RTD Honors 'I Heart My RTD' Student Art Contest Winners

The Regional Transportation District (RTD) gave special recognition to the students, teachers, principals and superintendents of the Aurora and Cherry Creek school districts for their participation in the “I Heart My RTD” student art contest at the RTD Board meeting.

On Dec. 16 at the last board meeting of 2014, the winning students, Sydney Cole from Fox Ridge Middle School in Cherry Creek School District and Jenna Braun and Madison Baxter from Aurora Frontier P-8 in Aurora Public Schools were presented with framed versions of their designs that are displayed on an RTD bus. Aurora Mayor Hogan, art teachers, principals and superintendents of the schools were on hand to celebrate the accomplishments. In addition, the wrapped bus was parked in front RTD headquarters for all meeting attendees to view. 

The students won the awards after an online voting campaign. Nearly 2,400 middle school art students from the Aurora and Cherry Creek school districts submitted artwork on an interior bus card that represents what public transportation means and how it benefits the community for the “I Heart My RTD” student art contest pilot program. The contest theme was “My World. My Art. My RTD”. 

“The aim of the art contest is to encourage young people in our community to be aware of and engaged in their public transit system through art,” said Claudia Folska, RTD Board director, District E, who initiated the idea of the student art contest. “Our children are our future and their voices matter.”  

The winning students were given the opportunity to witness their artwork come alive after working behind-the-scenes with an RTD graphic designer to turn their artwork into a large-scale printable design wrapping a 40-foot bus.

The wrapped bus will be used in service throughout the RTD system. In addition, interior bus card of all the contest entries will be displayed on the insides of RTD’s fleet.