Elgin launches census-themed digital art contest

Elgin-area children and teens are invited to participate in a census-themed digital art contest beginning Wednesday.

Elgin's Complete Count Committee is launching the contest in partnership with Elgin Area School District U-46, Gail Borden Public Library, city of Elgin, Elgin Partnership for Early Learning and Centro de Informacion to help spread the word about the importance of being counted.

Participating artists will be entered into a drawing for three $50 gift cards for Amazon or local restaurants. Children through grade 12 within the library district and students attending U-46, local private schools and those home-schooled are eligible to enter. Submissions must be made via social media. Participants can upload a photo of the artwork to their own or their parents' social media account. To be eligible for the drawing, submissions must include the hashtag #U46Counts, #GBPLibraryKidsCount, or the name of the U46 town where the student lives followed by KidsCount, such as #ElginKidsCount. Artwork can be a drawing, painting, video or photography and must include the phrase "I count because ..."

Each participant can submit multiple pieces of art to increase chances of winning. The deadline to submit entries is midnight on May 19. A drawing for the gift cards will be held on May 20. Winners will be notified on social media.

To allow the library to post and enter that art into the contest via Gail Borden Public Library's Facebook page, send the photo to lmartin@gailborden.info.