NJ Students Announced as Winners of 11th Annual Adolescent Immunization Awareness Contest

Twenty New Jersey Students in Grades 5-12 Honored at Awards Ceremony

NEWARK, N.J., May 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey, in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Health, has announced the winners of the 11^th annual Protect Me With 3+ adolescent immunization awareness poster and video contest.

This year's Protect Me With 3+ campaign – Create. Educate. Vaccinate. – emphasized the importance of educating New Jersey communities about the health benefits of vaccination. To participate in the contest, middle and high school students in grades 5-12 throughout New Jersey created 8.5"x11" posters (hand-drawn and digitally created) and 30-second videos about the importance of immunizations in protecting adolescents from COVID-19; Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap); Human Papillomavirus (HPV); Meningococcal ACWY; and Flu.

Over 300 students submitted poster or video entries this year. Among the top finalists, the public selected the following 20 students as this year's winners:

Middle School Poster Contest Winners:

• 1^st Place: Marquie Jeter, 5^th Grader, Franklin Elementary School (Rahway)
• 2^nd Place: Kendall Richards, 5^th Grader, Franklin Elementary School (Rahway)
• 3^rd Place: Tia Rebello, 6^th Grader, Robert Lazar Middle School (Montville)
• Honorable mention: Benjamin Koernig, 7^th Grader, Henry Hudson Regional (Highlands)
• Honorable mention: Lilli Koernig, 7^th Grader, Henry Hudson Regional (Highlands)

High School Poster Contest Winners:

• 1^st Place: Priya Patel, 10^th Grader, Triton Regional High School (Runnemede)
• 2^nd Place: Marquise Green, 11^th Grader, Rosa L. Parks School of Fine and Performing Arts (Paterson)
• 3^rd Place: Jack Wietzke, 12^th Grader, Marine Academy of Science and Technology (Highlands)
• Honorable mention: Zero Beltran, 10^th Grader, Rosa L Parks School of Fine and Performing Arts (Paterson)
• Honorable mention: Spencer Doran, 11^th Grader, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School (Scotch Plains)

Middle School Video Contest Winners:

• 1^st Place: Avery Shui, 5^th Grader, Franklin Elementary School (Summit)
• 2^nd Place: Connor Chuang, 7^th Grader, Heritage Middle School (Livingston)

High School Video Contest Winners:

• 1^st Place: Kylie Tabak and Svana Shankar, 11^th Graders, Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science (Neptune City)
• 2^nd Place: Isabel Romero, 11^th Grader, Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science (Neptune City)
• 3^rd Place: Devon Roth, Rachel Glantzberg and Madeline Rumsby, 11^th Graders, Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science (Neptune City)
• Honorable mention: Makena Augusta, and Kayla Aumack, 11^th Graders, Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science (Neptune City)
• Honorable mention: Tejaswi Vallabhaneni, and Dev Patel, 11^th Graders, Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science (Neptune City)

The winners and finalists were honored at an awards ceremony and banquet held at the Robert Wood Johnson Conference Center on May 11, 2023. The top three student winners in the poster and video categories received prizes and a chance for their creations to be displayed at future health events throughout the state. The winning creations can be viewed at protectmewith3.com/winners.

Teachers with the most eligible classroom submissions in each category were also acknowledged. Winning teachers and schools include:

• Venisha Jordan, Franklin Elementary (Rahway)
• Cynthia Pfirrmann, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School (Scotch Plains)
• Melissa Pitman, Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science (Neptune City)

"The artistic submissions we received showcase the talent of New Jersey's middle and high school students and their desire to educate communities statewide about the health benefits of vaccinations," said Mariekarl Vilceus-Talty, President and CEO of the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey. "We're so grateful for the opportunity to partner with the New Jersey Department of Health again on this fun, youthful contest. Congratulations to all winners, their families, and participating teachers on a job well done."

"We appreciate and thank all of the students and educators who participated in this year's Protect Me With 3+ contest and used their creative talents to raise vaccine awareness," said Dr. Tina Tan, State Epidemiologist and Assistant Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health. "This contest empowers students to advocate for their health and promotes the importance of immunizations across the lifespan." 

For more information about the Protect Me With 3+ campaign, visit protectmewith3.com/.

About the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey
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, partnershipmch.org/.
To learn more about vaccinations, please visit the New Jersey Department of Health's website: nj.gov/health/cd/vpdp.shtml.

SOURCE Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey