This contest is open to California residents in grades K-12. Entry Deadline: January 29, 2026, 5:00pm (PST). Immediate family members of Coastal Commission staff are not eligible. Entries should be individual work, not group projects. There are five grade categories for awards in both art and poetry: K-1, 2-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. Entries must have a California coastal or ocean theme (for example, no tropical or arctic settings or species). Art does not need to depict specific places or species, but if it does, they must be California places and species. Meaning, sometimes a fish is just a “fish,” but if it’s a recognizable type of fish, make sure it’s one that lives here! (Learn about California native species.) And while you can submit a poem about “the beach,” please don’t submit one about Waikiki Beach, for example. Winners will be selected for art and poetry in each of the five grade categories; winners will receive a $100 gift certificate to an art supply store (art), courtesy of BLICK Art Materials, or a bookstore (poetry), and tickets to Aquarium of the Pacific, courtesy of the Aquarium. Each winner’s teacher (named on the Entry Form) will receive a $50 gift certificate for educational supplies from Acorn Naturalists. In addition, multiple honorable mentions may be selected. Please visit our webpage for more contest guidelines and how to enter.