The Hebron High School Art Club, under the guidance of art teacher Karen Jania, won first place in the first-ever Recycled Latex Paint School Art Contest, sponsored by the Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County.
Schools in Porter County with students in grades 6-12 were invited to participate in the competition to mark America Recycles Day, Nov. 15, and call attention to the availability of recycled latex paint. Schools used the paint to depict an environmental theme or message on plywood panels.
The winners were chosen through an online public voting process on the district’s website, www.ItMeansTheWorld.org. Artwork from the nine participating schools can be viewed on the website and also at the Porter County Government Administration Building, 155 Indiana Ave., through Dec. 13.
The panel that the students from the Hebron Art Club entered illustrated the importance of reducing water bottle consumption and presented the statistic: “Americans consume over 29 billion bottles of water per year. Only 13% are recycled.”
The Hebron High School panel won 30 percent of the online vote, and the class will receive a new bench made out of 1,550 recycled milk jugs.
The panel submitted by the Westchester Intermediate School Student Council under the guidance of teachers Dalila Reeder and Megan Sexton won second place with 27.6 percent of the online votes. Their panel promoted the theme, “Make every day America Recycles Day.”
The panel submitted by the St. Patrick Catholic School’s seventh grade class under the guidance of teacher Lisa Hughes won third place. Their panel also illustrated how the consumption of bottled water is devastating natural resources.
“All of the schools did a beautiful job,” said Donna Stuckert, public education coordinator. “We were very impressed with their creativity and portrayal of environmental messages.”
Recycled latex paint is available to residents and businesses in Porter County for $3 per gallon from the City of Hobart’s Paint Recycling Facility, 340 S. Shelby St., between 7 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. Not-for-profit organizations, like schools, can obtain the recycled product for free. For more information on purchasing recycled latex paint, call 219-942-6121.
The Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County is a government agency dedicated to improving the environment and quality of life for Porter County residents by providing convenient, voluntary waste reduction programs. The district promotes environmental stewardship among individuals and businesses through education programs, waste reduction services and other outreach programs.