FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 11, 2011
Contact: Caitlin E. Chamberlain
(207) 441-0501

Secretary of State Charles E. Summers, Jr. Announces Winners of 2011 Maine Constitution Poster and Essay Contest

Winning artwork and essay available on-line

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AUGUSTA - Secretary of State Charles E. Summers, Jr. has announced the names of the winners of the 2011 Maine Constitution Poster and Essay Contest. The contest allows Maine students from grades K through 12 to participate by submitting posters or essays reflecting Maine symbols or history, the Maine Constitution or voting and democracy. 

Secretary of State Summers expressed his enthusiasm for the contest, “I think this is an excellent way for students to creatively showcase their knowledge of topics important to our state and nation.  I was very impressed with the quality of the submissions from participating schools from all over the state.”

The poster contest, open to students from Kindergarten to Grade 5, is broken into two age categories. For grades K-3 “Maine State Symbols” are the focus.  Third grader Isaak Cunningham from Kermit Nickerson School in Swanville took top honors. For students in grades 4 and 5 the topic is “Maine History”.  Fourth grader Carolyn Frank, a home schooled student from East Dixfield, won first place for her poster depicting a timeline of events in Maine History.

The essay contest is for students in grades 6 through 12. The theme for grades 6 through 8 is “The Maine Constitution.”  Seventh grader Gabriel Karam of William S. Cohen School in Bangor placed first in this category with his essay entitled “A Solid Foundation Beneath the Maine State Constitution.”  Entrants in the grades 9 through 12 category base their essays on “The Importance of Voting and Democracy”.  Brett Davisson, a tenth grader from Wells High School won for his essay entitled, “America:  A Limitless Land of Freedom, Opportunity, and Patriotism.” 

Winning students and their class are invited to view the state's original 1820 Constitution at the Maine State Archives in Augusta.

Judges for this year’s contest were Rep. Jane Knapp, R-Gorham, a retired teacher and member of the Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources and Marine Resources Committees, Rep. Anne Graham, D-North Yarmouth, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and a member of the Legislature’s State and Local Government Committee, and Caitlin Chamberlain, Deputy Secretary of State for Communications for the Office of the Secretary of State.   

To learn more about the program and view winning entries from this year’s contest, visit the Secretary of State’s website:  www.maine.gov/sos/kids/student-programs/const_essay.htm.

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