Santa Cruz, CA – The City of Santa Cruz is thrilled to announce Brayden Willick, 12, from Branciforte Middle School, as the winner of this year’s Keep Santa Cruz Clean! poster contest. This annual event encourages students to creatively express the importance of recycling and litter prevention.
Brayden’s winning poster, which celebrates the three Rs of waste reduction—Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle—features a colorful hand-drawn dolphin and will be displayed on the sides of City recycling and refuse trucks throughout the next year.
In an exciting addition, the City animated Brayden’s winning poster into a short video public service announcement (PSA) to further spread the message about reducing waste and preventing litter. This video PSA helps celebrate Plastic Free July and will be shared across various platforms to engage the community in waste reduction and litter prevention efforts year-round.
“We’re incredibly proud of Brayden’s inspiring artwork and the message it sends about the importance of waste reduction and litter prevention,” said Nathan Nguyen, Director of the City’s Public Works Department. “This contest highlights our young artists’ talents and reinforces our community’s commitment to a cleaner environment.”
The contest was promoted to local schools in April 2024, with submissions due on May 17, 2024, before school was let out for the summer. The poster contest is a fantastic opportunity for students to showcase their artistic talents while promoting vital environmental messages. The City looks forward to seeing more creative and inspiring entries in future poster contests.
