2026 High School PSA Competition Winners

Our most sincere thanks to our competition underwriters, the Sacramento Area Sewer District. Their Confluence Regional Partnership Grant includes public education programs that educate students, parents and general public through local area school educational efforts about good community water and sewer habits. Thanks for letting Access Sacramento be your local channel distribution network!

Click on the images below to watch the winning videos!

Student Creativity Takes Center Stage in 2026 SacSewer High School PSA Contest

High school students from across the Sacramento region are using storytelling and media to tackle real-world environmental challenges, as Access Sacramento announces the winners of the 2026 Sacramento Area Sewer District (SacSewer) High School Public Service Announcement (PSA) Contest.

Now in its 8th year, the contest invites students to create original 30-second PSAs that encourage responsible everyday actions—like proper waste disposal, protecting water quality, and preventing sewer system issues. This year, 29 entries were submitted by students representing five regional high schools:

• Franklin High School (Elk Grove Unified School District)
• Cordova High School (Folsom-Cordova Unified School District)
• Pleasant Grove High School (Elk Grove Unified School District)
• Galt High School (Galt Joint Union High School District)
• Christian Brothers High School

“Our partnership with Access Sacramento helps bring important environmental messages to life in a way that truly connects with our community,” said Nicole Coleman, Director of Communications at SacSewer. “These students are turning everyday actions into creative stories that make people think twice about their impact on the environment.”

Entries were produced in both animation and live-action formats and evaluated based on creativity, clarity of message, and overall production quality.

“What’s unique about the contest is that it gives students a chance to gain hands-on experience in storytelling, video production, and public communication while creating messages that benefit the community,” said Joe Barr, executive director of Access Sacramento. “It reflects our mission to provide media education and local platforms that lift community voices.”

Entries were submitted in animation and live-action categories and judged on creativity, message effectiveness, and production quality. Student winners receive cash awards of $500 for first place, $400 for second place, $300 for third place, and $100 for honorable mentions. Awards of merit recipients receive certificates. Teachers are also recognized for their role supporting student participation and achievement.

Winning PSAs will be showcased at an awards presentation on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at the Access Sacramento studios, and will air across Access Sacramento’s broadcast channels, digital platforms, and social media—extending the reach of student-created messages throughout the region.

Animation Category Winners

1st Place

Keep Wipes Out Of Pipes

Tobi Howell

Franklin High School

2nd Place

Don’t Flush ‘Em!

Sofia Herrera Ponce

Franklin High School

3rd Place

Helpful Harvest

Christian Horwath

Franklin High School

Live Action Category Winners:

1st Place 

Royal Flush

Rocky Rankin, Jude Xiong 

Pleasant Grove High School

2nd Place 

Harvest Water-Boosting Sustainability for Sacramento County

Ava Bowling 

Cordova High School

3rd Place

Don’t Flush Medication

Zipeng Zheng

Franklin High School