United Nations Inviting Sarasota County Students to Paint for the Planet
Sarasota County students can paint for planet Earth during an international competition led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Bayer Corporation and other partners.
The International Children’s Painting Competition on the Environment (ICPC) is inviting kids ages 6-14 from six regions worldwide to submit artworks under the theme “Wasting Our Food is Wasting Our Planet,” highlighting that lots of food is wasted worldwide but many people go hungry. ICPC paintings raise awareness of global environmental issues each year during the days leading up to World Environment Day, an international celebration on June 5.
Sarasota students have a special place in this year’s ICPC for North America. Sarasota County will host World Environment Day activities in partnership with the regional UNEP as one of six host sites around the world. (More information about the upcoming celebrations will be available this month from participating groups, including Sarasota County and Mote Marine Laboratory.)
- Art from Sarasota County students must be submitted by Friday, April 11, to the Sarasota County Administration Building. Deliver it to:
Lee Hayes Byron
Sarasota County Sustainability
1660 Ringling Blvd, 5th Floor
Sarasota, FL 34236
ICPC is organized by UNEP, the Japan-based Foundation for Global Peace and the Environment, Bayer Corporation and Nikon. It has been held annually since 1991 and has received more than 3 million entries from children in more than 150 countries.
This year’s theme, food waste, is a global concern. According to the “Think.Eat.Save: Reduce Your Foodprint” campaign, about one third of all food worldwide (1.3 billion tons) is lost or wasted each year. In industrialized nations like the United States and Canada, grocery stores and individual people discard about 300 million tons of food fit for consumption. This amount could feed an estimated 900 million hungry people worldwide.
For a brochure with full information about this year’s competition, including entry rules and conditions, visit:http://www.rona.unep.org/about_unep_rona/activities/
(Note: Deadline dates at this web site are different than the Sarasota County deadline, which is April 11.)
Winners will be selected fairly and impartially by the Selection Committee appointed by the organizers. North American winners will be announced on World Environment Day, June 5.
Prizes for the North American Region
(Note: Prizes include visiting Sarasota — that means kids around the country are competing for the honor of coming here for World Environment Day.)
First Prize
- $1,000
- All-expenses-paid trip for winner and chaperone to North American World Environment Day celebrations on June 5, 2014, in Sarasota County, Fla.
- All-expenses-paid trip for winner and chaperone to a UNEP event (date and location to be confirmed)
- Plaque and other prizes
Second Prize
- All-expenses-paid trip for winner and chaperone to North American World Environment Day celebrations on June 5, in Sarasota County, Fla.
- Plaque and other prizes
Sarasota County’s Best
- One “Sarasota County’s Best” prize will be awarded to a local student whose artwork exemplifies the best in the area. This student will be honored at the North American World Environment Day celebrations on June 5.
All students in North America who submit paintings will receive a Certificate of Participation for themselves and their schools via e-mail.