Broward County invites students to fight climate change through video game–inspired art contest
Broward County, Florida – Broward County has started the 2026 Clean Air Calendar Poster Contest, encouraging K-12 children to tap their inner video game creators in an innovative effort to fight climate change. Themed “Level Up Against Climate Change,” this competition is not just a call to artistic skill but also a challenge to develop practical solutions to the environmental challenges afflicting South Florida, such as flooding, high heat, hurricanes, and air pollution.
Students are encouraged to think like video game developers, creating situations where people engage with an ecosystem under threat from climate change yet fight back with clever, sustainable solutions. These could vary from encouraging green transportation options to lower air pollution, developing energy-efficient structures with green roofs to offset urban heat islands, to planting mangroves to minimize coastal erosion and flooding. Widespread tree planting for cleaner air and infrastructure improvements to better resist extreme weather are among other suggested initiatives.
Hand-drawn art, digital works, or photography are just a few of the many ways participants can share their ideas. Digital submissions, for example, will be examined by AI checkers, hence they must follow rigorous rules to guarantee originality and prevent any potential copyright concerns.
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The contest not only seeks creativity but also adherence to several important rules:
- Submissions must be made through an online form, accompanied by a signed parental release if under 18.
- Artworks need to be landscape-oriented and comply with size restrictions, with posters not exceeding 12 inches by 18 inches.
- Each entry should include a short description, not more than 75 words, explaining how the artwork relates to combating climate change.
- Entries must be original, with no magazine cutouts, internet photos, or any form of previously published material.
A total of 75 percent of the total score will come from the judging criteria, which will mostly emphasize how well the artwork communicates solutions to climate change. The remaining 25% will come from the general neatness of the entry and its creativity.
Contest winners will have their work shown in the 2026 Clean Air Calendar; 12 winners will be chosen overall, with one taking the main prize. All winners will get awards; the grand prize winner’s school will get a commemorative plaque. Moreover, every submitted poster could be used by Broward County for educational purposes, hence enhancing awareness and promoting more sustainable behavior among the population.
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This competition gives Broward County’s young people a stage on which to show their inventiveness, awareness, and dedication to environmental stewardship, hence transforming their ideas for a cleaner, more sustainable future into art that motivates action.
How to submit artworks and more details regarding the event are available here.
