Elementary Art Contest

Celebrating creativity and the bright ideas of our youngest community members!

Each year, the Reading Municipal Light Department (RMLD) partners with local elementary schools to inspire creativity and learning through our Elementary Student Art Contest. The program complements the fourth-grade electricity curriculum, encouraging students to explore key topics such as electrical safety, how electricity reaches our homes, and electricity and the environment. 

How the Contest Works

The contest is open to fourth graders in Reading, North Reading, Wilmington, and Lynnfield. 

• RMLD provides participating schools with art materials and an educational video created by RMLD that brings the year’s themes to life. 
• Teachers guide students in creating posters that creatively express one of the key lessons from the video. 
• Each school submits its top 20 entries to RMLD, where staff carefully review and select three winners per school.

Awards and Recognition 

Winners, their families, and school faculty are invited to celebrate at a special RMLD Art Awards Night, where students are recognized for their creativity and understanding of energy topics. 

• Each student winner receives a $50 gift card. 
• Each participating school receives a $200 art supply gift certificate.

View the 2024-2025 Elementary Art Contest Winners >>

 Tips for Families! Start the conversation at home: Ask your student what they learned about electricity in school! Simple topics like energy efficiency and safety habits help reinforce lessons from the classroom. View more at-home activities about electricity for kids here.