The mission of the poster contest was to raise awareness for Cache Valley’s spectacularly bad air pollution, especially in the winter months when the community is subject to inversions, increased idling, and use of wood burning stoves. Through participation in the contest, students became more educated on these issues and were given a voice instrumental in developing solutions for these issues. The winning posters have been featured in various places around Cache Valley, raising awareness and encouraging citizens to take various measures to improve air quality, such as taking the bus, carpooling, refraining from idling, and biking.
“Before I started this project, I didn’t have a single clue that Cache Valley’s air was this bad!” Guaddarama said. “When I got involved with this project, I was able to learn so much about our air pollution and ways to help reduce it. If I didn’t participate, I would probably still be clueless and maybe even make this problem a whole lot worse once I started driving. But because of this experience, I was able to help my community, inform them of this problem, and help myself from making a big mistake.” When developing their posters, students displayed a refreshing array of talents, including artistry through drawing, painting, photography and computer design, and marketing through creating clever slogans to appeal to the values of Cache Valley citizens. Over 100 students participated, including Logan High’s environmental classes and the Governor’s Statewide Youth Council. “My most favorite part about this contest was seeing everyone else’s ideas and their work,” Guaddarama noted. Though it was a strenuous effort to construct an original idea and then attempt to replicate it in real life, students prevailed and delivered carefully crafted entries. “It did take me a while to think of my own ideas,” Guaddarama admitted, “but it was really helpful to sit down and be inspired by my surroundings. The process for me to actually make these posters was to ‘sit, think, sketch, and create,’ even if I wasn’t happy with it the first time. I had to redo most of my drawings, which helped me get the final product.” Currently, the Logan High LEAF Club is in the midst of planning a second clean air poster contest this fall/winter to make our community more environmentally conscious during the Cache Valley’s most brutal months for air quality. There are aspirations of making this project a Logan High tradition and even expanding the contest to local high schools in the valley for increased awareness (and of course, healthy competition in the face of school rivalry). “If I had the opportunity to do it again, I would in a heartbeat,” Guaddarama said. “I encourage others to participate in this project.”
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