Name the Droplet Contest
The Name the Droplet Contest invites students from kindergarten through fifth grade to help us select a name for the star of our animated videos. Students can submit name ideas individually or as a class. Teachers are welcome to work with their students to generate ideas. You can help your classroom win $500 toward a water quality focused field trip or educational materials. Each classmate will receive a rain gauge, pet waste dispenser and portable litter bag. But first, you must enter the competition. Follow the rules below…
How to Enter the Contest
Individual students or classes can submit their ideas by filling out the entry form below.
Contest Rules
- The contest is open to elementary-age children attending school in Cass, Clay, Jackson, Platte and Ray counties on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metro, and Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami and Wyandotte counties on the Kansas side of the metro.
- Entries will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Oct. 4, 2019.
- Full name, name of school, grade and teacher must be included on the online form.
- Be sure to include a brief explanation of why you chose this name for the droplet.
- If your classroom wins this competition, the classroom teacher will select the field trip or supplies to best meet the classroom’s needs.
- A panel of local government officials and environmental experts will select the winner of the contest. The decision of the panel is final.
- The Mid-America Regional Council’s Water Quality Program will request permission to publish a picture of the winning finalist on our organization’s website and social media.
- The contest winner agrees that MARC and its water quality partners in cities and counties across the Kansas City region can use the name in educational materials without further remuneration beyond the stated prize.
- MARC reserves the right not to select a winner if the committee does not find any entries suitable for its public education goals and mission.
Introducing stormwater pollutants to the classroom
Prior to entering the contest, we encourage teachers to share some background information about water quality with students. Below are some initial talking points:
“Did you know stormwater runoff is the number-one source of water pollution? Stormwater runoff is generated by rain and melted snow. As stormwater drains from lawns and pavement, it picks up chemicals that pollute rivers and streams. Stormwater runoff can also result in pipe overflows and flooding.”