About the Annual Earth Day Poster and Writing Contest

2025 EARTH DAY POSTER & WRITING CONTEST

Calling all Hayward students! In celebration of Earth Day and its environmental principles, you are invited to submit entries to the 42nd Annual Earth Day Poster and Writing Contest. Entries may focus on one or more of the following topics:

  • Water Conservation
  • Energy Conservation
  • Renewable Energy
  • Biking, Walking, and Carpooling
  • Recycling and Composting
  • Sustainable Meals
  • Litter-Free Environment
  • Environmental Justice*
*Environmental degradation and pollution impact all communities; however, low-income and communities of color experience those impacts at a higher rate. The environmental justice movement emerged as a political movement to fight abuses and discriminatory practices against historically impacted communities. The movement has generated hundreds of studies showing that exposure to environmental harm is inequitably distributed. Environmental justice provides an opportunitiy to identify and address problems that previous governmental actions haven't addressed, such as fair and equitable access to healthy food, affordable housing, and meaningful participation in actions and decisions made by governments.

Two winners for poster entries and two winners for poem/essay entries will be selected from each grade category. The grade categories are: K-1st Grade, 2nd-3rd Grade, 4th-5th Grade, 6th-8th Grade, and 9th-12th Grade. Entries will be judged on originality, clarity, and expression of theme.

First place winners will receive a $200 gift certificate. Second place winners will receive a $150 gift certificate. Additionally, all the winners will be entered in a drawing for two $200 gift certificates. One winner will be drawn from the poster winners and another winner will be drawn from the poem/essay winners.

Teachers of the winning students will also receive gift certificates. Teachers with a first place winner will receive a $100 gift certificate. Teachers with a second place winner will receive a $75 gift certificate.

All prizes were awarded at the April 16th City Council meeting. The submissions for the 2024 Poster and Writing Contest are now closed, and the winners have been announced. 

Submit your artwork and writting by Friday, March 14, at 5p.m.: 

Digital Entry Form (English) Digital Entry Form (Spanish)

Download Entry Form (English) Download Entry Form (Spanish)

Congratualtions to last year's winners!

2024 Poster & Writing Contest winners and teachers with Mayor Salinas.

The winners of the 2024 Poster & Writing Contest were honored at the April 16th City Council Meeting.

Watch a recording here View the winning entries here

  1. To qualify, all entries must follow these rules. No purchase is necessary to participate. Must be a Hayward resident, HUSD student, or student at a school within the City of Hayward to participate.
  2. All posters or poems/essays must be the sole work of the entrant.
  3. Each student may only submit up to one entry in the writing category and up to one entry in the poster category for their respective age group.
  4. Poems/essays must be typed or neatly handwritten and must not exceed one page. All types of poems are welcome.
  5. Posters must be no larger than 12” x 18”. Larger entries will not be judged. Posters can be created digitally or traditionally.
  6. Winners will be chosen on the basis of originality, clarity, and expression of theme.  All judges’ decisions are final. Poems/essays will be judged separately from posters.
  7. Two winners for poster entries and two winners for poem/essay entries will be selected from each grade category. Grade categories are K – 1st Grade, 2nd – 3rd Grade, 4th – 5th Grade, 6th – 8th Grade, and 9th – 12th Grade. First place winners will receive a $200 gift card. Second place winners will receive a $150 gift card.
  8. All the winners will be entered in a drawing for two $200 gift cards. One winner will be drawn from the poster winners and another winner will be drawn from the poem/essay winners.
  9. Each teacher from whose class a winner is selected will receive a gift card. Teachers with a first place winner will receive a $100 gift card. Teachers with a second place winner will receive a $75 gift card. Please note that only the teacher whose name is written on the entry form may receive the gift card.
  10. All prizes will be awarded at a City Council meeting in 2025. 
  11. Winners will be notified by telephone, teacher email, and parent email. Please write contact information clearly.
  12. Employees of the City of Hayward and their immediate families are not eligible to win prizes.
  13. All posters and poems/essays become the property of the City of Hayward and will only be returned upon request. Students or parents may contact (510) 583-4727 to arrange for pick up by May 5, 2025.

The Earth Day Poster and Writing Contest provides Hayward students with an opportunity to describe through words and convey through pictures their ideas about water conservation, energy efficiency, recycling, composting, and related environmental topics.  Students are invited to submit their entries in early springtime every year!

2018 winners

Students with winning entries are recognized during a special ceremony at a City Council meeting each year in April.  

View the winning entries from past contests below:

2024 | 2023 | 2022 I 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |  2015