Since 1998, Indiana Connection and participating Indiana electric cooperatives have held an annual art contest for Indiana students in grades kindergarten through 12. The winning works from each grade are then used to illustrate the Cooperative Calendar of Student Art that participating REMCs/RECs have distributed.
Each of the numbered grades is given the corresponding month of the year to illustrate: 12 grades, 12 months. It’s a perfect combination. Kindergartners are assigned the cover each year. The calendar is localized by the participating cooperatives to provide important information to consumers such as billing and annual meeting dates, phone numbers and electrical safety and energy efficiency information. The calendar helps co-ops meet one of the 7 cooperative principles — member information and education. In addition, by being illustrated with student art, the calendar helps fulfill another of the 7 principles — commitment to community. As more art programs in schools face budgetary challenges, Indiana Connection believes encouraging the arts — the imagination, self-expression and creativity these disciplines stimulate — is vital to society. Not only do the arts produce aesthetic beauty and entertainment for our hearts and souls, studies after study show the arts play a key role alongside science, technology, engineering and math in producing the minds of well-rounded, problem-solving, thoughtful individuals needed to lead and run our modern, high-tech world.
Cooperative Calendar of Student Art Contest — ENTRIES CLOSED!
Entry information for the 2027 Cooperative Calendar of Student Art Contest will be announced soon.
Congratulations to the 2026 winners below!
2026 Cooperative Calendar of Student Art Contest Winners Announced!
Here are the talented artist selected in the annual Cooperative Calendar of Student Art Contest.
Grade Division winners ($200)
- Kindergarten —Jane Olsen, Newburgh
- First Grade — Luci Lampert, Birdseye
- Second Grade — Lacey Madden, Birdseye
- Third Grade — Nash Cissell, Borden
- Fourth Grade — Dustin Otto, Amboy
- Fifth Grade — Hunter Spindler, Greenwood
- Sixth Grade — Flynn Cissell, Borden
- Seventh Grade — Isabella Martin, Fort Wayne
- Eighth Grade — Zoe Bubp, Fort Wayne
- Ninth Grade — Cooper Baird, Fort Wayne
- 10th Grade — Daelyn Kirkdorffer, South Whitley
- 11th Grade — Presley Gray, Fort Wayne (Best of Show Winner)
- 12th Grade — Cassidy Skinner, South Whitley
Honorable Mention winners ($75)
- Kindergarten — Junia Richey, Milford
- First Grade — Claire Landis, Georgetown
- Second Grade — Suzie Shepard, Fort Wayne
- Third Grade — Viola Fessel, New Albany
- Fourth Grade — Audrey Katerberg, Madison
- Fifth Grade — Elise Weaver, West Lafayette
- Sixth Grade — Ella Jamiel, Syracuse
- Seventh Grade — Norah Yoder, Fort Wayne
- Eighth Grade — Reece Shalley, Bloomington
- Ninth Grade — Marissa Rodgers, Fort Wayne
- 10th Grade — Elle Zeidler, Elizabeth
- 11th Grade — Annalise Nymann, Seymour
- 12th Grade — Riley Aebersold, New Albany