Winners Announced for Fifth Annual Adolescent Immunization Awareness Contest

New Jersey Middle School and High School Students Promote Vaccine Awareness in the Annual Protect Me With 3+ Poster and Video Contest

NEWARK, N.J.--()--The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey (the Partnership), in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Health, today announced the winners for the fifth annual Protect Me With 3+ adolescent immunization awareness poster and video contest.

The winners and finalists in each category were honored at an awards ceremony and banquet held at The Conference Center at RWJ Hamilton Center for Health & Wellness on April 23, 2017. The top three winners in the poster and video categories received prizes and the opportunity for their artistic creations to be distributed during statewide immunization awareness activities.

Middle School Poster Contest Winners:

1st place: Evonne Chiang
2nd place: Meredith Waropay
3rd place: Arya Sasne

High School Poster Contest Winners:

1st place: Camryn Fontana
2nd place: Sarah Eveland
3rd place: D’Asia Simpson

Video Contest Winners:

1st place: Spencer Friedman
2nd place: Shannon McGavin
3rd place: Zayna Bajwa

Teachers and schools with the most eligible classroom submissions in each category were also acknowledged at the ceremony. The winning teachers and schools include:

  • Venisha Jordan – Franklin Elementary, Rahway, NJ – Middle School Poster Category
  • Cindy Pfirrmann – Scotch Plains Fanwood High School, Scotch Plains, NJ – High School Poster Category
  • William Werntz – Marlboro High School, Marlboro, NJ – Video Category

The Protect Me With 3+ contest raises awareness about the importance of adolescent immunizations to protect against tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap), human papillomavirus (HPV), meningococcal conjugate, and influenza (flu).

This year, the contest submissions doubled to nearly 400 poster and video entries from middle school and high school students across the state. The winning creations can be viewed at http://protectmewith3.com/winners.

“The Protect Me With 3+ contest teaches young adults about the value of vaccinations, as an important part of their health. This competition also provides them with an opportunity to express themselves artistically and gain experience working collaboratively with their peers,” said Ilise Zimmerman, Executive Director of the Partnership. “We are delighted to have received a record number of student submissions this year and look forward to engaging even more students and teachers in next year’s contest!”

“The Department of Health is excited to share these informative posters and videos at health events to promote the importance of adolescent immunization,” said Dr. Tina Tan, State Epidemiologist and Assistant Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health. “The work of these students will help protect the health of New Jerseyans across the state.”

New Jersey students in grades 5-8 were eligible to submit posters, while students in grades 9-12 were eligible to submit either posters or videos. The public voted for their favorite entries from March 20 through April 2, 2017.

About the Partnership

The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation, licensed by the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH). Its mission is to improve the health of women, children, and families. The Partnership has more than 20 years of experience mounting community-based, consumer-friendly and culturally competent educational programs to parents, caregivers, pregnant women and individuals of child-bearing age. For more information visit, http://partnershipmch.org/.

To learn more about vaccinations, please visit the New Jersey Department of Health’s website: http://www.state.nj.us/health/cd/vpdp/index.shtml.

Contacts

Springboard PR
Caroline Vallila, 862-668-9207
caroline.vallila@springboardpr.com

Release Summary

The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey, in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Health, today announced the winners for the Protect Me With 3+ contest.

Contacts

Springboard PR
Caroline Vallila, 862-668-9207
caroline.vallila@springboardpr.com