AUGUSTA – Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap recently announced the winners of the 2020 Maine Constitution Essay and Poster Contest; a fourth-grade student at Rangeley Lakes Regional School was chosen for her Maine history poster.
Silvi Emami-Greifendorf, a student in Brittany Garcia’s, received top honors for her Maine history poster “Maine’s Commitment to the Civil War,” which includes soldiers, abolitionist author Harriett Beecher Stowe, and Oliver Otis Howard, founder of Howard University and head of the post-Civil War Freedmen’s Bureau.
The annual contest allows Maine students from grades K through 12 to participate, with older students submitting essays regarding the Maine Constitution, voting and democracy; and younger students creating posters reflecting Maine history or symbols.
“The essay and poster contest is a great opportunity for students to reflect on the wide spectrum of Maine’s identity, from our traditional industries to the iconic animals that roam our woods and waters,” Dunlap said. “We congratulate the winners and hope that all of the students gained a deeper appreciation for their state through their participation.”
The essay contest is for students in middle school and high school. It is divided into two categories:
The theme for grades 6-8 is “The Maine Constitution.” Ava Anderson, a seventh-grade student in Helen Williams’ class at Windsor Elementary, received top honors in this category for her essay entitled “Maine Constitution Essay.”
The theme for grades 9-12 is “The Importance of Voting and Democracy.” Olga Baciu, a 10th-grade student in William Prest’s class at Highview Christian Academy in Charleston, took first place in this category for her essay entitled “Every Vote Counts.”
The poster contest, open to students from kindergarten to grade 5, is broken into two categories, with a theme of “Maine Symbols” for grades K-3 and “Maine History” for grades 4-5.
