The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is seeking youth artists to help create their 2023 Healthy Air Living Kids calendar.

All San Joaquin Valley students from kindergarten through 12th grade are encouraged to enter this annual contest, allowing kids the opportunity to create their vision of Healthy Air Living.

Entries are due by Oct. 14. Winners and their artwork will be featured in this bilingual calendar, showing how individuals can help improve air quality and quality of life for all Valley residents. The District plans to print and distribute calendars to schools, community groups, healthcare facilities and other clean-air partners, as in years past.

The 2022 calendar included artwork from two local students. Ballico Cressey Elementary student Paul Voight shared a message of “Please help keep the air clean and our planet green!” Turlock Junior High student Beneil Danielo illustrated his message of “healthy air living walking and biking to school.”

Guidelines for creating a winning Healthy Air Living kids calendar entry are:

·         Paper should be placed in landscape orientation, so it is 8-1/2 inches high and 11 inches wide

·         Artwork should be in color and produced by paint, pen, crayon, marker, colored pencil or even computer-generation. Vivid colors are recommended.

·         Artwork should contain a message about how to live a Healthy Air Life. Examples of past messages include: “Switch to an electric lawn mower,” “Be cool and carpool when going to school,” “Don’t burn wood, switch to gas,” “Please don’t idle while waiting for the kids at school.”

·         Bilingual and Spanish-language messages are encouraged.

Artists need to include their name, address, phone number, e-mail, age, grade and school, on the back of the entry. Please mail art flat, not folded or stapled, to: 2023 Kids’ Calendar Contest, Valley Air District, 1990 E. Gettysburg Ave., Fresno, CA 93726, or drop off your entry at the nearest District office in Modesto, Fresno or Bakersfield.

For an example of this year’s calendar and additional contest information, visit:  www.valleyair.org/kidscalendar. For questions about the contest, email public.education@valleyair.org or call the Modesto regional office at (209) 557-6400.