The California Coastal Commission invites all California students in kindergarten through 12th grade to enter the 2011 California Coastal Art & Poetry Contest.

Honorable mention from the 2010 contest: “Water Waves,” by Evan Juan, 4th grade, Irvine.

Winners will be selected in each of five grade-level categories (K-1st, 2nd-3rd, 4th-6th, 7th-9th, and 10th-12th) in both art and poetry to receive a $100 gift certificate to an art supply or book store, and other prizes. Each winner’s teacher will receive a $50 gift certificate for educational materials courtesy of Acorn Naturalists. All winners and honorable mentions will receive tickets for their families to visit the Aquarium of the Pacific, courtesy of the Aquarium.

Students may have their work featured on Commission web pages and materials, and winning entries will be exhibited throughout the state, including at the Ford House Museum in Mendocino, the San Francisco Bay Model in Sausalito, and the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro. Previous winners can be viewed online. Print-quality images available upon request.

Why: By encouraging youth to reflect on the beauty and spirit of California’s beaches and ocean, we hope to inspire a greater sense of stewardship for these natural places. A population that cares about the coast is more likely to conserve and protect it.

2010 honorable mention: “California Spiny Lobster in the Coral,” by Amy Wann, 12th grade, Piedmont

When: All entries must be postmarked by January 31, 2011. Entries are being accepted now.

How: Art and poetry must have a California coastal or marine theme to be eligible. Please refer to the contest guidelines for complete contest rules. All entries must include an entry form. Obtain the entry form and guidelines in one of the following ways:

Check the website.

– Email coast4u@coastal.ca.gov,

– Call (800) COAST4U [800-262-7848],

– Or write to: California Coastal Commission Art & Poetry Contest, 45 Fremont St., Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA 94105

The California Coastal Commission was established by voter initiative in 1972 and made permanent by the Legislature in 1976 (the Coastal Act) in order to provide long-term protection for California’s 1,100-mile coastline.

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