Steele Elementary School Students Win Liberty Water’s “Be Water Wise” Competition
Steele Elementary students have been named winners in the Liberty Water’s annual “Be Water Wise” Art Contest. Their artwork will be featured in Liberty Water's 2026 calendar, which will be downloadable from the Liberty Water website. The winners include second grader Joseph Cespedes; third graders Ireland Hall, Valentina Portillo-Maravilla, Sumayyah Malik, and Elizabeth Zaluaga; and fourth graders Genesis Vanessa Aguilar, Jada Marie Cervantes, Steve Feeney, Rochaurd George Jr., Ariana Mustapha, Micaela Romero, and Daniel Sewnarine.
What makes this year’s calendar extra special is that all 12 months feature a Steele student’s artwork.
“This is our second year participating in the Be Water Wise Art Contest, and I was delighted to see a significant increase in student participation with so many entries submitted,” said Ms. LaTrace Finney, principal of Steele Elementary School. “I was even more thrilled that all of the winners were from Steele! It feels as if we created our own mini calendar. I love that my students were able to showcase their artistic talents while promoting water conservation. I am an incredibly proud principal.”
Additionally, Steele has been awarded a special water conservation presentation, where an expert from Liberty Water will visit the school to present to students on the importance of water conservation.
The "Be Water Wise" art contest is an annual calendar competition that celebrates artistic expression and creativity focused on water conservation. Each month of the calendar showcases tips for saving water and highlights the significance of conservation through student artwork. The yearly contest provides a creative platform for students across Long Island to delve into the water cycle and promote the need to protect the Island's drinking water. Submissions are judged based on artistic skill, creative insight, and the effectiveness of communicating the importance of water conservation.