North Pocono and Dunmore high schools earned the top honors in this year’s Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Paint the Plow safety outreach contest in Northeast Pennsylvania.
In PennDOT’s District 4, North Pocono won the Fan Favorite Award and Dunmore took home the Judges’ Pick Award.
Paint the Plow is a statewide initiative conducted by the Department of Transportation that highlights safe winter driving while showcasing students’ artistic talents. Students paint snowplow blades with original artwork reflecting a theme selected by PennDOT. This year’s theme was “Don’t race. Allow some space.”
North Pocono High School’s Fan Favorite Award was determined by online voting at penndot.pa.gov/PaintThePlow. The fans decided the school’s plow design best captured the spirit of this year’s theme.
People were able to vote for their favorite plow from among eight area high schools that entered the 2025 contest. Votes were accepted Dec. 8-14. North Pocono’s entry received 664 votes. Votes were limited to one per person per district.
The Judges’ Pick Award won by Dunmore High School was selected by a panel of PennDOT representatives. The students’ design stood out for its creativity and connection to the winter safety message, PennDOT said.
An honorable mention in the Judges’ Pick category went to Hazleton Area High School.
Throughout the winter season, the student-painted plow blades are put into service on state-owned roads.
Statewide, more than 78 schools participated in this year’s Paint the Plow, with more than 22,000 votes cast in the online Fan Favorite competition. Photos of all the plows can be viewed on PennDOT’s Paint the Plow page at pa.gov/agencies/penndot.
Counties in PennDOT’s District 4 are Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming.
PennDOT urges motorists to practice caution around snowplows. Always maintain a distance of at least six car lengths behind a plow, avoid driving in blind spots and never try to pass or drive between plows operating side by side in a “plow train.” Keep your headlights on to help plow drivers see your vehicle more clearly.
West Scranton High School’s entry in PennDOT’s 2025 Paint the Plow contest. (SUBMITTED)
Hazleton Area High School’s entry in PennDOT’s 2025 Paint the Plow contest. (SUBMITTED)
Western Wayne High School’s entry in PennDOT’s 2025 Paint the Plow contest. (SUBMITTED)
Dunmore High School’s entry in PennDOT’s 2025 Paint the Plow contest. (SUBMITTED)
Delaware Valley High School’s entry in PennDOT’s 2025 Paint the Plow contest. (SUBMITTED)
Carbondale Area High School’s entry in PennDOT’s 2025 Paint the Plow contest. (SUBMITTED)