“Youth Activities”

The Youth Activities Committee (YAC) promotes youth contests sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service and the National Garden Clubs, Inc. Their Smokey Bear poster contest raises awareness of the importance of caring for the environment and preventing wildfires. All elementary students in the Mount Desert Island Regional School System and private community schools are invited to participate.

Garden Club Announces 2023 Youth Contest Winners

The Bar Harbor Garden Club proudly announced the local student winners of the 2023 Smokey Bear Poster Contest and Youth Poetry Contest.

Photography courtesy of the Bar Harbor Garden Club and Ms. Kristen Braun.

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Garden Club Visits Downeast Horizons Children and Adult Programs

Jackson Benningfield holding his painted pot he created.

The Bar Harbor Garden Club Youth Activities Committee visited the Downeast Horizons (DEH) Children’s Program in Ellsworth to present a gardening activity for the participants. Each child decorated a pot and selected a flower to plant for someone special in celebration of Mother’s Day.

DEH, a local non-profit agency, supports and assists children and adults with developmental disabilities to live complete and fulfilling lives. The children who participate in the program come from MDI, Ellsworth, and the surrounding communities.

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When completing contest entry forms, you may be asked to enter the following information:

STATE GARDEN CLUB: Garden Club Federation of Maine

LOCAL GARDEN CLUB:  Bar Harbor Garden Club, P.O. Box 652, Bar Harbor, ME 04609

Also, before including personal information, photographs, submitted written material or contest entry, THE CLUB WILL REQUIRE A SIGNED MEDIA RELEASE from the parent (or guardian) of any minor under the age of 18. Completed Media Release forms should be mailed to the requesting Club member.  See Media Release Form.

Garden Club Youth 2022 – 2023 Contests

National Garden Clubs, Inc. (NGC) and their affiliate organizations offer various educational contests for children at the pre-school, elementary, middle and high school levels. Winners of the local Bar Harbor Garden Club (BHGC) competitions go on to compete within the Garden Club Federation of Maine (GCFM), New England Garden Clubs, Inc. (NEGC), and National Garden Clubs, Inc. (NGC).

The contests are open to all students and we encourage children receiving special education services or English as a Second Language (ESL) to participate in the contests. If you have any questions regarding the rules, please do not hesitate to contact the committee at youth@barharborgardenclub.org.

The Deadline for all BHGC Youth Contests is Friday, January 6, 2023.

Poetry Contest—Excite and encourage our Youth to express and explore their creative thoughts through different types of poetry.  Children in Kindergarten through ninth grades are eligible to enter the contest.   The 2021 — 2022 Poetry Contest Theme: “Seeds, Trees and Bees… Oh My – Celebrating the Diversity of Nature”

High School Distinguished Service Project — The High School Distinguished Service Project Award along with $100 for first place and $50 for second place may be awarded to a high school student (9th through 12th grades) for an outstanding civic project making a significant improvement for public benefit, e.g. environment, conservation, landscape, horticulture, recycling, horticulture therapy, etc.

If you know of someone who has done an outstanding civic project consider applying for Award #76, High School Distinguished Service Project under Youth Awards.

Youth Sculpture Contest—The purpose of this contest is to encourage youth to keep our planet green and to get involved with saving our planet. Children in fourth through eighth grades are eligible to enter the contest.  Sculptures must consist of recyclable, reused and reduced materials.

Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl Poster Contest—The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and the National Garden Clubs, Inc. are giving students the opportunity to demonstrate through original drawings of Smokey Bear or Woodsy Owl their understanding of wildfire prevention and basic environmental conservation principles.

Posters are to be completed by individual student artists and may include students from first through fifth grades.  Woodsy Owl is America’s icon for the conservation of the environment.