Secretary of State Jim Condos Announces Awards Winners of 2012 Poster and Essay Contest

Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos

Montpelier - Secretary of State Jim Condos honored the winners of the 2012 Vermont Secretary of State's Poster and Essay Contest on Tuesday, May 22nd at the State House in Montpelier.

As part of the awards celebration, contest winners toured the Vermont State House and the Vermont Historical Society or Supreme Court. At 12:15 p.m., in an award ceremony in the State House cafeteria, the first prize winning students were presented with a certificate and a $100 prize donated to each student's classroom to spend on civics education. There were also a number of honorable mentions for outstanding work.

"It was very difficult to select winners from the many fine essays and creative posters we received," stated Secretary Condos. "This program is a great way to get younger students thinking about their state and its history, while encouraging older students to examine the nature of self governance and its importance in a free society," said Condos.

The Vermont Secretary of State's Poster and Essay Contest is an annual event to promote awareness of Vermont history, the Vermont Constitution, and the importance of voting and democracy among students in Grades K-12.

The winning posters and essays may be viewed on the Secretary of State's Kids Page website at www.sec.state.vt.us.

See below for the list of award winners.

Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos' Poster and Essay Contest

This year's award recipients are:

Grades K-2: Vermont Symbols Poster

Class Winner:
Bridgewater Village School Kindergarten
Deanne Fitzpatrick, Teacher

Individual Winner:
Owen Stark, Castleton Elementary School
Jan Jones, Mosaic Program Teacher

Honorable Mentions:
Ella Kuehn and Olivia Shipley, Castleton Elementary School
Jan Jones, Mosaic Program Teacher

Grades 3-5: Vermont History Poster

Class Winner:
Maple Street School 4th Grade, Manchester
Amy Panitz, Teacher

Individual Winner:
Austin Bruno, Castleton Elementary School
Jan Jones, Mosaic Program Teacher

Honorable Mentions:
Morgan Daly and Olivia White, Lothrop Elementary School, Pittsford
Justine Farrow, Art Teacher

Grades 6-8 Essay Topic: Rights and Responsibilities of Voters

Winner:
Raphael Orleck-Jetter, Thetford Academy
Stacy Barton, Teacher

Honorable Mention:
Maci Prescott, Tommy Knockenhauer, and Molly Verespy, Green Mountain Union High School, Chester
Ashley Carafiello, Teacher

Grades 9-12 Essay Topic: Young Adult Voter Engagement

Winner:
Jonathan Liebman, Champlain Valley Union High School, Hinesburg
Ute Otley, Teacher

Honorable Mentions:
Dana Kaufman, Thomas Keller and Grace Vincent, Champlain Valley Union High School, Hinesburg
Ute Otley, Teacher

Jim Condos is Vermont's Secretary of State.