Skye Mills, a sixth grade student at South Effingham Middle School, has been selected as a state winner in the River of Words Art and Poetry Project. As a member of the SEMS Gifted program, the prize-winning poetry was a result of a collaborative assignment between the scientific study of water and the literary genre of poetry.

River of Words is an international environmental poetry and art project designed to nurture, respect and understand the natural world. Students use their observation skills to describe, through poetry and art, their relationship with Georgia’s water resources.

In Georgia, River of Words is coordinated by the Georgia Center for the Book and Georgia Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) who recognize winners at an awards ceremony each year.

Mills will be honored at the Georgia River of Words Award Ceremony on May 20 at the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Atlanta. In addition, the award winning poetry and art will travel throughout the state as a part of the Georgia River of Words Exhibition. The Exhibition will be displayed in schools, libraries, conferences, festivals, parks and public buildings throughout the coming year.