Guides (English / Español)
To help educators, parents, and students dive in, 4CCF provides downloadable bilingual activity guides featuring local watershed insights and guided reflection worksheets.
Our Vision
Calling All Young Artists
Our second Environmental Art Contest is coming! The overall quality of submissions for the "Art For Earth" contest last year were truly encouraging, and the thoughtful work proved that the future of environmental stewardship is bright. As we knew, the student artists were awesome—their creativity and dedication to the contest theme truly stood out!
Contest Details
Important Dates
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Call for Entries: Fall 2026
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Submission Period: October 1-30, 2026
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Winners Announced: November 15, 2026
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Award Ceremony Dinner: December 2026
Prizes & Recognition
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1st, 2nd, and Honorable Mention Prizes per Age Group
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Gift Cards (for Art Supplies or Eco Store)
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Eco-Champion Art Award Certificate & Online Gallery Feature
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Featured on the 4CCF website, social media, and in print
Judging Criteria
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Creativity & Originality
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Connection to Theme
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Visual Impact
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Craftsmanship
Why Students Should Participate
The “Art For Earth” Contest is a powerful way to engage students in real-world environmental issues. The Contest encourages a student-driven approach that fosters creativity, mindful collaboration, and critical thinking.
As students navigate the artistic process, they’ll develop a deeper understanding of the environment and discover how their voices can make a real difference. This project offers a seamless way to integrate art, science, and social responsibility into your classroom. It aligns with key educational standards, including Visual Arts, Next Generation Environmental Science, and Common Core. Students engage in a collaborative, research-based project that buildsadvocacy skills and promotes experiential STEAM learning. The goal is to give students a chance to start important conversations and connect with their community and nature. "Art For Earth" is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate imagination while promoting conservation efforts and showing kids that their voices — and their creativity —can make a real difference… Becoming advocates for a healthier world.
“Art For Earth” Themes by Age Level
Students can enter individual artwork or collaborate with up to five classmates.
To make the Contest more engaging, we’ve divided the themes by age level. Each theme sparks conversation and collaboration among young artists. Inspire others with your ideas!
5–8-Year-Olds: "Where the Land Meets the Water"
Theme Overview: Think about places where water and land come together—beaches, ponds, rivers, marshes, puddles after the rain, or tiny streams in the woods. What animals, plants, colors, sounds, and feelings do you notice there?
Create artwork showing how land and water help each other and why these places are special to protect. Have fun exploring nature through colors, textures, shapes, and imagination!
Focus On: Wonder, observation, belonging, emotional connection to nature.
9–11-Year-Olds: "The River Remembers!"
Theme Overview: Imagine if a river could tell stories. What has it seen over time? How do people, animals, weather, pollution, boats, storms, and communities affect the health of the water?
Use your art to explore the relationship between people and waterways and show how our choices can help rivers stay healthy and strong. Have fun exploring storytelling, history, community, and stewardship through your art!
Focus On: Empathy, responsibility, teamwork, awareness of community impact on nature.
12–15-Year-Olds: "Fragile Connections"
Theme Overview: Land and water are deeply connected. What happens when one changes? Explore themes like erosion, flooding, pollution, sea level rise, habitat loss, conservation, or resilience.
Your artwork can express both environmental challenges and hopeful solutions. Think about how communities can work together to care for fragile ecosystems. Have fun pushing your creativity to show cause, effect, balance, and hope!
Focus On: Reflection, resilience, collaboration, environmental identity.
16–19-Year-Olds: "Reimagining Our Relationship with the Earth"
Theme Overview: Dream Big—create art that highlights bold solutions for a sustainable future. How can communities create a healthier balance between human activity, land, and water?
Use art to imagine bold futures shaped by restoration, sustainability, equity, innovation, and environmental justice. Your work may explore climate resilience, cultural relationships to water, environmental activism, green design, or community healing. Challenge viewers to think differently about the future and inspire meaningful action.
Have fun using artistic expression to challenge perspectives and spark meaningful change!
Focus On: Visionary thinking, advocacy, innovation, environmental justice.
Adaptive Implementation Strategies
Use these flexible strategies to ensure all students can participate:
Scribe & Audio Method (Motor & Literacy Support): Pair students with an educator, peer, or speech-to-text tool to transcribe their verbal dictation directly onto their reflection card or artwork.
Word Rings & Keywords (Processing & ELL Support): Simplify prompts to 1–3 core anchor words (e.g., Restoration, Clean, Home) written along the borders or structural lines of the art.
Integrated Exhibition Display (Validating Voice): Mount reflection cards alongside displayed artwork to honor student intent and offer viewers immediate insight into their process.
"Art For Earth" Contest Guidelines
How to Enter
Create Your Artwork: Choose a theme for your age group and start creating!
Follow the Guidelines: Make sure your artwork follows the Contest guidelines for size and format (JPEG or PNG, max 10MB).
Submit Your Entry: Once your masterpiece is complete, submit it according to the Contest rules. Include your name, age, a brief description of your artwork, and a signed Parent/Guardian Consent Form.
Type of Art Media Allowed:
Traditional: Pencil, marker, crayon, watercolor, acrylic, charcoal, collage, ink, and photography.
Digital: Procreate, Adobe apps, or similar (must be original).
Please note: No AI-generated images, traced artwork, copyrighted characters/logos, or stock images.
Entering the “Art For Earth” Contest is easy!
Option 1: Digital (Preferred)
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Scan or photograph of finished artwork (JPEG or PNG, max 10MB)
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Video or scanned photos of the process – start to finish
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Email to: info@4cc-foundation.org
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Subject: "Art For Earth” Contest – [Participant or Team Name + Ages]"
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Include in email:
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Participant or Team Name, ages, organization, city/state
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Title of artwork & short connection to theme description
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Parent/guardian/teacher contact info
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Parental/Guardian Consent Form: For any minor participating in the Art Contest and/or featured in a photo or video, 4CCF must get a signed consent form from their parent or legal guardian.
DOWNLOAD PARENT/GUARDIAN CONSENT FORM HERE
Option 2: Mail of Hand Deliver (Originals only – returned on request)
4CCF Art Contest
16 Jerome Road
New London, CT 06320 401.524.1638
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Parental/Guardian Consent Form: For any minor participating in the Art Contest and/or featured in a photo or video, 4CCF must get a signed consent form from their parent or legal guardian.
How to Submit - Two Options
This statement is for schools, libraries, museums, and other organizations that submit artwork on behalf of a group of students. The institution should sign a waiver confirming they have successfully obtained consent from the parents/guardians of all participants in their group submission.
DOWNLOAD GROUP SUBMISSION WAIVER HERE
'Art For Earth' Group Submission Waiver and Consent
Photos, written ideas, and/or Video Journals of the Creative Process - Submitting four or five photos along with your writing prompts and/or a video journal of your creative process is an optional but an encouraged component of the Contest. It's an exciting way to share the journey behind your artwork, from initial ideas to the final touches.
What to Submit: A series of photos showing the different stages of creation or a short video (no more than 3 minutes) that documents your artistic process.
Optional Submissions
