DHS’ Division of Family Development’s Office of Child Support hosted the event.
The contest uses the topic of parenting to engage tweens and teens in creative thinking through art. Students, who participate through their schools’ art classes or faith and community-based organizations, create original artwork in their medium of choice to complement the Department’s ongoing advertising and outreach campaign: “Child Support. It’s more than just money.” Winners are selected based upon their interpretation of the year’s theme and their work is included in a calendar that is compiled and distributed every year.
“Each year I’m in awe of these students’ talent,” said DHS Commissioner Jennifer Velez. “Their ability to create such poignant illustrations of what family means to them, is always so impressive.”
This year’s theme was to ‘depict a unique quality in your parent(s) that you see in yourself and hope to pass on to your children’. The winners are listed below:
In the high school category:
- First place, Shiza Chaudhary, Piscataway High School
- Second place, Jung-Jin Deborah Lee, Summit Senior High School
- Third place, Dana Marie Rebutoc, Nutley High School
In the middle school category:
- First place, Heather Heimbach, Schuyler-Colfax Middle School, Wayne
- Second place, Christine Han, Schuyler-Colfax Middle School, Wayne
- Third place, Krista SanGiacomo, John H. Walker Middle School, Nutley
Each winner received a U.S. Savings Bonds, a plaque of achievement and a pair of day passes to Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. All winning entries will be displayed in the Statehouse Annex Tunnel from May 14th through May 28th.
For more information about this program or the New Jersey Office of Child Support Services, please call 1-877-NJKIDS1 or log onto www.njchildsupport.org.