Arbor Day Youth Poetry Contest

Help Fairfax City celebrate its 40th Arbor Day with a poem! This contest, hosted by the city's Environmental Sustainability Committee, is open to all K-12 students throughout the city and closes on the last day of February.

Submit Your Poem

FCPS students

This form is for students with an fcpsschools.net email address who attend Fairfax High School, Katherine Johnson Middle School, Daniels Run Elementary School, or Providence Elementary School. You must be logged in to your student email to access the submission link.

Non-FCPS students

This form is for students who attend St. Leo's the Great Catholic School or The New School of Northern Virginia.

Contest Details

Theme

This year's theme is “Protect the Environment Around You.” Poems should explore environmental stewardship topics related to Arbor Day and Earth Day, such as caring for the earth's air, water, soil, forests, and biodiversity.

Submission deadline

Poems are due by the end of the day on Sunday, March 8. Students must complete the entry form for their respective school by the deadline to participate. Each student may submit one poem, and the poem must be the student's original work.

Selection

Poems are judged based on originality, creativity, and adherence to the theme. All entries are judged anonymously without the student's name. Winning poems for each school will be selected by city urban forestry staff and members of the city's Environmental Sustainability Committee. Consideration is given to the student's grade level. Poems created with artificial intelligence (AI) or containing profanity, vulgarity, or offensive material are automatically disqualified.

Prizes

Six winning poems will be selected, one each from Fairfax High School, Katherine Johnson Middle School, Daniels Run Elementary School, Providence Elementary School, St. Leo's the Great Catholic School, and The New School of Northern Virginia. Each winner will receive a $50 gift card provided courtesy of the City of Fairfax School Board or the Environmental Sustainability Committee.

Contest winners and their families will also be invited to attend and recite their poem at the city's 40th Arbor Day celebration on April 25, 2026.

Copyright

The author retains all copyrights to the submitted poem. If consent is provided by the student (for those over 18 years of age) or by their parent/guardian, winning poems will appear in city publications with the author's name and school.

2024 poetry contest winner at the city's 38th Arbor Day in Kutner Park.

When

Location

Fairfax, VA