Lister Elementary School’s 400 students will be having a pizza party as one of the prizes won by “Voting is Cool” poster contest grand prize winner Melissa Wells.
Wells, 9, was honored for her winning poster Oct. 13 at an all-school assembly. The poster was unveiled to applause from the Tacoma school’s students, teachers, administrators and others who attended the special event. Afterward, students filed outside where a Pierce Transit bus sat with Wells’ poster attached to the rear panel. The bus will travel on all routes throughout the 414-square-mile area served by Pierce Transit through Nov. 4, Election Day.
The Pierce County Auditor’s Office contest was sponsored by the Puyallup New Car Dealers Association, which is treating for the pizza party at the school. Together with the Washington State Auto Dealers Association, it also is sponsoring billboards throughout the county featuring Wells’ poster.
“This is a public-private partnership that helps to plant the seeds of democracy in young students,” said Auditor Pat McCarthy, who was among the speakers at the assembly. She was joined by Tacoma Mayor Bill Baarsma, Tacoma Superintendent of Schools Art Jarvis, Latasha Wortham representing Congressman Norm Dicks, Ian Morrison representing Gov. Chris Gregoire and Puyallup New Car Dealers Association president Josh Larson.
The poster, created as a project in 4th grade teacher Christine Koukles’ class, features an American flag and ballot as graphics. Text includes “I’ll feel happy when I can vote . . . Vote — your vote counts . . . Remember to VOTE . . . Your vote is your voice!” The poster is shown on page 4 of Pierce County’s Official Local Voters’ Pamphlet.
The contest’s theme was “When I Can Vote” and students across the county were invited to participate. The winning poster was judged on creativity and how well it promotes the value of good citizenship.
“Voting is Cool,” in addition to the poster contest, provides voter-education information to schools. Fourteen of the county’s 15 school districts ordered program educational information. The program has been provided every other year since 2000 and more than 90,000 students have been served.
