The River of Words Project is a program designed to help K-12 students understand their sense of place by studying a watershed in their own environment then expressing what they discover through poetry and art. The art and poetry can then be entered into a state-wide contest.
Each spring, Mrs. Touchton & Mrs. Blackburn submit works of art from students PreK-12. Approximately 50 winners are chosen each year. Georgia entries are judged by the Georgia Center for the Book and by the GA Environmental Protection Division. LCA students took 7 of those winning spots and were highlighted in an awards ceremony in Decatur.
2016 LCA Winners
- Krista Roe, grade 12, untitled
- Kayla West, grade 11, Fleur Pourpe
- Annabel Beckett, grade 9, Seasons
- Zax Towe, grade 10, mushrooms
- Sydney Stewart, grade 4, Sydney's Sea Creatures
- Alexandra Hammock, grade 11, untitled
- Scarlet Gary, grade 3, Sandy
In addition, Sandy, by Scarlet Gary, was chosen as the Dragonfly winner for 2016. Only one piece of art is awarded this honor each year. The dragonfly away is given in honor of Georgia's own Petey Giroux, the first state coordinator for River of Words in the nation. Petey's lifelong devotion to environmental protection, water education and wildlife won her many awards and the love and respect of countless educators. She left a legacy of creative and energetic environmental educational programs that still enhance the lives of Georgia's students today. The dragonfly, an indicator of clean water and a favorite of Petey's, is symbolic of her free-thinking and fun-loving high spirits. The choice of artwork for this award reflects what the judge's think Petey would have picked.
Scarlett Gary, Grade 3. Winner of the 2016 Dragonfly Award
“It was fun to be chosen for the Dragonfly Award! At the ceremony, I had to stand on stage and tell about my artwork. I told them my crab was inspired by a crab I met at a beach one summer. Mrs. Touchton taught me a technique called crayon encaustic to create my artwork. This was a fun contest and I was so excited to win an award”
The ROW Journal, a full-color printed booklet, is produced to showcase Georgia honorees. The winning works are also reproduced to become part of a traveling exhibit, hosted by the Georgia Center for the Book, which moves to libraries throughout the state.
