National Water Week Poster Competition Winners

In July and August, we invited kindergarten and primary school students from our region to enter this year's National Water Week Poster Competition. Students were asked to create a poster that reflected what this year’s theme, United by Water, meant to them.

We’d like to thank all the artists who took the time to create and upload their poster submissions. We had an impressive 287 entries, which were then judged by a panel of Coliban Water team members.

Congratulations to all the winners, who will be receiving prize packs this month. A special mention goes to Finn from Cohuna Consolidated School, whose entry placed third in the state competition for the grade 3-4 category. Amazing effort, Finn!

We’d also like to congratulate Heathcote Primary School, which has won $150 towards a sustainability project for their students.

Coliban Water is inviting primary school students from our region to create a poster that reflects what this year's National Water Week theme, United by Water, means to them.

Entries are open until Friday 1 September, with age categories from Kindergarten to Grade 6. There will be prizes awarded for first, second, and third place in each category, and all students will receive a participation certificate.

Tips for uploading a poster

  • Please ensure only high resolution, high quality images are submitted.
  • Image files should be in .JPG or .PNG formats.
  • Uploaded files are limited to 20MB.
  • Original posters can either be scanned or photographed.
  • If taking a photo, please ensure the image is clear and not blurred. Think about;
    • Good lighting.
    • Ensuring the poster fills the entire screen, an overhead shot is often best as you are standing above the poster, looking down.
    • Avoiding flash, as if a glossy poster, you will get glare.

Judging

Winners will be chosen using the following criteria:

  • How well the poster communicates relevant water-related issues.
  • How attractive it looks from a distance.
  • Whether art materials have been used effectively.
  • Whether the poster uses innovative imagery, design or concepts.

Prizes

Student prizes:
1st place - Coliban Water Prize Pack along with a water, sustainability or culture-themed book.
2nd and 3rd place - A Coliban Water Prize Pack.
All students will receive a Participation Certificate.

School prize:
Every participating school and kindergarten will enter the draw to win $150 towards a sustainability project for their students.

Contact

If you have any questions, please contact Tara Crosbie:
Mobile: 0429 690 872
Email: communications@coliban.com.au

Submit your entries here open in new window

Poster Design Teaching and Learning Sequence

Set your class up for success with this newly developed series of activities. Focused on guiding participants through the design process behind a successful poster, students will unpack the theme: ‘United by Water’, mind-map key elements, and then develop their concepts through to a final.

Download the lesson plan here

lesson plan layout

Book Resources

To help celebrate National Water Week in classrooms across our region, we've curated a selection of our favourite water-themed picture books. With beautiful illustrations and stories, these books are sure to inspire and help children understand the natural water cycle and the importance of water in all its forms.

  • Earth Verse.
    Haiku from the Ground Up
    By Sally M. Walker

    A stunning combination of haiku and impressionistic but accurate art encourages readers to think playfully about our planet and its wondrous processes.

  • The Rhythm Of The Rain
    By Grahame Baker-Smith

    From tiniest raindrop to deepest ocean, this breathtaking celebration of the water cycle captures the remarkable movement of water across the earth in all its majesty. A stunning new non-fiction picture book from Greenaway medal-winner, Grahame Baker-Smith.

  • Wilam: A Birrarung Story
    By Aunty Joy and Andrew Kelly

    As ngua rises, Bunjil soars over mountain ash, flying higher and higher as the wind warms. Below, Birrarung begins its long winding path down to palem warreen.

  • Water Is Water
    By Miranda Paul

    This spare, poetic picture book follows a group of kids as they move through all the different phases of the water cycle. From rain to fog to snow to mist, talented author Miranda Paul and the always remarkable Jason Chin combine to create a beautiful and informative journey in this innovative nonfiction picture book that will leave you thirsty for more.

  • When water lost her way
    By Meg Humphreys

    Lost in her ever-changing forms, 'Water' questions who she is after an encounter with a creature in an underground cave. Water seeks all parts of her cycle for answers, which makes her feel overwhelmed and confused. However, 'an old' tree helps her to understand her place in the world and her many interconnections with all living and non-living things.

  • You and Me Murrawee
    By Kerri Hashimi

    In this lyrical, beautifully observed story, a young girl camps by the river with her family. Through her eyes, we see life as it would have been two hundred years ago.
    Murrawee is friend and guide as we experience the rhythms of one day and become strikingly aware of what can be gained, simply by listening and sharing.

Video Resources

We’ve chosen a range of videos suitable for use in a learning environment. They'll help kids increase their comprehension of water and will provide inspiration to further develop our junior water heroes!