The annual eesmarts™ contest invites students to answer grade level-specific prompts regarding how they would promote energy efficiency, renewable energy and reducing their carbon footprints to their families, fellow students and schools.
Students express their energy smarts through a variety of formats, including posters, Limericks, letters, picture books, X (tweets), comic strips, poems, and persuasive images.
Key Student Contest Dates
Registration: January 8, 2024 - March 22, 2024
Submissions due: March 29, 2024
Finalist announced: April 10, 2024
Eligibility
The contest is open to students in grades K–12 living or attending school in an Eversource or Avangrid community in Connecticut. See if your community is eligible to participate.
Prizes
For Kindergarten through Grade 12 (at each grade level)
First Prize: $450 Amazon™ gift card*
Second Prize: $250 Amazon™ gift card*
Third Prize: $100 Amazon™ gift card*
*Amazon is a trademark of Amazon.com Inc. and its affiliates.
Judging
Judges will consider factual and scientific accuracy, originality, clarity of thought, readability, persuasiveness, creativity, and appearance. Entries depicting violence or content of an inappropriate nature will be disqualified.
For more information, call 1-800-674-8243 X5, or email eesmarts-studentcontest@EnergizeCT.com
Required Consent Forms and Parent Letters
All entries require a completed consent form.
eesmarts STUDENT CONTEST CONSENT & ENTRY FORM – English
eesmarts STUDENT CONTEST CONSENT & ENTRY FORM – Spanish
Teacher, to inform parents of the contest and consent, include this cover letter with the form.
Parent Cover Letter for Consent Form – English
Parent Cover Letter for Consent Form – Spanish
All projects should be completed by individual students only, no group submissions are allowed.
Create a poster that shows how you can help save energy around your house (for instance, turning off a light or TV when you’re not using it). Use your imagination and show what you’ve learned about saving energy!
- Posters must be between 11″ x 17″ and 18″ x 24″ in size
- There is no restriction on tools used (crayons, watercolor, markers, pastels, etc.)
Write two limericks about different ways you can save energy! A limerick is a funny poem that consists of five lines: Lines 1, 2, and 5 have nine syllables and the last words of each line must rhyme, while lines 3 and 4 have six syllables and the last words of each line must rhyme. Your first limerick should be about saving energy in your home, and the second should be about saving energy at school.
- Provide two limericks on one 8.5″ x 11″ page
- Entries must be typed
Create the design and messaging for an outdoor billboard that promotes saving energy to your community. Create the imaging and words that will influence your community to improve their energy-consuming habits. In 150 words or less, explain how your billboard promotes saving energy.
- Billboard creative must be created on 11″ x 17″
- 150 words or less explanation must be typed and double-spaced
- There is no restriction on tools used (crayons, watercolor, markers, pastels, etc.)
Create an Energy-Saving Superhero and in 150 words or less, explain how your character promotes saving energy. Please create the image of your character on 11″ x 17″ paper and use 8.5″ x 11″ paper for the 150-word or less explanation.
- Posters must be 11″ x 17″
- The 150-word or less explanation must be typed and double-spaced. Please adhere to the word limit
- There is no restriction on tools used (crayons, watercolor, markers, pastels, etc.)
Write a letter to your parent(s) or guardian(s), challenging them to change their energy habits and become more energy efficient. Bring up topics such as energy conservation (for example, turning off the lights) and using energy-efficient technologies like LED bulbs.
- Entries must be 500 words or less, double-spaced, and typed
Create a three-celled, image-based comic strip that represents energy efficiency and shows the “main character” saving energy.
- Comic strips can be hand drawn or digitally created and printed on an 8.5 x 11 or 8.5 X 14 sheet of copy paper
- Comic content must be relevant to saving energy and applying knowledge that they have been learning in school about different kinds of energy. This is a more open assignment but still, students have to focus on the energy aspect of the comic. We will be focusing on the content more than the artwork
- Comics have to contain three or more cells and three or more drawn/sketched ideas or images
- No restrictions on tools used; can be digitally created or hand drawn with colored pencils, pencils, or crayons
Students are asked to write (3) three social media posts as if they are part of the marketing team for eesmarts. The posts will consist of tips to save energy and associated images and hashtags should be included.
