Eastbrook Middle School seventh grader Maya Cervantes is the overall winner of the 2024 America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest hosted by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority's program Target Recycling at School. The winning design will be displayed on two billboards in Whitfield County (one on Cleveland Highway and one on Glenwood Avenue) during the month of November to recognize America Recycles Day on Nov. 15.
Ms. Cervantes' design includes the phrase "I Recycle with Recycling Ben!" as one of the themes of the contest. The artwork features the Dalton Recycling Center's mascot Recycling Bin giving a big thumbs-up for recycling. It also features clean bubble letters and a recycling symbol making it easy to understand while driving by. The artwork is bright and has clean lines.
The billboard design contest, now in its 15th year, has first, second and third place winners from each school that submitted entries. The three winners, listed below, received a certificate of participation and a gift bag with items made from recycled materials. The first place overall, who is the winner of the billboard, was selected from the first-place design from each grade level. All of the classrooms that participated received free art school supplies.
Eastbrook Middle
1) Maya Cervantes (first overall), teacher: Corey Orr
2) Amy Guzman (third overall), teacher: Corey Orr
3) Aylin Vera-Lagunas, teacher: Corey Orr
New Hope Middle
1) Nevaeh Blair (second overall), teacher: Amanda Hill (third overall)
2) Bret Woodfin, teacher: Amanda Hill
3) Nevaeh Jilek, teacher: Elaine Guay
Target Recycling at School provides recycling collection services and environmental education opportunities to schools in Whitfield County. For more information, call 706-278-5001 or visit www.DWSWA.org.
America Recycles Day is a community-driven event dedicated to promoting recycling awareness, commitment and action in the U.S. through its partnership with Keep America Beautiful. It's celebrated annually on Nov. 15. For more information on recycling, and to take the pledge to #BeRecycled visit www.AmericaRecyclesDay.org.