Student Art Contest
Students in Grades K-12 are invited to create original artwork or submit photos inspired by the West Virginia Farm to School Conference theme - “Let’s Grow Together.” Art submissions themed around gardens, farms, local food, and more will be accepted and entered into the West Virginia Farm to School Conference Art Contest.
Eligible Grade Groups
Students in the following grade bands are eligible to submit:
- Grades K-5
- Grades 6-8
- Grades 9-12
Submission
Students in Grades K-5 are encouraged to submit a drawing using crayons, markers, or colored pencils; or a painting using watercolor or acrylic paint, etc. Students in Grades 6-12 have the option of submitting photos in addition to a drawing.
Rules and Guidelines
All submissions must follow the rules below.
- All submitted artwork must reflect the theme “Let’s Grow Together” and relate to gardens, farms, agriculture, food systems, local food in school meals, and more.
- All submitted artwork must be student-made and uploaded only by the creator. Tracing, copying, or use of AI-generated content will not be accepted. All photos submitted must be original work taken by the student submitting the photo.
- Each student may submit one piece of artwork or photo according to the student's grade level. Photographs must be submitted as an 8x10.
- Students must include their name, grade, school name, and title of artwork or photo with their art contest submission.
Please mail artwork and photos to:
West Virginia Department of Education Office of Child Nutrition
ATTN: Melinda Francis, Coordinator
1900 Kanawha Blvd E, Charleston, WV 25305-0330.
All entries must be received no later than October 24, 2025.
Awards
Prizes will be awarded for first-, second-, and third-place in each eligible grade group. Winning submissions will be displayed at the Farm to School Conference and may be featured in promotional materials.
Evaluation Criteria
Each grand band will have a first-, second-, and third-place winner.
Judging Criteria for Drawing or Painting
Student artwork that has been drawn or painted will be scored based on the following criteria up to 10 points per category for a total of 40 points. Artwork themes can include (but are not limited to) gardens, farms, food, food systems, and more.
Creativity and Originality
- 0-2: Limited to no creativity or originality
- 3-5: Limited originality and creativity
- 6-8: Creative ideas presented, some originality shown
- 9-10: Exceptional creativity and strong originality displayed
Technical Skill by Grade Level
- 0-2: Minimal skill; does not reflect grade level effort
- 3-4: Effort shown with some skill
- 5-6: Meets grade level appropriate skills with some use of technique
- 7-8: Good use of skills, meets or exceeds grade level expectations
- 9-10: Excellent use of skills; skills are advanced and exceed grade level expectations
Overall Artistic Skills
- 0-2: Minimal artistic skill; little effort
- 3-4: Artistic skills shown; areas for improvement
- 5-6: Adequate artistic skill
- 6-8: Visually appealing; reflects skill and effort
- 9-10: Highly engaging and visually appealing; well thought out and impactful
Adherence to Contest Requirements
This includes artwork relating to the conference theme “Let’s Grow Together.”
- 0-2: Does not follow contest requirements
- 3-4: Few requirements met
- 5-6: Some requirements met
- 7-8: Most requirements met
- 9-10: All requirements met
Judging Criteria for Photography Contest (Grade Levels 6-8 and 9-12)
Student photography will be scored based on the following criteria up to 10 points per category for a total of 40 points. Artwork themes can include (but are not limited to) gardens, farms, food, food systems, and more.
Creativity and Originality
- 0-2: Limited to no creativity or originality
- 3-5: Limited originality and creativity
- 6-8: Creative ideas presented, some originality shown
- 9-10: Exceptional creativity and strong originality displayed
Technical skills and Use of Photographic Techniques
- 0-2: Minimal skill; little technique
- 3-4: Effort shown with some skill
- 5-6: Meets grade level appropriate skills with some use of technique
- 7-8: Good use of skills, meets or exceeds grade level expectations
- 9-10: Excellent use of skills; skills are advanced and exceed grade level expectations; excellent control of focus, lighting, exposure, composition
Impact and Storytelling
- 0-2: Minimal impact, photo does not engage
- 3-4: Limited impact
- 5-6: Moderate impact; some sense of story and message
- 7-8: Great impact; photo conveys a message and/or feeling
- 9-10: Strong emotional and/or visual impact; photo tells a clear and compelling story
Adherence to Contest Requirements
This includes artwork relating to the conference theme “Let’s Grow Together.”
- 0-2: Does not follow contest requirements
- 3-4: Few requirements met
- 5-6: Some requirements met
- 7-8: Most requirements met
- 9-10: All requirements met
View Student Submissions
All art submissions for this contest can be viewed in the 2025 Farm to School Conference Flickr album.