SPRINGFIELD — On Saturday, April 5, 2025, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) honored a group of creative fifth and sixth grade students selected for their artistic and writing skills used to express environmental awareness, as part of the Agency’s Annual Poster, Poetry, and Prose Contest. The students selected from throughout Illinois were recognized at a ceremony at the Illinois State Library in Springfield.
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Each year, fifth and sixth grade students in Illinois take part in the Poster, Poetry, and Prose contest as one of the Agency’s environmental education initiatives. As part of the contest, participating schools study environmental concepts with an emphasis on the current year’s environmental theme. Teachers round out the classroom instruction by having the students create posters or poetry/prose works to illustrate what they have learned and submit these to the Illinois EPA. Participating schools can select four works in each category to submit for competitive judging. This year’s theme, “How Can You Slash Your Trash?” invites students to think creatively on how to reduce the amount of waste they produce. This could include buying fewer single-use products; composting food waste; repairing broken items instead of replacing or buying new; and recycling items that cannot be re-used or repaired.
“Each year, the Poster, Poetry, and Prose Contest provides us the opportunity to recognize the creative and artistic talents of environmentally engaged fifth and sixth grade students throughout Illinois,” said Illinois EPA Acting Director James Jennings. “We also want to thank the teachers and families for their participation, and for incorporating this important environmental topic into the classroom so the students can learn the importance of reducing the amount of waste they create.”
Poetry/Prose Top Award Winners
Eliana Avila
St. Giles School, Oak Park
Mia Bader
Sunset Ridge School, Northfield
Layla Folie
Providence St. Mel School, Chicago
Áine McCormack
Pope John XXIII School, Evanston
Connor Yaffe
St. Giles School, Oak Park
Emma York
Fabyan Elementary School, Geneva
Posters Top Award Winners
Milanya Garcia
Sadlowski Elementary School, Chicago
Avery Kirk
Fabyan Elementary School, Geneva
Aibike Kydyrgychova
Chappell Elementary School, Chicago
Emma Mikkelson
Eswood School District #269, Lindenwood
Jianna Loren Mulles
Hadley Middle School, Homer Glen
Finn Schott
Fabyan Elementary School, Geneva
Students, their families, and teachers were invited to Saturday’s awards ceremony at the Illinois State Library, where the top award and honorable mention winners received environmental reference books for their school libraries. The winners, along with all finalists, also received certificates and ribbons for their creative efforts.
A complete list of winners by school is attached. The top twelve entries will also be displayed on the Illinois EPA’s website at: https://epa.illinois.gov/topics/education/contest/elementary/2025.html.
Information about the Poster, Poetry, and Prose Contest can be obtained by contacting Kristi Morris, Environmental Education Coordinator for the Illinois EPA at Kristi.Morris@Illinois.gov.
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
2025 Poster, Poetry, and Prose Winners
Beecher City Grade School, Beecher City
Hunter Burrus, Special Recognition
Zoey Chartrand, Special Recognition
Eden Morrison, Special Recognition
Myra Thomas, Special Recognition
Central School, Lemont
Emma Schaefer, Special Recognition
Chappell Elementary, Chicago
Aibike Kydyrgychova, Top Award Winner
Jaxen Rosado, Honorable Mention
Sloane Carpenter, Special Recognition
Felix Glaser, Special Recognition
Ira Shearn, Special Recognition
Cowlishaw Elementary, Naperville
Saiakshar Manimaran, Special Recognition
Amy Zhang, Special Recognition
Edison Middle School, Wheaton
Arhaan Shahid, Special Recognition
Eswood School District #269, Lindenwood
Emma Mikkelson, Top Award Winner
Felix Contreras, Special Recognition
Marli Cooper, Special Recognition
Helen Miller, Special Recognition
Fabyan Elementary, Geneva
Avery Kirk, Top Award Winner
Finn Schott, Top Award Winner
Emme York, Top Award Winner
Ellie Bain, Honorable Mention
Makayla Costello, Honorable Mention
Ethan Flaks, Special Recognition
Owen Knecht, Special Recognition
Sophia Vitacek, Special Recognition
Hadley Middle School, Homer Glen
Jianna Loren Mulles, Top Award Winner
Carson Moran, Special Recognition
Kiara Pavez Phillips, Special Recognition
Dawid Piechowski, Special Recognition
Highcrest Middle School, Wilmette
Mor Ben Shai, Special Recognition
Nora Brown, Special Recognition
Caroline Cho, Special Recognition
Hoffman Elementary, Glenview
Milena Cich, Special Recognition
Martina Dragojlovic, Special Recognition
John B. Murphy Elementary, Chicago
Lizbeth Salgado, Special Recognition
Adeline Schmidt, Special Recognition
Lake Forest Country Day School, Lake Forest
Larkin George, Honorable Mention
Hailey Cordova, Special Recognition
Madelyn Kohl, Special Recognition
Anneka Maish, Special Recognition
Mary Morgan Elementary, Byron
Emily Doyle, Honorable Mention
Collin Wendt, Special Recognition
Ashlynn Helms, Special Recognition
Mateo Muren, Special Recognition
Lydia Oliver, Special Recognition
North Elementary, Crystal Lake
Declan Krotser, Special Recognition
Pope John XXIII School, Evanston
Áine McCormack, Top Award Winner
Alexa Lee, Honorable Mention
Nicole Zamudio-Abonce, Special Recognition
Prairie Crossing Charter School, Grayslake
Averie Miller, Honorable Mention
Leah Gernady, Special Recognition
Violet Kaminski, Special Recognition
Maya King, Special Recognition
Providence St. Mel School, Chicago
Layla Folie, Top Award Winner
Caroline Jolaoso, Special Recognition
Brooklyn Walker, Special Recognition
Khloe Worthy, Special Recognition
Rondout Elementary, Lake Forest
Grant Ruzich, Special Recognition
Sadlowski Elementary, Chicago
Milanya Garcia, Top Award Winner
Jameson Cruz, Special Recognition
Diego Vega, Special Recognition
Shiloh Jr. High, Hume
Ralph Ritchey, Special Recognition
St. Aloysius Catholic School, Springfield
Stella Ambrose, Honorable Mention
Amelia Mikolajczyk, Special Recognition
St. Anthony Grade School, Effingham
Adalyn Conant, Special Recognition
Caroline Field, Special Recognition
Sienna Kaufmann, Special Recognition
St. Giles School, Oak Park
Eliana Avila, Top Award Winner
Connor Yaffe, Top Award Winner
Emilia Clark, Honorable Mention
Lillian Shaker, Honorable Mention
Clara Walsh, Honorable Mention
Noah Amaro, Special Recognition
Hannah Martin, Special Recognition
Vivienne Serrato, Special Recognition
Sunset Ridge School, Northfield
Mia Bader, Top Award Winner
Emily Brandel, Honorable Mention
Wilson Middle School, Moline
Aubrey Larson, Special Recognition
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