Burlington--To help recognize the importance of trees, Grade K-8 students from throughout Vermont were invited to submit an original story and artwork for the annual Growing Works of Art contest.
The theme of this year's contest was "Sharing your TREE-mendous story." A total of 355 students from 14 schools and 23 families (home school and public school students working independently) entered the contest.
Entries were judged on creativity and originality (50 percent) and how well the story was told through writing and illustration (50 percent). A Vermont State Park punch pass was awarded to the top entry in each grade.
To view the winning entries for 2022 and previous years, visit go.uvm.edu/gwa. Click on each image for the winner's name and to read the story.
This year's winners also will appear on Across the Fence, University of Vermont (UVM) Extension's weekday farm and home program on WCAX-TV to read their stories and share their drawings. They are:
- Kindergarten: Jackson Partlow, Roxbury Village School, Roxbury
- First Grade: Auden Rubin, Woodstock Elementary School, Woodstock
- Second Grade: Elet McCusker, Rochester Elementary School, Rochester
- Third Grade: Elise Menguc, home school student, Orwell
- Fourth Grade: Elsa Mueller, Benson Village School, Benson
- Fifth Grade: Shea Bellezza, Shelburne Community School, Shelburne
- Sixth Grade: Krish Dahal, Mater Christi School, Burlington
- Seventh Grade: Celeste Hines, Mater Christi School, Burlington
- Eighth Grade: Taylor Tritt, Mater Christi School, Burlington
The contest is sponsored annually by the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program, a partnership between UVM Extension and the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation.