Winners of "Connecting Ships, Ports and People" Art Contest Announced

Two grand prize winners and 10 finalists have been selected from over 500 entries in the 2017 Connecting Ships, Ports and People calendar art contest sponsored by the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA), the United States Coast Guard (USCG), the Inter-American Committee on Ports of the Organization of American States (CIP-OAS), and Mystic Aquarium.  Each year, these organizations invite students in grades K-12 throughout the Americas to create a poster on a theme related to the marine environment.  A 2018 bilingual calendar showcasing the winning entries will be printed in English and Spanish.  

Students were asked to submit an original poster that creatively depicts the connections among ships, ports and people and how these connections affect our everyday lives.  About 90% of the items people use every day are transported by ships and unloaded at ports before reaching our homes, schools, and communities.  The men and women employed on the ships and at the ports work very hard to ensure that shipping remains the most environmentally friendly and safest way to transport goods across the world.  

The winning artwork is featured on NAMEPA, Coast Guard, CIP-OAS, and Mystic Aquarium websites. Finalists will receive a certificate and a calendar with the artwork from all 12 winners. Two grand-prize winning artists (one from each of the grade brackets) will receive, in addition to the certificate and calendar, a $100 cash prize and a USCG prize package. 

To view the winning Connecting Ships, Ports and People artwork visit namepa.net/art-contest. 

Grand Prize Winners

Grades K-5
Nelson Valencia, Grade 3, Unidad Educativa Atahualpa, Ibarra, Imbabura, Ecuador

Grades 6-12
Camille Quindica, Grade 7, Kapolei Middle School, Kapolei, Hawaii, USA

Finalists

Grades K-5
Dakota Bitterman, Grade 4, Cedar Road Elementary, Chesapeake, Virginia, USA
Wilson Cajas, Grade 2, Unidad Educativa Particular Católica de Cuenca, Cuenca, America del Sur, Ecuador
Theo Campoverde, Grade 2, Unidad Educativa Particular Católica de Cuenca, Cuenca, America del Sur, Ecuador
Edna Canales, Grade 5, La Estancia School, Comayagüela, Francisco Morazán, Honduras
Brandon Larrea, Grade 1, Unidad Educativa Atahualpa, Ibarra, Imbabura, Ecuador

Grades 6-12 
Zulmy Almendarez, Grade 8, CEB Republica de Honduras, Choluteca, Honduras
Daniela Paredes, Grade 8, La Estancia School, Comayaguela, Francisco Morazán, Honduras
Rachel Pizzolato, Grade 7, John Curtis Christian School, River Ridge, Louisiana, USA
John Dang Vo, Grade 7, River Road Middle School, Elizabeth City, North Carolina, USA
Aisha Wilson, Grade 6, Spanish Town Primary School, St. Catherine, Jamaica

Artwork:  Grand Prize Winner Grade 6-12, Working Hard for You, Camille Quindica, Grade 7, Kapolei Middle School, Kapolei, Hawaii, USA