Climate Champions Art Contest planned

A nationwide art contest for youth will begin in Louisiana between Nov. 1 and Dec. 1. The Climate Champions Art Contest will be free to enter for all students in grades 1-12.
Winners will receive cash prizes, finalists will receive Climate Champions T-shirts and all participants will receive a certificate, all provided by co-sponsor GetGreenEnergy.com.
The theme of the contest is “What Climate Change Means to Me.” Young artists are encouraged to use their imagination to illustrate their knowledge, thoughts and possible solutions to climate change.
Frank Eakin, who grew up in Bunkie, owns Eakin Films & Publishing, is a co-sponsor of the event.
He is also the founder of Texas-based Home Energy Club and Get Green Energy -- platforms created to transition the market to renewable energy in deregulated energy states.
“It thrills me that we are launching this fun, free educational opportunity for young people in my beloved Louisiana, before our national rollout,” Eakin said. “Climate Champions will team up with one of Louisiana’s most valuable and treasured institutions, the State Library of Louisiana, to kick off this nationwide educational initiative.” Eakin said the state’s 340 public libraries provide free print and online educational resources to everyone.
These resources can be accessed at the local public library or from a home computer by using a library card.
“It is our hope that the Climate Champions contest will encourage young people to use their public library to learn more about this topic while mastering valuable research skills, being creative through art and empowering them to become engaged in what will likely be one of the greatest challenges of their time,” Eakin said.
Eakin teased that an “Academy Award-winning movie actor” will also participate in the competition.
There is an Academy Award-winning movie with some connection to Eakin and Avoyelles Parish -- 12 Years a Slave.
Eakin’s mother, Dr. Sue Eakin, produced an annotated version of Solomon Northup’s autobiographical work to prove that it was historical and not a work of fiction. The movie won the Oscar for Best Movie in 2014. Lupito Nyong’o won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
The film won many other awards.
Applicants will be placed into three categories, grades 1-4, 5-8 and 9-12. Artwork will be judged based on originality, interpretation of the theme, creativity, composition and technical skill.
Winners will be announced Friday, Dec. 20 on the contest website. Artwork can be submitted by taking a photograph of the original work with their cell phone or by scanning it and uploading the file in a submission form at www.HomeEnergyClub.com/ ClimateChampions.
Official rules can also be found at that website.