Burlington - The 2021 Growing Works of Art contest attracted a record 225 entries from 16 schools and 11 homeschool families.
The theme of this year's contest was Healthy Trees, Healthy Lives. Students were asked to create a drawing and written story to share how trees impact our health and our communities.
The contest is sponsored annually by the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program in partnership with University of Vermont Extension and the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. Entries were judged on originality and creativity (50 percent) and how well the students told their tree story (50 percent).
One winner was selected per grade and received a Vermont State Park punch pass. To view the winning entries for 2021 and previous years, visit go.uvm.edu/gwa. Click on each image for the winner's name and to read the story.
Winners were:
- Kindergarten: Oawen White, Reading Elementary School, Reading
- First Grade: Jasper Lawrence, home school student, Tunbridge
- Second Grade: Chelsea Anker, Mater Christi School, Burlington
- Third Grade: Jiya Sekar, Union Elementary School, Montpelier
- Fourth Grade: Rowan Lawrence, home school student, Tunbridge; Rowan also had the top entry for his grade in both first and third grade in past contests.
- Fifth Grade: Emma Haley, Middletown Springs Elementary School, Middletown Springs
- Sixth Grade: Raxa Tariyal, Mater Christi School, Burlington
- Seventh Grade: Kalib Burbank, Sharon Academy, Sharon
- Eighth Grade: Amara Fuchs, Sharon Academy, Sharon