What does a green future look like?
For students across the School District of Lancaster, that question became the starting point for a creative journey. This month, SDoL students joined peers from across the county to participate in the first-ever Youth Climate Art Contest hosted by RegenAll. The event was held at St. James Episcopal Church as part of the lead-up to the organization’s Third Annual Climate Summit.
The contest invited K–12 students to express their vision of a sustainable future through art. Each submission reflected not only the imagination of our students but also their growing awareness of how climate change affects the world around them. Winning pieces were displayed awarded at the Lancaster County Convention Center during the Climate Summit, where hundreds of community members gathered for a full day of learning, collaboration, and celebration of environmental stewardship.
The initiative was led by Aidan Fife, a 2015 McCaskey graduate who now serves as RegenAll’s Director of Community Engagement. For Aidan, the project was both personal and purposeful. “I wanted to involve kids in our climate summit,” he shared. “Historically, we’ve had a lot of adults talking about creating a better world for the next generation, but this is about hearing directly from that generation and giving them the chance to dream about the kind of world they want to live in.”
RegenAll partnered with several local organizations to bring the event to life. The Lancaster Science Factory, Let’s Go 123, the Edible Classroom, and the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design all contributed their expertise and support. PCAD students helped create a judging rubric, provided easels and displays, and assisted in organizing the art exhibit. These partnerships helped transform the idea into a meaningful platform for youth expression.
The artwork showcased a wide range of ideas about environmental responsibility. Some students envisioned cities lined with trees, renewable energy sources, and people working together to care for the environment. Others created powerful scenes of nature’s beauty and resilience, reminding viewers of what is at stake. Many pieces carried a hopeful message and the belief that collective action can make a difference.
The winning piece from the contest will travel beyond Lancaster. Representative Nikki Rivera has invited RegenAll to display the artwork in her office at the State Capitol in Harrisburg. This opportunity will allow visitors and lawmakers alike to see Lancaster County students’ vision for a cleaner and more sustainable future.
Congratulations to the following students:
High School Winners
- Cal Clapper, McCaskey High School
- Elysmarie Candelaria Sanch, Takysia Brummel, Soul McComsey, Marcelle Cabrol, Helen Whalen (rainbarrel project), McCaskey High School – to be used at Wickersham Elementary School
Middle School Winners
- Myla Schreffler, Manheim Township
- Maya Johnsen Martin, Lancaster Mennonite
Elementary School Winner
- Logan Satko, Manheim Central
For Aidan, seeing SDoL students take part in this initiative was especially meaningful. “I would not be doing this work without the teachers I had at SDoL,” he said. “People like Jenna Ashcroft, Matthew Lawrence, and Lisa Wolfe encouraged me to think critically about the world and to believe I could make a difference. Getting to reconnect with them through this project feels like coming full circle.”
Throughout the evening, families, educators, and community members walked through the exhibit, pausing to admire the creativity of the students. For many, it was a reminder that the next generation is not waiting to be invited into the conversation. They are already imagining the solutions.
The Youth Climate Art Contest served as the opening act for RegenAll’s Climate Summit, which featured more than a dozen sessions, a children’s book reading, and a closing “anti-apocalypse dance party” at West Art. The weekend celebrated both the urgency and the joy of community action, showing that progress is possible when people come together with shared purpose.
The School District of Lancaster is proud of our students for using their creativity to envision a brighter, cleaner, and more sustainable world. Their artwork reminds us that climate awareness begins with imagination and that the future belongs to those willing to see it differently. For more photos, visit us on Facebook.