Students from high schools across Oregon have earned top honors in a statewide media contest aimed at promoting workplace safety and health awareness among young workers.
The 2026 contest, organized by the Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition, challenged students to create graphic designs or short videos encouraging teen workers to complete the heat illness prevention online course offered by the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division.
Contest organizers said the goal was to reach teens entering the workforce and highlight the dangers of heat-related illnesses on the job, particularly during the summer months. Students were encouraged to develop their own themes, taglines, and messaging to capture the attention of young workers and motivate them to take the training course.
Entries were accepted in two categories — video and graphic design — with videos limited to 90 seconds or less. The top three finishers in each category received cash prizes ranging from $300 to $500. First-place winners also secured matching awards for their schools, clubs, or organizations.
Top winners in the video category included:
- First place: Carlos Vanegas of Crescent Valley High School in Corvallis
- Second place: James Mitseff of Parkrose High School in Portland
- Third place: Toni Kimmel of Crescent Valley High School
Winners in the graphic design category were:
- First place: Pyper Fussell of Henley High School in Klamath Falls
- Second place: Zachary Wilde of The Dalles High School
- Third place: Dai’Joniea Gray of Centennial High School and Center for Advanced Learning in Gresham
The coalition said several of the winning submissions will be used in future advertising campaigns focused on improving workplace safety and health protections for teens.
The contest was supported by a range of workplace safety and industry organizations, including local chapters of the American Society of Safety Professionals, Construction Safety Summit, Hoffman Construction Company, Oregon OSHA, SafeBuild Alliance, SAIF Corporation, and the SHARP Alliance.
Winning entries can be viewed on the coalition’s website.
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