On June 24, PA American Water announced the winners of its 20th Annual “Protect Our Watersheds” Student Art Contest, with a sixth-grade student from Cumberland County scoring top honors.

The company received more than 400 entries from fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders across the Commonwealth.

Sixth grader Colton Stamy of Eagle View Middle School in Mechanicsburg earned the grand prize for his artwork, which will be featured on the cover of Pennsylvania American Water’s annual “Protect Our Watersheds” wall calendar.

The calendars will be printed and distributed across the Commonwealth later this year for use in 2023.

“With increasing emphasis on environmental education in schools, we are seeing more students take an active role in watershed preservation and protection,” said Pennsylvania American Water President Mike Doran. “Activities like our art contest help to remind us that we all have a part in protecting our water sources.”

Stamy’s artwork earned first prize among eastern Pennsylvania entries, followed by Ellie Hine, a sixth-grade student also from Eagle View Middle School, in second place.

Sixth-grader Genevieve Cobley, of St. Mary’s of Carmel School in Dunmore (Lackawanna County), finished third.

In western Pennsylvania, the first-place winner is Annelise Mayer, a sixth-grade student from Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Pittsburgh (Allegheny County), with second place going to sixth-grader Layden Painter from Butler Catholic School (Butler County), and fifth-grader Faith Simon from Ave Maria School in Jefferson Hills (Allegheny County) earning third place.

In addition to having their artwork featured in the 2023 wall calendar, winners will receive bookstore gift cards.

Six runners-up have also been selected, and their artwork will be featured in the calendar and highlighted on the company’s social media channels.

They are: Michelle An Dao and Pranaya Ponduri, both sixth-graders at Eagle View Middle School; Elizabeth Rich, a sixth-grader at Holy Rosary Elementary School in St. Duryea (Luzerne County); Madalyn Krill, a fifth-grader at Butler Catholic School; Harper Davies, a sixth-grader at Thomas Jefferson Middle School; and Maddie Fellin, a sixth-grader at Ave Maria Academy.

The Pennsylvania American Water’s contest requires that the students accompany their artwork with a short description of how watershed protection affects them personally.

For more information on the program, visit the “Protect Our Watersheds” Student Art Contest webpage.

(Photo: Artwork by sixth grader Colton Stamy of Eagle View Middle School, Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County.)

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[Posted: June 24, 2022]

6/27/2022