Schools For Clean Water Contest

Save the date! The 2026 contest will run from October 7 – October 21.

School sign ups are open now. Early bird extra credit deadline is June 1, 2026.

Help reduce pollution in Downriver waterways and win money for your school!

School Sign-Ups Are Open!

Be an early bird! Schools who sign up on or before June 1, 2026 will be awarded 50 extra credit pledges.

It’s easy to sign up for the contest. Simply fill out our sign up form to let us know you are participating. All schools must submit the sign-up form by September 30, 2026.

Questions? Email info@allianceofdownriverwatersheds.com

2026 Participating Schools

Anderson Elementary School
Arno Elementary
Chapman Elementary

Flat Rock Community High School
Hedke Elementary

Hunter Elementary
Oakley W. Best
St. Pius Southgate

Tyler Elementary School
Wegienka Elementary School

Original Photo by Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for EDUimages

Great Schools

Take the pledge to help local schools win cash for educational supplies and activities. Help kids — maybe even yours — learn good citizenship.

Clean Streams

Clean storm drains mean clean streams. Take the pledge to help keep local waterways clean for everyone to enjoy.

Safe Streets

Clogged storm drains cause flooded streets. Take the pledge to help prevent dangerous flash floods in roadways and neighborhoods.

What is the ADW Schools for Clean Water Contest?

This is a public service campaign to reduce pollution in the “downriver” portion of southern Wayne County, Michigan. Residents pledge to adopt a local storm drain and assign their pledge to a participating school. Schools that collect the most pledges win cash prizes they can use to purchase educational materials or support school projects.

A family of five picks up leaves from a storm drain.

Prizes

Prizes are awarded based on which schools collect the greatest number of pledges.

• First Place: $1,500
• Second Place: $1,250
• Third Place: $1,000

In addition to prizes for the top three, all remaining schools earning at least 100 pledges will be entered into a drawing for one of five “wild card” prizes of $250 each.

Also, all participating schools can earn 1 credit towards becoming a Wayne County Green School.

2025 Student Pledge Posters

Students have the opportunity to sign and submit a Student Pledge Poster, promising to do their part to keep trash out of local storm drains. To earn up to 50 extra credit pledges, schools submitted a photo of the signed poster before the contest ended.

Anderson Elementary
Anderson Elementary
Anderson Elementary
Anderson Elementary
Anderson Elementary
Anderson Elementary
Anderson Elementary
Anderson Elementary
Arno Elementary
Arno Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Dr. Brenda Hauge Early Learning Village
Grosse Ile High School
Hedke Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Oakley W. Best Middle School
Parsons Elementary
St. Pius-Southgate
St. Pius-Southgate
St. Pius-Southgate
St. Pius-Southgate
Wegienka Elementary
Weiss Elementary

2025 Blue Shirt Days

Schools can earn up to 100 extra credit pledges during the contest by organizing a Blue Shirt Day where students and staff wear a blue shirt. To earn credit, schools submitted a group photo of students wearing blue shirts before the contest ended.

Anderson Elementary
Arno Elementary
Arno Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Dr. Brenda Haugue Early Learning Village
Flat Rock Community High School
Grosse Ile Township High
Hedke Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Oakley W. Best Middle School
Parsons Elementary
Parsons Elementary
St. Pius-Southgate
Wegienka Elementary
Wegienka Elementary
Weiss Elementary

2025 Schools for Clean Water Contest Results

Thank you so much to everyone who pledged in this year’s Schools for Clean Water Contest. By checking on your storm drain to make sure it is clean of leaves, trash, and other debris, you are helping keep your local waterways clean and your streets free from flooding.

This year 18 schools brought in a total of 1,946 pledges to adopt storm drains.

Top Winners

Our top three schools did an amazing job bringing in pledges to support clean water. Congratulations!
1. First place ($1,500): Arno Elementary School (525 pledges)
2. Second Place ($1,250): Hunter Elementary School (520 pledges)
3. Third Place ($1,000): Hedke Elementary School (444 pledges)

Wild Card Winners

Although they didn’t get enough to place in the top three, our five Wild Card winners all collected more than 100 pledges. These schools are the lucky winners of our random Wild Card drawing for one of five $250 prizes:
• Flat Rock Community High School (201 pledges)
• Wegienka Elementary School (210 pledges)
• Chapman Elementary School (421 pledges)
• Oakley W. Best Middle School (202 pledges)
• Weiss Elementary (339 pledges)