Home Community Community News Greenport students design logos for trash-free water project

Greenport students design logos for trash-free water project

The winning logo, designed by fifth-grader Abiel.

Seven elementary students at Greenport School were recently recognized for their submissions in a logo contest to promote trash-free waters. The winning design, created by Abiel, a fifth grader, will be printed and displayed in the window and on the menus of four local businesses.

The contest was part of an initiative created by the Product Stewardship Institute, a nonprofit committed to reducing the environmental impact of consumer waste.

Back in March, Greenport STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art Mathematics) teacher Brady Wilkins and fifth grade teacher Stephanie Pawlik met with representatives from PSI and local businesses to discuss ways to implement consumer waste reduction in Greenport Village.

PSI received a grant which allowed them to choose a waterfront community to help make a positive impact on the amount of plastics in our waterways. After selecting Greenport they did analysis of trash on local beaches and chose to focus on reducing plastics such as drinking straws.

The organization assessed each business’s “plastic footprint” and will help them develop and implement plastics reduction plans. The four local businesses involved in the program are Lucharito’s, Tikal.1, Alice’s Fish Market and Bruce & Son.

Wilkins, who is also a certified art teacher, organized the logo design contest, beginning by introducing the fifth grade students to the impact of imagery.

“I showed them slides of about 20 logos they might be familiar with,” said Wilkins. “The students were able to discuss the brands represented by the logos and this brought home to them that sometimes words are not needed – images can be very powerful.”

Wilkins then provided students with an 8” x 8” circle or square in which they drew their logo and encouraged them to refrain from using written descriptions of the point they were trying to make. Instead, they were to focus mostly on imagery. 

The final phase of the project, which is scheduled to take place early next year, is to create marine debris reduction toolkits for local eateries.

The runners-up:

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Katharine is a writer and photographer who has lived on the North Fork for nearly 40 years, except for three-plus years in Hong Kong a decade ago, working for the actor Jackie Chan. She lives in Cutchogue. Email Katharine