The 2021 Poster Contest theme is “Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities”.
The annual AISWCD Poster Contest, part of the larger national competition hosted by the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), provides students from kindergarten through 12th grade the chance to have their art displayed as part of a national conservation outreach initiative.
Each year, the winning posters reflect NACD’s annual Stewardship theme and highlight the work of conservation districts and their state conservation associations, auxiliaries and agencies to protect and enhance natural resources. The contest starts at the district level; winners advance to the state level, and then to the national level, where they receive recognition at NACD’s annual meeting.
The poster contest is open to public, private and home-schooled students. The top three posters in each category of the national contest will receive monetary prizes. First-place winners will receive $200; second place winners will receive $150 and third place winners will receive $100. The NACD Auxiliary – through their quilt project proceeds, the Country Store at the NACD Annual Meeting and individual donors – sponsor prizes at the national level.
Entry Instructions:
- All posters must be received electronically as a JPEG file. Only electronic submissions are accepted and should capture the original poster without editing, and images should be clear (not blurry), well-lit and well-framed.
- Name the JPEG file for each poster submitted electronically in the following format: State_GradeLevel_LastName of the winner.
- Complete this local-to-state entry form and the state-to-national form entry form.
- Send the files with the appropriate forms to info@aiswcd.org with the subject matter “2021 Poster Contest” by May 15th.
Photo Contest
The annual AISWCD Photo Contest, part of the larger national competition hosted by the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), is open to all amateur photographers who reside in the U.S. or its territories. Contestants can enter as many as five photos each year that each fit into one of the following four categories:
- Conservation Practices
- Close-up Conservation
- Conservation in Action
- Agriculture and Conservation Across America
Photos are judged on technical merit and composition. On technical merit, photos will be judged on whether they are well-framed, properly exposed, and sharp/clear. On composition, the photos will be judged on imagination and creativity. One winner will be selected for each category and age division (adults are 19 and older).
Minor digital enhancements for cropping, red-eye removal, filters and corrective functions are permitted; however, an image judged to be significantly altered may be disqualified. Contestants are not permitted to place borders, frames or backgrounds around their images or to place watermarks, dates, signatures or copyright images onto photos. Previously published photos are ineligible.
All entries become the property of AISWCD and or NACD. As such, AISWCD and NACD reserves the non-exclusive right to use submissions in official publications and for promotional purposes. The photographer retains rights and use to their photo.
Each first-place winner at the national level will receive a $100 cash prize. Second place winners will receive $50. The NACD Auxiliary – through their quilt project proceeds, the Country Store at the NACD Annual Meeting and individual donors – sponsor prizes at the national level. Honorable mention award winners will also be selected for each category but will not receive a monetary award.
All entries must be received by May 15th for consideration at the AISWCD state level competition.
Entry Instructions:
- Complete and submit this entry form and photo release for each photo you would like to enter into the contest, along with the photos you are submitting, by email to info@aiswcd.org. Photos must be in a JPEG or TIFF file format. If you are submitting a photo in which a subject or model’s face is recognizable, you must also complete and attach this subject and model release form with your photo/s.
- All emailed photo files must be named by category, age division, last name, state and photo number. If you are submitting only one photo in a category, your photo number is “1.” Additional photos in the same category should be numbered consecutively. Name the photo file for each entry as follows:
Conservation Practices
- Adult: CP-A- LastName_FirstInitial-State-#
- Youth: CP-Y- LastName_FirstInitial-State-#
Conservation in Action
- Adult: CIA-A- LastName_FirstInitial-State-#
- Youth: CIA-Y- LastName_FirstInitial-State-#
Close Up Conservation
- Adult: CUC-A- LastName_FirstInitial-State-#
- Youth: CUC-Y- LastName_FirstInitial-State-#
Ag/Conservation Across America
- Adult: ACAA-A- LastName_FirstInitial-State-#
- Youth: ACAA-Y- LastName_FirstInitial-State-#
For example, John Smith, a 16-year-old from Springfield, wishes to submit three photos, one in the “Close Up Conservation” category and two in “Conservation in Action”. His file names would read as follows:
- CUC-Y-Smith-J-TX-1
- CIA-Y-Smith-J-TX-1
- CIA-Y-Smith-J-TX-2
