Several new schools will be represented at the seventh annual Woodward News Downtown Chalk Art Contest Thursday.

Students from Hardesty, Forgan and possibly Beaver are expected to make the journey to Woodward to showcase their talents.

They will be accompanied by their art teacher Lynnete Teck-Hill.

Teck-Hill actually teaches art in Turpin, but through the magic of television and technology is able to also instruct students in six other schools, which also include Boise City and Elmore City. She is able to teach these students through a distance learning program known as ITV or Interactive Television.

Teck-Hill said she really enjoys the program because it gives students at these remote and/or small schools an opportunity to learn art and develop their abilities, an opportunity which they would not have otherwise.

However, she noted that “it is definitely a challenge.”

“I can’t just walk up to them and point out something on their paper,” Teck-Hill said.

However, by utilizing copiers, fax machines and a special document reader, she said she can still communicate and interact with students.

“We use every bit of technology we can,” she said. “We adapt and overcome.”

Another reason Teck-Hill enjoys the distance learning program is that it enables the students not only to learn from her but also from other schools.

She appreciates how the program allows the students to network with one another, which is also why she encourages her students to participate in the chalk art contest.

“It’s great networking time,” Teck-Hill said.

The students not only get to interact with and learn from their peers from other schools, she said, but also learn how to communicate with the public about their art, since spectators often ask the students questions about their creations.

Teck-Hill said she has been involved in the ITV program while teaching at Turpin for the past 10 years, but only learned about the chalk contest a few years ago.

She had some of her Turpin students participate for the first time last year to sort of test the waters and learn more about the contest. She was so impressed by how organized the contest was and how friendly everyone was that she plans for her students to participate for years to come.

“[They] catered to the artists, the students, and that impressed me a lot,” she said.

So in addition to the 12 to 15 students she will be bringing from Turpin, Teck-Hill said another six or so will be coming from Forgan and all three of her Hardesty students are also planning on competing. She said she is hoping a few of her Beaver students will be able to make it as well.

She said one of the Hardesty students is a foreign exchange student from Germany, which she noted was especially exciting because it would give him the opportunity to see and experience more of Northwest Oklahoma.

While her Hardesty and Forgan students are not quite sure what to expect since it is their first time to participate, Teck-Hill said several of her Turpin students have been about to drive her crazy with their excited preparations for the contest.

She said they have been developing designs for the past few weeks as well as gathering supplies, such as knee pads and blankets, to help them survive the day.

The contest will begin around 9 a.m. and will last until approximately 3 p.m. as the student artists sketch their Centennial illustrations.

Beyond giving her students the opportunity to expand their abilities through competition and networking, Teck-Hill said she really appreciates the chalk art contest because Woodward opens up its downtown area to promote artistic expression.

“Anything that promotes art I want to be a part of, want my students to be part of,” she said.