New York Students Enter Water-Themed Poster Contest

The 2027 "Water Connects Us All" contest is an established annual DEC program now in its 22nd year, not a new initiative.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Environmental

Clear stream winding through an autumn New York forest, with smooth stones and fallen leaves along the banks and wooded hills in the distance. — New York's Department of Environmental Conservation opened its 22nd annual middle school poster contest, themed "Water Connects Us All," with entries accepted through January 8, 2027. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has opened its 22nd annual middle school student poster contest, this year themed "Water Connects Us All." The contest is run by DEC in partnership with the New York Water Environment Association, and posters are accepted through January 8, 2027. This is an established, recurring program rather than a new technology.

Why it matters

The contest is a long-running public education effort, dating to 2004, that asks students to engage with watershed and water-quality concepts through art. It sits within a broader state approach in which DEC funds projects that protect and restore water quality through statewide grant programs.

The announcement is a program notice rather than a measured result, with 14 winning posters and a January 8, 2027 submission deadline as its concrete figures. The source does not report how many schools or students have participated in prior editions.

The players

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)

The state agency that runs New York's environmental regulation, water-quality grant funding and public education programs, including this annual poster contest.

New York Water Environment Association (NYWEA)

The state professional association for water environment practitioners, which co-runs the poster contest with DEC and co-produces the 2028 calendar.

The details

The contest asks middle school students to create posters around an annual theme, which for 2027 is "Water Connects Us All." Previous themes have included "Create a Watershed Superhero," "We All Live in a Watershed," "Conserve and Protect our Watersheds," and "The Importance of Wastewater Treatment." New York State teachers, schools, and clubs can take part during the 2026-27 school year through DEC's website, and the contest is run in partnership with the New York Water Environment Association.

2004: DEC's annual poster contest began.
2026-27 school year: New York schools may participate in the contest.
January 8, 2027: Poster submissions are due.

The Tech Race

This is an education program rather than a technology development, so it does not sit in a competitive research race. It belongs to New York's ongoing public outreach on water quality, which the state pursues alongside its grant-funded restoration projects.

New York middle school students, teachers, and clubs can participate during the 2026-27 school year by visiting DEC's website. Entries are due January 8, 2027, and winning artwork will appear in the 2028 calendar.

The takeaway

The 2027 "Water Connects Us All" theme is the number to watch for the contest's next cycle, with submissions closing January 8, 2027. Teachers who want students to enter should check DEC's website before that date.