The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has opened its 2026 Take Care of Texas Art Contest and, for the first time, is accepting entries from students in kindergarten through 12th grade, according to an Oct. 5 agency news release.
The contest theme this year is “Ways to Reduce Waste,” the agency said. Students are asked to illustrate how they, along with their friends and family, can help reduce harmful impacts on the environment. The release said the contest is open to public, private and home-schooled students throughout Texas.
Winning entries will be judged in five categories: kindergarten through second grade, third through fifth, sixth through eighth, ninth and 10th, and 11th and 12th, according to TCEQ. Prizes are made possible by the contest sponsor, the Texas Chemistry Council, the agency said.
TCEQ said its staff will narrow the entries by selecting finalists in each category. Grand prize winners and runners-up will then be chosen by TCEQ commissioners and executive staff, along with representatives of the Texas Chemistry Council.
Each grand prize winner in grades K-10 will receive a $250 gift card, and each runner-up will receive a $100 gift card, the agency said. In grades 11 and 12, the grand prize winner will receive a $2,000 scholarship and the runner-up a $1,000 scholarship.
Under the contest rules described in the release, artwork must depict positive ways Texans can reduce waste. Each submission must be on 8.5-by-11-inch paper and include the phrase “Take Care of Texas,” spelled correctly. Entries must be postmarked by Dec. 18, 2026, and may be mailed to the Take Care of Texas Kids Art Contest, MC 118, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, TX 78711-3087.
TCEQ said winners will be announced in April 2027 and celebrated online through the agency’s website and social media channels. Grand prize winners in each category will be invited to the annual Texas Environmental Excellence Awards banquet in June 2027, the agency said.
Additional information and official rules are available on the Take Care of Texas website or by email at educate@tceq.texas.gov, according to the release.