Taylor Love, an eighth grader at South Effingham Middle School, was recognized as the k-8, third place statewide winner for the University of Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute’s “2009 Safety Belt Public Service Announcement Contest.”  

Love’s public service announcement (PSA) advanced to the state competition after winning first place in Effingham County in the k-8 division.  
Each year the Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute conducts a statewide poster/public service announcement/essay contest on “Why You Should Wear Seatbelts and Use Child Safety Seats.”

Children in grades kindergarten through 12 in all public, private and home schools are encouraged to participate. The state level winners receive a plaque and a monetary prize sponsored by Georgia Power, the official contest sponsor.

The posters, PSAs and essays are first judged at the school level. The school level winners are submitted to GTIPI for county judging. First place county winners become the pool from which state winners are judged. Posters are judged on content, message, accuracy and artistic detail.

The winning students at the state level receive a plaque and a monetary prize.

Artwork from the first, second and third place state winner posters is featured in the calendar.

The following Effingham County students also were recognized as winners at the county level:

Grades 6-8 PSA contest:  second place-Miranda Hamilton, sixth grade, South Effingham Middle; third place-Caitlyn Richtman, sixth grade, South Effingham Middle

Grades 6-8 poster contest:  first place-Emily Mikulsky, sixth grade, Ebenezer Middle; second place- Grayson Schaffner, sixth grade, South Effingham Middle

Grades 4-5 poster contest:  first place-Mikayla Neal, fifth grade, Rincon Elementary

Grades 2-3 poster contest:  first place-Aaron Cheeseman, third grade, Blandford Elementary

Grades k-1 poster contest:  first place-Leighton Davis, kindergarten, Blandford Elementary