New England Science & Sailing Announces Winning Artists in Statewide Contest

Stonington, CT – New England Science & Sailing Foundation (NESS) announced this year's winning artists for the statewide calendar drawing contest entitled "Long Island Sound and Its Watershed: What It Means to Me."The annual drawing contest is open to all Connecticut students currently in Grades K-6. Grace McKee of Niantic Center School was named the overall winner. Her artwork will be featured on the cover of next year's calendar.
 
NESS's President and CEO Spike Lobdell commented, "Over 1,800 talented young artists from across the state participated in this year's contest. All the imaginative, inspiring creations that were submitted depicted environmental stewardship and the importance of preserving Long Island Sound. Many thanks to the students as well as their teachers and parents who provided support."
 
A panel of judges chose two first place and two honorable mention winners from each grade as this year's award recipients. The students will be honored at an award ceremony in Hartford later this month. The artwork will also be part of a year-long traveling exhibit at various locations in Connecticut.
 
Honorees include:

Grade K	First Place	Rynesmee Stilley	Harbor School, New London
Grade K	First Place	Rylee Cort	Individual Entry
Grade K	Honorable Mention	Henry de Oliveira	Morris Street School, Danbury
Grade K	Honorable Mention	Chloe Brissitte	Hayestown Avenue School, Danbury
Grade 1	First Place	Nayeliz De La Cruz	Smalley Academy, New Britain
Grade 1	First Place	Malikiy Caruthers	Harbor School, New London
Grade 1	Honorable Mention	Anya Nadel	Greenwich Japanese School, Greenwich
Grade 1	Honorable Mention	Amanda Muench	Preston Veterans' Memorial School, Preston
Grade 2	First Place	Takuma Fuwa	Greenwich Japanese School, Greenwich
Grade 2	First Place	Sarah Bellissimo	Sacred Heart School, Greenwich
Grade 2	Honorable Mention	Tycen LaBelle	Preston Veterans' Memorial School, Preston
Grade 2	Honorable Mention	Gianna Duzant	Dr. Charles E. Murphy, Oakdale
Grade 3	Overall Winner	Grace McKee	Niantic Center School, Niantic
Grade 3	First Place	Shota Taguchi	Greenwich Japanese School, Greenwich
Grade 3	Honorable Mention	Jeremy Soler	Harbor School, New London
Grade 3	Honorable Mention	Ariele Cardoso	Preston Veterans' Memorial School, Preston
Grade 4	First Place	Yusuke Miura	Greenwich Japanese School, Greenwich
Grade 4	First Place	Lucas Auten	St. Mark School, Stratford
Grade 4	Honorable Mention	Nicholas Pompilli	Niantic Center School, Niantic
Grade 4	Honorable Mention	Kaina A. Melendez	Smalley Academy, New Britain
Grade 5	First Place	Skylar Frost	St. Michael School, Pawcatuck
Grade 5	First Place	Yuri Ikeda	Greenwich Japanese School, Greenwich
Grade 5	Honorable Mention	Zachary Rios	Smalley Academy, New Britain
Grade 5	Honorable Mention	Janelle Lennon	Preston Veterans' Memorial School, Preston
Grade 6	First Place	Mia Bellemare	Hartland School, East Hartford
Grade 6	First Place	Diana Gavrylchuk	Individual Entry, Stamford
Grade 6	Honorable Mention	Andrea Tropea	Individual Entry, Stamford
Grade 6	Honorable Mention	Amalie Harper	Individual Entry, Stamford

NESS, a nationally-recognized and award-winning nonprofit ocean adventure education organization, provides students of all ages with year-round ocean adventure programming that includes marine science, sailing, and water sports. NESS scholastic programs support teachers' STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) curricula with a unique combination of on-the-water and in-the-classroom lessons intended to build confidence, teamwork, and leadership skills.
 
The annual "Long Island Sound & Its Watershed" calendar drawing contest is funded by a grant from the Dominion Foundation and was previously overseen by the Long Island Sound Foundation. For more information about the drawing contest, please visit http://nessf.org/schools/LIScalendar. New England Science & Sailing Foundation, Inc. (NESS), is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) ocean adventure education organization that engages students in experiential learning to build confidence, teamwork, and leadership skills. Marine sciences, adventure sports, powerboating, and sailing are platforms for inquiry-based learning, transformational personal discovery, teaching respect and responsibility for the sea, and creating connections with the community. NESS operates year-round with families, schools, and organizations to provide high-quality programs that blend an innovative curriculum with exciting ocean adventure activities. For more information, visit www.nessf.org.