Each year, Lions clubs around the world sponsor the Lions International Peace Poster Contest in local schools and youth groups. It starts out at the local level, and eventually all of the regional winners compete internationally.

The art contest is meant to inspire young people worldwide to express their visions of peace. This was the first year that youths who go to the Mercer Island Boys and Girls Club were invited to participate.

“They’re trying to find out what kids’ concept of peace is,” said Zach Wenman, the facility’s program director.

The theme of the 2011-12 Peace Poster contest is “Children Know Peace.”

Islander Middle School 7th-grader Clio Borgford is the winner, with her wistful drawing of kids cutting out paper peace signs. Borgford’s poster will now move on to the regional level.

“I wanted to draw something peaceful, with nothing bad happening,” Borgford said.

Borgford said she has been drawing since kindergarten and aspires to be an artist, specifically an animator.

She said she loves going to the Boys and Girls Club after school — that it is like a second family to her.

In the last 20 years, more than four million children from nearly 100 countries have participated in the contest, according to the Lion’s Club website.

Posters advance through several judging levels: local, district, multiple district and international. At the international level, judges from the art, peace, youth, education and media communities select one grand prize winner and 23 merit award winners.