2011 NACD Poster Contest Rules

Eligibility

The National Conservation Poster Contest is open to kindergarten through twelfth grade students. Artwork entered into the national competition must have been judged in a local or area conservation district sponsored poster contest and a state conservation association or state auxiliary sponsored contest. Posters not sent by authorized state poster group will not be considered for judging.

There will be judging at the national level for all categories. To be eligible for national contest your state must have a state sponsor of the contest. Be sure what categories your state sponsor will be sponsoring before completing your poster. To find who in your state is in charge of the poster contest visit the NACD State Directory and contact your state association for conservation districts.

2011 Contest Theme

The National Poster Contest theme "Forests for People – More Than You Can Imagine!

Posters can also use the theme “Forest for People."

Poster category by grade:

K-1
2-3
4-6
7-9
10-12

The contest is open to public, private or home school students.

The state conservation association or auxiliary selects a poster for entering in each of the grade divisions or special category and submits it to NACD. The state does not have to enter a poster for every grade level. The contest is open to public, private or home school students.

Please send with your state winning posters – the information sheet provided on the 2011 NACD Poster Contest website titled: State Poster Entries to National contest. Also please encourage your county or area contests to send you the form: County entry to area or state contest. We are working to gather how many participants are in the poster contest across the United States.

Contest Rules

The contest rules were created so as not to limit or revise the current rules of local and state conservation poster contests:

Any media may be used to create a flat or two-dimensional effect (paint, crayon, colored pencil, charcoal, stickers, paper or other materials on regular posters (no computer only special category)
Poster size must be between 8.5" x 11" and 22" x 28". (or as rules at your local or state level)
Posters should be packaged so they remain flat when sent for judging.
All posters must be created by an individual student rather than a team of students.
The 2011 Stewardship title “Forests for People – More Than You Can Imagine!” must be on your poster. Poster may also use “Forests for People” These are the only titles eligible for the national poster contest.
Names on back of posters and must have signed entry form to be eligible for judging.
Although younger students will most likely receive help in planning from parents or teachers, NACD encourages each student to do as much of the work as possible by him/herself. Entries completed by students in their handwriting and coloring will score better than those designed, drawn and colored by adult assistance.
Each entry to state contest must have been judged at each conservation district's or area contest prior to the state evaluation/contest.
Posters must be judged at the state level. Individual posters can not be sent for national judging by individuals. They must follow their state’s contest rules and deadlines.
Only official state poster contest sponsors can mail entries for national contest. Entries must be postmarked by December 1, 2011 and mailed to: (No onsite delivery – must arrive via mail or delivery company)

NACD National Poster Contest
Susan Schultz, 968 East 600 North
Greenfield, IN 46140

Each entry for the national contest must have the Entry form filled out and signed by guardian or parent to be judged.

Poster Evaluations

National Poster Contest entries are reviewed judges. The posters are evaluated on the following criteria:

Conservation message (Poster uses correct theme) (50 percent)
Visual effectiveness (30 percent)
Originality (10 percent)
Universal appeal (10 percent)
Also taken into consideration artwork is completed on poster is that of participant (unless noted on entry form)

The top two posters in each category of the national contest will receive monetary prizes. First place winners will receive $100 and second place winners will receive $75. Prizes at the national level are sponsored by the NACD Auxiliary.

Local and state contest awards and sponsors will differ from state to state.

Depending on the sponsoring state’s conservation association, auxiliary or agency's preference, the national awards will be presented at a national, regional, state and/or local conservation ceremony. The winning posters will be featured at the NACD Annual Meeting. Each state conservation association, auxiliary or agency contact will receive notification of the judging results, copies of the judges' comments and a news release announcing the winners. Posters not receiving national awards will be returned to the state contact in a timely manner following judging. Please fill out state form when submitting posters for the national contest, with information on number of participants at the area or local contest and to whom the posters are to be returned to at the state level. The National poster contest is not responsible for returning posters back to each individual poster winner.