Jayde Haas, a seventh grader at Ebenezer Middle School has been named a state winner in the River of Words Environmental Poetry and Art Project, offered by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division.

Haas’ work was selected out of 3,160 entries, making judging very difficult this year. Contest co-founders Robert Haas, U.S. poet laureate, and Pamela Michael, executive director, and illustrator Thacher Hurd said that the quality of work submitted this year was very high.  The project was designed to showcase the state’s efforts to protect and take care of water resources in Georgia.

Marsha Lott, Haas’ art teacher at Ebenezer Middle School, said she was very proud of her art project.

“Jayde’s artwork was a realistic pencil drawing of raindrops falling onto an oak leaf. She also recently received a full SCAD scholarship to attend ARTSMART Camp at Savannah Arts Academy this summer,” Lott said.

Eighteen students submitted entries in the River of Words competition and were recognized for their participation. Haas’ artwork will be on display beginning in July on the Web site www.gaprojectwet.org.

Other students participating with art projects were: Minakshy Rawl, Melanie Kessler, Michelle Pratt, Jessica Wells and Travis Smoak. Students participating with poetry were: Cara Sanderson, Timothy Cody, Travis Smoak, Peter Waltz, William Burnsed, Kelsey Wilson, Michelle Pratt, Minakshy Rawl, Tatiana Jorge, Whitney Kelton, Cameron Hill and Melanie Kessler.

Haas’ work along with the other winners will travel to schools, libraries, nature centers, conferences, parks, science centers, and government buildings for one year in the “Georgia River of Words Exhibition.”