Every year, Greater Mercer TMA organizes a Safe Routes to School Bookmark Design Contest. This year third through fifth graders in Mercer and Ocean County were asked to create a bookmark design with the theme “Create your own Superhero! What does a Sustainability Superhero look like to you? What powers or gadgets would your Sustainability Superhero have to make your neighborhood cleaner and friendlier?”
With over 300 entries received this year, selecting the winning entries was fun but challenging. “The superheroes the students created were great, “said Cheryl Kastrenakes Executive Director of GMTMA. Their work showed creativity and an awareness of the kinds of actions that can be done to help keep the earth cleaner and greener.”
Two winning entries were selected from each county. The Mercer County winners are Gianna Stines 4th grade student at Robinson Elementary, Hamilton NJ and Joanne Young Lim 4th grade student at Johnson Park School, Princeton, NJ.
Gianna Stines, holding the contest winner certificate and bookmark, and her family at Robinson Elementary, Hamilton, NJ
Joanne Lim, Johnson Park Bookmark Contest winner
The Ocean County winners are Joanna Marie Cali 3rd grade student at Warren Wolf Elementary, Brick NJ and Sophia Pasqua 5th grade student at Island Heights Grade School at Toms River, NJ.
Joanna Cali with the School Principal (left), Gmtma SRTS coordinator, and her 3rd grade teacher at Warren Wolf Elementary in Brick, NJ
Sophia Pasqua, Island Heights Grade School, Toms River, NJ
Each winner received a $50 gift card and had their bookmarks professionally printed. The winning bookmarks are being distributed at many Mercer and Ocean County schools and libraries. Gianna Stines was the Grand Prize winner and her superhero character was turned into a plush toy!
Gianna Stines and Principal Eppley
Gianna’s Sustainable Superhero
2019 Safe Routes to School Bookmark Design winners
We would like to thank everyone for participating; students, parents, schools, and libraries and we can’t wait to see what will be created next year! Look for the bookmarks at your local library or stop by and visit us at local community events.