David Broyles/The News
Cooperative Extension Service Agent Teresa Wilkins stands with Operation: Military Kids Art Contest winners Grace Mauck and Jessica Arvizu Jimenez. Mauck and Jimenez are Life Skills Class students at North Surry High School.
David Broyles/The News
Teresa Wilkins, Cooperative Extension agent of 4-H Youth Development presents Grace Mauck with a certificate and ribbon for her entry in the Operation Military Kids Art Contest visual arts category. Student Jessica Arvizu Jimenez also had a winning entry in the contest. Life Skills students at the presentation included Billy Strausser, Levi Hodges, Adrian Cruz and Adam Hamden.
North Surry Life Skills Class students Grace Mauck and Jessica Arvizu Jimenez have been recognized for the entries in the Operation: Military Kids art contest.
Jimenez competed in the 13-15 year old category and received a yellow ribbon for her picture in the Honoring Our Heroes category. Mauck competed in the 19-year-old category and received a Patriotic Participation Ribbon award for her picture in the Military Life category.
Both photographs along with other award winners were displayed during the 2012 North Carolina 4-H State Congressrecently. The North Carolina Operation: Military Kids Visual Art Contest exhibit was displayed at the Jane S. McKimmon Center on the North Carolina State Campus in Raleigh.
Cooperative Extension Agent Teresa Wilkins explained that Operation Military Kids is organized to support children of geographically dispersed military parents but the arts competition is open to any child ages 5-19 years. It creates state and local community support networks when military parents are deployed.
Local resources included schools, 4-H, Boys and Girls Clubs, Veterans Organizations, businesses, child care providers and community groups. They provide a range of recreational social and educational programs for military youth living is civilian communities.
The art contest is just one of the recognition events to support children coping with the stress of knowing deployed parents may be in harm’s way. Typically, military children need to connect with other youth in similar situations and seek friends and adults who can empathize with them. Themes this year included America the Beautiful, Proud to be an American, Patriotic Pride and Celebrating our Heroes…Past and Present.
Classmates present for the ceremony included Billy Strausser, Levi Hodges, Adrian Cruz and Adam Hamden. Linda Galasetti-Simmons serves as teacher for the Life Skills Class. She said that North Surry JROTC members and Staples staffers helped plotting and processing the entries in the visual arts category of the art contest.
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