LYNN — The annual “Keep Lynn Clean” Poster Contest, now in its sixth year since launching in 2019 (with a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic), is now in effect bringing together the mayor’s office, City Council, School Committee, and public school leadership to visit every second-grade classroom in the city.
Across Lynn’s schools this month, second graders are learning a valuable lesson: how to take ownership of their environment and turn their ideas into art that can inspire an entire community.
This year, students in 18 public elementary schools, as well as KIPP Academy and two private schools, are being reached out to and talked to about litter, recycling, and civic pride.
The timing aligns with Earth Day, though this year, school vacation has required organizers to shift visits to the following Monday. In each classroom, officials lead an interactive discussion about how litter affects daily life and what students can do to help.
“We’re visiting every second grader in the entire city of Lynn,” Councilor Brian Field told the students at Ingalls Elementary School. “And we’re asking you to help us celebrate.”
Students eagerly participate, offering answers ranging from “keeping clean every day” to reminders to dispose of trash properly and to recycle materials like plastic.
The conversations are designed to be accessible but meaningful, emphasizing both personal responsibility and environmental impact.
“It’s not just about all of us,” Field explained during the presentation. “It’s the dogs and the other animals that live outside, the birds, the animals in the ocean, the water that we drink.”
The initiative is powered entirely by city leaders who volunteer, many of whom take time off from work to ensure every classroom is reached in a single day.
Field expressed that the effort is worth it, pointing to the level of engagement they see from students.
“They know at such a young age how it makes them feel and what ideas they have,” he added.
After the classroom visits, each second grader is invited to create a poster illustrating their ideas for keeping Lynn clean. Students have one week to complete their designs in class.
The posters are then displayed in school hallways, where faculty vote to select one winner per school.
Those winning posters are collected and brought to City Hall, where they are showcased during a city council meeting.
“No matter what language you speak, here at school or at home, pictures meet every single language there is in our city.” Field said to the students.
Members of the city council, school committee, and Mayor Jared Nicholson will then select a single citywide winner whose design will be featured on a billboard over the summer, offering a highly visible reminder of the campaign’s message.
All school winners receive broader recognition as well. Their posters are professionally printed and distributed throughout local businesses and schools to help spread awareness across the city.
The contest also highlights collaboration across departments and community partners.
Students from Lynn Tech’s graphic arts program assist in printing the posters, while Capitol Waste Services provides funding to cover costs, ensuring no expense to taxpayers.
“They bring it home. They bring it out to their parks,” Brian Field said. “They challenge their parents, they challenge their older siblings to keep it clean.”
For many students, the message resonates immediately. When asked how litter makes them feel, one child answered simply: “Sad.”
That emotional connection, organizers believe, is what makes the program effective.
As Nicholson told the students, “We need your help to remind everyone why that’s important, why we deserve a clean city.”
