JEFFERSON CITY – The Missouri Department of Transportation congratulates Shelly Jensen and her 1st graders at Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Union, Bailey Wagner and her 4th grade Science Club students at Mountain View Elementary School, Sara Hoefer and her 6-8 grade students in the East Carter R-II School District in Ellsinore, and Rex Beltz and his 9-12 graders in the Glasgow School District on being selected as winners of the 2025 “No MOre Trash!” trash-can-decorating contest.
MoDOT sponsors the contest as part of Missouri’s “No MOre Trash!” campaign to raise awareness about and discourage littering. The contest encourages students from kindergarten through 12th grade to join the fight against litter by decorating and displaying a large trash can with the “No MOre Trash!” logo and a litter-prevention message using a variety of creative mediums.
These first-place winners from each of the four competition categories (K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12) receive a $200 award. All first-place winners are then eligible for the $600 grand prize and trophy. Entries are judged by MoDOT staff.
Immaculate Conception Catholic School Wins K-2 Grade Category
Congratulations to Shelly Jensen and her 1st graders at Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Union on winning the K-2 category for their “Critters Against Litter” entry!
“Our 1st grade students painted, cut and glued pieces of trash to create ‘critters’ of all kinds to represent their ‘Critters Against Litter: Keep the environment clean!’ project,” Jensen wrote in their submission entry.
The school will receive a check for $200 for the category win.
Mountain View Elementary School Wins 3-5 Grade Category
Congratulations to Bailey Wagner and her 4th grade Science Club students at Mountain View Elementary School in Mountain View on winning the 3-5 category for their “How To Train Your Trash Can” entry!
“The students used donated and recycled material to create a likeness of Toothless the dragon from the ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ movies,” Wagner wrote in their submission entry. “The entire project was a team effort, and the trashcan has been a huge success for sharing the anti-littering message with all ages of students here at Mountain View Elementary.”
The school will receive a check for $200 for the category win.
East Carter R-II School District Wins 6-8 Grade Category, Grand Prize
Congratulations to Sara Hoefer and her 6-8 grade students in the East Carter R-II School District in Ellsinore on winning the 6-8 category and the grand prize for their entry, “Don’t get HOOKED on Litter.”
“After submitting various design entries, students participated in a voting process to select their favorite,” wrote Hoefer in their submission entry. “As part of this project, they organized a cleanup effort to collect trash around their campus and along a local creek, highlighting the importance of environmental stewardship. This project not only fostered creativity and teamwork but also educated students about the consequences of littering in their community.”
The school will receive a check for $200 for the category win as well as $600 and a trophy as the grand prize winner. This project will be on display in the MoDOT Highway Gardens building at this year’s Missouri State Fair in Sedalia, Aug. 7-17.
Glasgow School District Wins 9-12 Grade Category
Congratulations to Rex Beltz and his 9-12 graders in the Glasgow School District in Glasgow on winning the 9-12 category for their “River Recycle” entry.
“The ‘River Recycle’ project is a community-focused environmental initiative designed to keep our local river clean and healthy by preventing trash from polluting its waters,” Beltz wrote in their submission entry. “These uniquely designed trash cans will encourage residents, visitors and tourists to dispose of their waste responsibly, ensuring that the river remains free from harmful trash and debris.”
The school will receive a check for $200 for the category win.
The winners were among 24 entries from Missouri students. See images and information on all entries online at modot.org/trash-can-contest.
Missourians can help clean up litter through the “No MOre Trash!” effort. The statewide litter-prevention campaign works to clean up Missouri through education, prevention and cleanup programs. Schools, families, groups, organizations and communities can volunteer to pick up litter, educate others about litter, conduct litter-free activities and encourage friends and families to participate. For more information, visit modot.org/no-more-trash.
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For more information, call MoDOT at 888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636) or visit www.modot.org. To receive the latest statewide news and text alerts, signup for e-updates.
