Ridgeline High School student Clair Turpin won for the third year in a row at the Utah High School Clean Air Marketing Contest.
LOGAN – The winners of the 2024 Utah High School Clean Air Marketing Contest were recently revealed during a ceremony held at Utah State University’s Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art (NEHMA) Community Art Day.
Claire Turpin, a student from Ridgeline High School in Millville, clinched the $250 Cache Valley Electric Award, marking an historic moment as she became the only contestant in the contest’s history to secure three consecutive wins at the state level. Turpin’s winning entries will be prominently showcased at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at USU over the next year, honoring her achievement.
This year’s contest drew the participation of over 1000 high school students spanning from southern Utah to southern Idaho, all tasked with crafting public service announcements (PSAs) aimed at promoting clean air initiatives. Among these submissions, 57 were selected as finalists by their respective high schools, with all of the finalists’ PSAs currently exhibited at NEHMA until the end of February.
A panel of 36 judges evaluated the final entries, culminating in the recognition of 20 PSAs as state winners, along with two honorable mentions. Each award bore the name of its donor and ranged in value:
- Maggie Hinkley, Carbon High School — $300 Clark and Christine Ivory Foundation Award
- Yoselyn Zavala, Granger High School — $275 Healthy Human Habitat Award
- Claire Turpin, Ridgeline High School — $250 Cache Valley Electric Award
- Lily Pearce, Logan High School — $225 Utah Hospital Association Award
- Maria Miranda Atencio, Preston High School — $200 Engel & Volkers Logan Award
- Lexi Blackwell, Logan High School — $150 Campbell Scientific Award
- Annika Juhasz, Westside High School — $150 David Cramer Memorial Award
- Sophia Simiskey, Logan High School — $100 Cache Chamber of Commerce Award
- Gabrielle Dance, Whitehorse High School — $100 Sorenson Award
- Pisila Venus Malu, Granger High School — $100 Sorenson Award
- Wybie Gruber, Granger High School — $100 Sorenson Award
- Jacob Weachtler, Green Canyon High School — $100 Krado Award
- Kamree Gunnell, Westside High School — $100 Wasatch Property Management Award
- Jasmine Warburton, Preston High School — $100 Cache Valley Bank Award
- Kylie Skousen, Granger High School — $100 Sorenson Award
- Addie Davis, Ridgeline High School — $100 Lieutenant Colonel Edmund A. Banellis and Ann Banellis Memorial Award
- Johnny Lopez Perez, Granger High School — $100 Sorenson Award
- Cadence Kasperick, Grand County High School — $100 UCAIR Award
- Jade Kennedy, Preston High School — $100 Utah League of Cities and Towns Award
- Jennifer Bertho Diaz, Granger High School — $100 Aeden Anbesse Memorial Award
- Rachel Austin, Logan High School – Patagonia Honorable Mention
- Stephen Twitchell, Grand County High School – Patagonia Honorable Mention
The Utah High School Clean Air Marketing Contest, established in 2015 by USU professors Roslynn Brain McCann of USU Extension Sustainability and Edwin Stafford of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, serves as a platform for teenagers to merge art, science, and marketing abilities to advocate for cleaner air practices. The winning PSAs will be utilized for educational outreach statewide and across social media channels.
Beyond its educational value, the contest aims to heighten awareness among Utahns regarding air quality issues, particularly targeting youth drivers to understand the impact of their actions on pollution levels. Stafford and McCann’s research underscores the contest’s role in not only educating participants but also transforming them into influencers within their social circles, driving meaningful discussions and actions toward cleaner air.
According to McCann, contestants often report a heightened commitment to clean air actions, with parents also acknowledging the influence of their teens in adopting such behaviors.
“Our research shows that the contest is having an impact beyond the teens in educating Utahns about how to help keep the air healthy,” McCann said in a release.
“The entries seem to get better and more ingenious every year,” Stafford added. “Creative competitions are important vehicles for educating youth as they spark the fun of learning and self-discovery that you just can’t replicate in the classroom.”
For further details, visit http://cleanaircontest.usu.edu. For inquiries regarding the winning PSAs for display purposes, contact Edwin Stafford at [email protected].