Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) has named the winners of its first “Keep Our Air Clean” Student Art Contest.

Earlier this school year, APCD invited students from schools across Santa Barbara County to participate in the contest, offering them a platform to express their creativity and raise awareness about the importance of air quality and the actions that individuals and communities can take to maintain clean air.

Winners in the elementary school level are:
1st Place: Parth Thakran, second grade, Isla Vista Elementary School, Isla Vista
2nd Place: Emma Perez, third grade, Oak Valley Elementary School, Buellton
3rd Place: Dominick Aguilar, kindergarten, Joe Nightingale Elementary School, Orcutt

Winners in the middle/junior high school level are:
1st Place: Kylie Kleen, eighth grade, Trivium Charter School, Goleta
2nd Place: Jovanna Vazquez, eighth grade, El Camino Junior High School, Santa Maria
3rd Place: Bailey Alvarez, eighth grade, El Camino Junior High School, Santa Maria

Winners received prizes including an air purifier, art supply kit, and gift card to an art supply store.

Winners will also have their art featured on APCD outreach materials and displayed at the APCD offices in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria.

“We were excited, and motivated, to receive so many submissions from students all around Santa Barbara County, and selecting the winners was not an easy decision,” said Aeron Arlin Genet, APCD executive director.

“These kids’ art showcased their creativity, positivity, and understanding of simple steps we can all take to keep our air clean now and into the future,” Genet said. “We encourage all the participants to keep expressing themselves through art and caring about our air.”

To view the winning art pieces, visit www.OurAir.org/041425-news.

To learn more about APCD’s Clean Air Ambassadors program, which provides air quality-focused lessons to K-3 students in Santa Barbara County, visit www.OurAir.org/clean-air-ambassadors-program/.