Local students lauded for art promoting wildfire prevention
This year marks Keep Montana Green’s 60th annual Wildfire Prevention Art Contest for Montana students.
Artwork from students in Scobey, Froid, and Laurel were voted statewide winners in the art contest. Since KMG’s formation at the end of World War II, the organization has been dedicated to the prevention of human-caused wildfires. Last year, 80 percent of Montana’s wildfires were human caused.
The KMG mission and the goals of the art contest are to promote awareness on how to prevent human-caused wildfires, assist educators with teaching fire safety and prevention, and to utilize the ideas and messages from the art contest in future fire prevention programs.
The wildfire prevention art contest theme this year was “Keeping Montana Green.”
“Congratulations to all our 2021 winners,” said Kristin Sleeper, KMG Executive Director. “This year’s artwork was not only impressive and competitive, but incredibly inspiring! Thank you for your participation and keep up the great work.”
This year, thousands of students across Montana participated in the annual contest. The posters are first judged in regional contests. First, second, and third places are decided and those entries are submitted to the state-level contest, where winners receive cash prizes and special recognition.
Special education, coloring book, computer generated, and audio-visual divisions are also judged directly at the state level.
Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the art contest, this year’s contest added exciting new changes, including doubling of all prize money for statewide winner competitions, new second and third place overall positions in the statewide competition, and a new Coloring Book Division for this year only.
The artwork in the Coloring Book Division will be featured in a special coloring book to commemorate Keep Montana Green’s 75th anniversary.
STATEWIDE WINNERS
1st Place: Alexa Fishell, 12th grade, Scobey Schools, Scobey.
2nd Place: Xavier Gregor, 10th grade, Froid High School, Froid.
3rd Place: Sophia Spini, fourth grade, Fred W. Graff Elementary School, Laurel.
SENIOR DIVISION (10-12 GRADES) 1st Place: Katelyn MacDonald, 10th grade, Wolf Point High School, Wolf Point. 2nd Place: Lillian MacDonald, 11th grade, Columbia Falls High School, Columbia Falls. 3rd Place: Marissa Ellison, 11th grade, Whitehall High School, Whitehall.
Honorable Mention: Clare Steward, 10th grade, Columbia Falls High School, Columbia Falls.
JUNIOR DIVISION (7-9 GRADES): 1st Place: Lacy Johns, 9th grade, Columbia Falls High School, Columbia Falls, MT
2nd Place: Danielle Cahill, 9th grade, Scobey Schools, Scobey.
3rd Place: Missouri Kalal, 9th grade, Froid High School, Froid. Honorable Mentions: Emma McAllister, 9th grade, Columbia Falls High School, Columbia Falls.
INTERMEDIATE DIVISION (4-6 GRADES): 1st Place: Luci Mae Pittman, 6th grade, Fairfield Elementary School, Fairfield, MT
2nd Place: Levi Kleinsasser, 6th grade, Hidden Lake Colony, Cut Bank, MT
3rd Place: Grace Carver, 5th grade, Ruder Elementary School, Columbia Falls.
Honorable Mention: Arya Krick, 6th grade, Trout Creek School, Trout Creek.
PRIMARY DIVISION (K-3 GRADES): 1st Place: Rowan Hebert, 3rd grade, West Glacier Elementary School, West Glacier, MT
2nd Place: Wyatt Schultz, 1st grade, Homeschool, Grass Range, MT
3rd Place: Baylee Yaeger, 2nd grade, West School, Laurel, MT
Honorable Mention: Aurora Davis, 1st grade, Garfield Elementary School, Lewistown.
SPECIAL EDUCATION (7-12 GRADES): 1st Place: Trinity Gregor, 7th grade, Froid High School, Froid.
2nd Place: Vala Gregor, 7th grade, Froid High School, Froid.
3rd Place: Wyatt Giese, 9th grade, Bainville School, Bainville.
Honorable Mention: Frank D. Lindon, 11th grade, Florence Carlton, Florence.
SPECIAL EDUCATION (K-6 GRADES): 1st Place: William Cox, 3rd grade, Fromberg Elementary School, Fromberg.
2nd Place: Coltonn Jones, 5th grade, Broadus Elementary School, Broadus.
3rd Place: Lillin Brock, 5th grade, Lincoln Elementary School, Glendive.
Honorable Mention: Jacqi Jo Mueller, 6th grade, Superior Elementary School, Superior.
COMPUTER GENERATED DIVISION (K-12 GRADES): 1st Place: Evaly Hull, 11th grade, Columbia Falls High School, Columbia Falls.
2nd Place: Sienna Wilkins, 8th grade, Lockwood Middle School, Billings.
3rd Place: Kayden Fleming, 10th grade, Wolf Point High School, Wolf Point.
Honorable Mention: Frank Baker, 10th grade, Wolf Point High School, Wolf Point.
COLORING BOOK DIVISION (K-12 GRADES): 1st Place: Zion Maney, 8th grade, Woodman School, Lolo.
2nd Place: Liam Glass, 7th grade, Washington Middle School, Missoula.
3rd Place: Abby Wheeler, 8th grade, Superior Junior High School, Superior.
Honorable Mention: Ali Michelle Krause, 8th grade, Laurel Middle School, Laurel.