- Must be typed on an 8.5″ x 11″ paper sheet
- Relevant image regarding the post (if they are not able to get a printed picture they can draw it)
- The posts must showcase three different topics about saving energy
- Must be 280 characters or less per post
Produce a persuasive image, in words or pictures, that advocates for an energy topic. Write a short poem (125 words or less), draw a cartoon strip (12 cells or less), on energy efficiency, an alternate energy source, or environmental concern. Picture yourself meeting with a friend whose attitude on the issue you wish to change to match your opinion. Entries will be evaluated based on scientific validity and concise and convincing imagery. Every word counts; remember that a picture is worth a thousand words. Prizes will be awarded between grades 9 – 10 and 11 – 12.
- A 125-word poem must be typed and double-spaced
eesmarts Submission Information
Online submissions are preferred. If you attempted to upload submissions previously and had issues, please clear your cache before attempting to upload again.
Note: Eversource and Avangrid reserve the right to reproduce any entry, in whole or in part, or display entries as a public exhibit. Students are not eligible if a parent or guardian serves as a judge for the contest.
After your registration has been received, you will receive an email explaining the submission instructions.
(Please submit only the entries that you registered.)
Images for grades K-2, 4, 5, 9-12 should be mailed to:
Motus Experiential
eesmarts Student Contest
ATTN: Joseph Pymm
P.O. Box 206
Fairfield, CT 06824
Word documents for grades 3, 6, 7, 8, 9-12 can be uploaded by clicking the link below.
Click here to upload
Bulk entries can be mailed to:
Motus Experiential
eesmarts Student Contest
ATTN: Joseph Pymm
P.O. Box 206
Fairfield, CT 06824
eesmarts Frequently Asked Questions
Students in grades K–12 living or attending school in an Eversource or UI community in Connecticut can participate. For a list of cities/towns go to: See if your community is eligible.
Registration runs from Monday, January 8, 2024, to March 22, 2024. You can register online or by mail.
Teachers are welcome to register all their students at one time. Each teacher is allowed to register multiple classes and may also register students from different grades as long as they indicate this on the registration form.
No, only one registration form is needed.
No, but we do encourage teachers to notify parents that their children are being entered in this contest and will need to submit the consent form with the entry.
Submissions must be received by March 29, 2024.
Images for grades K-2, 4, 5, 9-12 should be mailed to:
Motus Experiential
eesmarts Student Contest
ATTN: Joseph Pymm
P.O. Box 206
Fairfield, CT 06824
Word documents for grades 3, 6, 7, 8, 9-12 can be uploaded by clicking the link below:
Click here to upload.
Bulk entries can be mailed to:
Motus Experiential
eesmarts Student Contest
ATTN: Joseph Pymm
P.O. Box 206
Fairfield, CT 06824
Please submit only the entries that you registered.
All submissions need to include the student's name, grade, school, and a completed consent form. Click here for a consent form in English or Spanish (PDF)
Motus Experiential
eesmarts Student Contest
ATTN: Joseph Pymm
P.O. Box 206
Fairfield, CT 06824
Finalist will be announced the week of April 10, 2024.
The awards presentation is in May or June 2024. All winners will be notified and given all necessary details well in advance.
All work must be completed individually.
Our judges base their decisions on the use of accurate and scientific facts, following the challenge’s directions, creativity, readability, persuasiveness, and appearance. Entries containing violence or other inappropriate content will be disqualified. For the official rules, click here.
Winners receive their prizes at the awards ceremony. In the case a student cannot attend the ceremony, the prize will be mailed to the students.
Email eesmarts-studentcontest@EnergizeCT.com or Call 800-674-8243 x5
No. The eesmarts Student Contest is provided at no cost as long as the school or students is located within an area serviced by Eversource or Avangrid. For a list of cities/towns go to, “See if your community is eligible.“