Everyone on our roads has a responsibility to help keep each other safe. The annual FMCSA Road Safety Art Contest invites students to use their creativity to raise awareness of how to stay safe on the road, particularly when driving, biking, or walking around large trucks and buses.
If your teen is looking for some creative, analog fun during school break, OPL has you covered!
At Clay Critter Creations, teens will experiment with world building by sculpting their own little animal, and then bring it to life with a background scene (like the ones pictured) and story! No experience needed, just imagination (we’ll handle the supplies).
In celebration of Earth Day 2026, we invite you to join our annual illustration contest, brought to you with our content partner the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation! (NFWF)
The contest is open to all learners in grades 2 through 8. This is a wonderful opportunity for your students to combine their reading comprehension development with artistic creativity, all while learning about our planet’s incredible wildlife and conservation efforts.
How to Participate:
1. Read: Have your students read the designated passages for their grade level, focusing on topics like wolverines, burrowing owls, sea turtles, and more.
2. Illustrate: Encourage students to create original illustrations that reflect their understanding and interpretation of the passages.
3. Submit: As a teacher, parent, or guardian, submit the illustrations following the guidelines provided on our contest page.
Submission Deadline: All entries must be submitted by April 24, 2026
Prizes: Eight winning entries (one from each grade level 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and the special education category) will be selected. Winners will receive a ReadWorks and NFWF swag bag, including an official certificate, along with two $25 gift cards. We will also publish the winning designs on the ReadWorks article for one whole year, as well as our our blog and social media channels to celebrate our budding readers and artists.
For detailed guidelines, reading passages, and submission instructions, please visit our official contest page.
We challenge you to get outdoors this Spring and explore different Omaha Parks! Register for FREE starting March 13th and you will receive a list of the parks to visit. Take a photo at each site and submit them to be entered to win prizes! Complete all 10 sites by May 10th for a chance to win a Group Pool Pass! For more information, contact Kelly kelly.maher@cityofomaha.org
Each summer, the Nebraska Writing Project helps host multiple writing camps and workshops for the young writers of Nebraska. And registration is now open for all! We encourage your students and family to register and join us for a summer full of writing!
**Young Writers Camp
Grades 8-12
Dates: July 13 – 24, M-F, 10am – 1pm
The Young Writers Camp offers a two-week program (Monday through Friday, 10am-1pm) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. We offer workshops in slam poetry, fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, mystery, song-writing, poetry, memoir, and screen writing! Young writers work with professional writers, professors, teachers, and undergraduate interns! For grades 8-12
The I Love to Write/We Love to Write Workshops are a series of summer writing workshops for youth and families to write in a supportive environment. This year’s workshops will focus on a variety of writing styles, strategies, genres and activities. Sessions will meet on the UNL Campus for a week in June. The Celebration of Writers Ceremony is held on the Saturday at the end of the week. These workshops are led by Sandra Peter and Susan Dinsdale, experienced teachers of writing, and the camp is sponsored by the Nebraska Writing Project
***We Love to Write
(students ages 7-15 and their families or special adults)
Recycling, composting, and keeping litter in its place are among the many ways we keep Nebraska clean.
The Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment is inviting students to put their talents to good use by submitting a drawing for the 2027 “Nebraska: Don’t Waste It!” calendar. We’re looking for drawings that demonstrate the importance of good environmental practices and tips on reducing waste, recycling, and protecting Nebraska’s air, land, and water.
Theme-Create a drawing or painting that shows how we can keep Nebraska clean by recycling, composting, properly disposing of household hazardous waste (like old paint and cleaning products), cleaning up litter, and any other activity that will keep our air, land, and water clean.
Who: Students K-12 in Nebraska
Due Date: May 1, 2026
Artwork Info: Submit all artwork on 8 ½” x 11” unlined white paper in a landscape, or horizontal, orientation. Please use tape (no staples or glue) to attach the label. Each piece of artwork must have a label! Mail your artwork flat—do not fold. Entries become the property of DWEE and will not be returned. Artwork may be used for promotional purposes. Fill out this Entry Label.pdf and attach to the back of your artwork.
Media
Markers, watercolors, tempera, oils, crayons, chalk, acrylic, or colored pencils (no pen and ink, please) are accepted.
Ferns may seem like quiet, leafy plants, but their life cycle and adaptations are full of scientific wonder. This virtual program explores the different types of ferns found in Nebraska, how they reproduce through spores instead of seeds, and the roles they play in local ecosystems. You’ll learn how ferns survive in diverse habitats, their fascinating history dating back millions of years, and tips for spotting them in the wild.
Nebraska experiences some of the most dramatic and diverse weather in the country—from powerful prairie winds and towering summer storms to icy winter snow, biting cold, and intense summer heat.
Create (draw, paint, glue, sculpt) artwork that captures the spirit of Nebraska’s weather. Your artwork may reflect any season or weather event, such as strong winds, thunderstorms, tornado skies, snowfall, blizzards, heat waves, drought, or the changing moods of the prairie throughout the year.
Ages: All ages
Date Due: Image must be postmarked no later than April 30, 2026.
Prizes: Three winners will receive a swag bag of NE SciFest goodies.
All entries must meet the following requirements:
All entrants must live in the state of Nebraska
Each participant may only submit one image. However, a teacher/coach/parent may submit multiple images
Must be able to email a clear, well photographed image of creation to NE SciFest
The 2026 Ocean Awareness Contest – Your Story, Our Ocean – encourages you to explore the many ways our ocean sustains, protects, and inspires us. We invite you to think about your personal connection to the ocean – whether you’re coastal or landlocked – through the value it brings to your life. The benefits of the ocean are widespread and multifaceted, from food production to climate regulation to artistic inspiration. Go through the sub-themes and explore the topics that resonate with you. Share how the ocean has shaped your story through art, writing, performance, film, or multimedia. How does the ocean sustain, protect, and inspire you?
Check out this exciting workshop opportunities for folders of all ages. The events are held on Saturdays in March and April. Choose one day or multiple days to attend.
Main Event Website-https://origamiusa.org/oriuni2026
Introductory: March 21, 11:00 am–March 21, 5:00 pm CDT
In celebration of Earth Day 2026, we invite you to join our annual illustration contest, brought to you with our content partner the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation! (NFWF)
