Great Bay, – Two young students have been chosen to represent S. Maarten at the 2010 FCCA Children's Environmental Poster Competition. Juda-El sam, (15 years old), of the St. Maarten Academy who won in the senior category and Shemar Abdul Hamid, (11 years old), of the Rev. John A. Campus, Methodist Agogic Center, (MAC), winner of the junior category, are the two artists whose posters have been forwarded to the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Selection Committee for judging to determine who the overall regional winner will be.
According to Regina LaBega, Director of Tourism, "the competition seeks to promote and stimulate environmental awareness among Caribbean students, while effectively educating our younger generation on the importance of environmental protection."
It is also a way of sharpening their creative skills, especially in the arts, she added.
For the St. Maarten leg of the competition, the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association along with the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau invited all students from the Primary and Secondary schools on the island to participate in the two categories of the annual contest. A total of 32 entries were received from various schools and were judged on island.
The posters depicted three ways in which the student's destination can make a difference in preserving the environment.
The FCCA will now choose a first, second and third prize winner from the two age categories and award cash scholarships to the overall winners and their schools as follows:
1st place $3000,- for the student and school
2nd place $1500,- for the student and school
3rd place $1000,- for the student and school
"This is a competition in which St. Maarten has been participating for a long time and we wish the two winners this year the best of luck in the regional contest," said LaBega.
The FCCA will notify all winners by Friday, February 12th , 2010.