1 Year Anniversary of Hurricane Sandy - Local Students Show They're Prepared

Just one year after Sandy ripped the New Jersey and New York coastlines, three local youth have been awarded for how they creatively illustrated they are “prepared, not scared” for the unexpected.

For the fifth year, Ready Georgia – the emergency preparedness campaign from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security (GEMA) – asked students statewide to commemorate National Preparedness Month by entering its annual art, essay and video contest. 

Over the course of six weeks in September and October, third, fourth and fifth-graders tackled the theme – “Don’t Be Scared, Be Prepared” – and revealed how they have overcome their fears by preparing for emergencies. In addition, they provided insight on teaching others how to get ready at home and school. 

Local students from Gideons Elementary as well as a student from West Manor Elementary were both awarded for their work here in Georgia!

Entries ranged from personal and fiction stories, to collages, figurative art and videos produced by Georgia classrooms. A team of judges – including Lisa Janak Newman and Danielle Graham, both of GEMA, and Pam Duncan of Imagine It! The Children's Museum of Atlanta – reviewed all of the materials and selected the top finishers in each category. This year’s winners include:

Art

First Place: Jakari Miles, Gideons Elementary School, Atlanta

Second Place: Samuel Garcia, Macon County Elementary School, Oglethorpe

Third Place: Ella Cramer, Bremen Academy, Bremen

Essay

First Place: Jaleria Johnson, West Town Elementary School, Albany

Second Place: Nadia Beavers, Gideons Elementary School, Atlanta

Third Place: Harrison Lucas, West Manor Elementary School, Atlanta

Video

First Place: “Don’t be scared, be prepared” by Shannon Hustick’s class at Hannan Academy, Columbus

Honorable mention: “Storm Preppers” by Cherie Hathcock’s class at Flowery Branch Elementary School, Flowery Branch 

First, second and third place winners will receive prizes including admission passes to AMC Theatres, Atlanta Botanical Gardens, World of Coca-Cola and CNN Studio Tours, gift shop items from Imagine It! The Children’s Museum of Atlanta and emergency supply kits from Ready Georgia corporate sponsor, The Home Depot. All winning entries will be featured on the Ready Georgia website, Flickr, Facebook and YouTube pages.

Natural disasters and emergencies can seem scary, especially for children. But the more they prepare, the less frightening it is,” said Charley English, director of GEMA/Homeland Security. “This contest was designed to help youth creatively apply the information they’ve learned about emergency preparedness and illustrate ways to avoid what could be a life-threatening situation. We were impressed with every entry, making it a challenge to select winners.”