Anyone going to the Rockdale County Board of Education will see a 5-foot-by-10-foot mural made by Rockdale County students to be entered in a national water conservation challenge. Fourth-graders from Peek’s Chapel Elementary School participated in the Wyland Foundation’s 2013 National Mural and Art Challenge, a contest started by renowned artist and conservationist Wyland.

This year’s challenge theme was “Water is Life.” Before students rolled up their sleeves, PCE faculty said students studied the water cycle and considered how water affects Georgia plants and animals that students studied in third grade.

Students also learned more about artist Wyland, who has painted more than 100 murals around the world that advocate environmental protection. After those lessons, students then created a preliminary sketch of the mural in art class. All the students worked together to paint the mural’s background and inhabitants of various Georgia ecosystems.

While it was being created, the mural was set up in the art room so all PCE students could follow the project’s development.

The mural is part of a monthly rotation of student artwork displayed at the central office of the Rockdale County BOE, according to information and community relations director Cindy Ball. PCE’s mural will be displayed on the bulletin board through the rest of December.