The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality announced on Apr. 17 the winners of its annual Take Care of Texas Kids Art Contest, which drew more than 2,500 entries from students in kindergarten through fifth grade across the state.
The contest encourages young Texans to create artwork that highlights ways to conserve water or keep it clean. The initiative is part of a broader effort to raise awareness about environmental protection and conservation among youth in Texas.
Three students were selected as first-place winners: Ivy Seelbach, a kindergartener at Spring Valley Methodist in Dallas; Phaedra Casto, a third grader at Freedom Elementary in Fort Worth; and Aayush Nirmal, a fifth grader at Carroll Elementary in Frisco. Each will receive a new laptop for their winning drawings. Runners-up Rolando Garavito (IDEA Pharr Academy), Sophia Gonzales (IDEA Pharr Academy), and Yueran Lang (Baldwin Elementary) will each be awarded an iPad. Andrea Day, an elementary teacher from Corpus Christi, was randomly chosen as this year’s winning teacher and will receive either an iPad or a gift card of equal value.
The artwork by these six students can be viewed on the Take Care of Texas website. Prizes for both students and teachers are provided by the contest sponsor, the Texas Chemistry Council. All first-place student winners will also be recognized at the upcoming Texas Environmental Excellence Awards banquet scheduled for June in Austin.
Take Care of Texas is described as a statewide campaign from TCEQ that offers information about environmental successes and encourages residents to help keep air and water clean while conserving resources and reducing waste. The agency advances public health and environmental quality through regulatory efforts that promote community well-being and resource conservation according to its official website. It maintains headquarters in Austin with 16 regional offices throughout the state according to its official website.
TCEQ employs about 2,800 staff members according to its official website under the direction of three commissioners appointed by the governor according to its official website. The agency oversees programs related to air quality, water protection, waste management, permitting processes since its formation in 1993 according to its official website, serving communities throughout all regions of Texas.
