That's the question middle and high school students were asked to answer in a countywide poster contest sponsored by ADAPT, the Alcohol & Drug Abuse Prevention Team, working to prevent underage substance abuse in Essex County.
Last Thursday, June 27th, ADAPT Coordinator Joel Torres presented the winners and their posters in an Awards Ceremony at the Family Success Center of Orange, a community based family support center run by FAMILYConnections. The winners were commended for their artistic talent and inspiring messages. One winner shared, "its the love of her mother" which has kept her alcohol and drug free. Another poster stated, "live the life you love, you only have one."
The contest winners are from both the middle and high school levels. They are:
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Middle School:
1st Place: Lorenzo Jiles, 8th Grade, Liberty Middle School, West Orange
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2nd Place: Supreme Cook, 6th Grade, Lincoln Avenue School, Orange
3rd Place: Anusha Sivandra, 8th Grade, Liberty Middle School, West Orange
High School:
1st Place: Cecelia Chollette-Dickson, 9th Grade, University High, Newark
2nd Place: Mia Walton and Sarah Franzeth, 10th Grade, Cedar Grove High School
3rd Place: Savannah Lopez and Melanie Calantropio, 12th Grade, Cedar Grove High School
ADAPT, managed by FAMILYConnections, is working with NJ Transit to showcase the winning posters on NJ Transit buses. This is a great opportunity to reach a larger audience with ADAPT's positive message of safe and healthy living. We hope to see posters on buses late summer or early fall to tie in with the start of the school year.
Thank you to our contest judges: Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver, West Orange Student Assistance Counselor Carla Helb and Orng Artistic Director Mike Malbrough.
With over 90 members, ADAPT is working to reduce underage substance abuse through education and innovative projects like the poster contest. To learn more visit www.essexadapt.org.
FAMILYConnections is a non-profit counseling and family services agency in Essex County offering counseling, skills-building, training and prevention services. To learn more visit www.familyconnectionsnj.org.
