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 Three Spring-Ford Intermediate School students claimed the top three prizes in the eastern Pennsylvania division of Pennsylvania American Water’s sixth annual Protect Our Watersheds Art Contest. One of those students was selected as the grand-prize winner for the entire state.
Fifth-grader Julia Roshelli is the grand-prize winner and first-place winner for eastern Pennsylvania. Jaycie Loomis placed second and Margaret Godillot placed third in the poster contest.
All three students were honored last spring during National Drinking Water Week. Pennsylvania American Water Company President Kathy Pape presented the students with gift cards to the Discovery Channel’s online store for their winning entries.
In addition, as the grand-prize winner, Julia will have her artwork featured on “Bloomers” cards distribute by Pennsylvania American Water. Bloomers are seed-filled cards that, when planted and tended, produce a variety of wildflowers.
For the contest, the students were encouraged to use their artistic skills to illustrate the importance of protecting Pennsylvania’s watersheds and water resources. Students were also asked to write a short description of how watershed protection affects them personally.
“The art contest is a fund and creative way for students to learn about the importance of protecting our most valuable natural resource, water,” Pape said. “These students are the future stewards of our land and resources, so it’s critical that we help to increase their understanding of the impact humans have – positively and negatively – on our watersheds and ultimately on our drinking water sources.”
When the deadline arrived in early February, the company had received more than 450 entries from fifth-grade students in its service areas across the state, nearly double the amount entered in last year’s contest. Six entries were selected from among all the submissions. Judges selected first-, second- and third-place winners from both eastern and western Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania American Water is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing water and/or wastewater services to more than 2.1 million people. In addition to its regulated operations, American Water provides operation and maintenance services to an additional 112,000 people in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania American Water is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water. Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest investor-owned water and wastewater utility company in the United States. Headquartered in Voorhees, NJ, the company employs nearly 7,000 professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and related services to about 15.6 million people in 32 states plus Ontario, Canada.
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