The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey, in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Health, has announced the winners of the 11th annual Protect Me With 3+ adolescent immunization awareness poster and video contest.

This year’s Protect Me With 3+ campaign – Create. Educate. Vaccinate. – emphasized the importance of educating New Jersey communities about the health benefits of vaccination. To participate in the contest, middle and high school students in grades 5-12 throughout New Jersey created 8.5″x11″ posters (hand-drawn and digitally created) and 30-second videos about the importance of immunizations in protecting adolescents from COVID-19; Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap); Human Papillomavirus (HPV); Meningococcal ACWY; and Flu.

Over 300 students submitted poster or video entries this year. Among the top finalists, the public selected the following 20 students as this year’s winners:

Middle School Poster Contest Winners:

1st Place: Marquie Jeter, 5th Grader, Franklin Elementary School (Rahway)
2nd Place: Kendall Richards, 5th Grader, Franklin Elementary School (Rahway)
3rd Place: Tia Rebello, 6th Grader, Robert Lazar Middle School (Montville)
Honorable mention: Benjamin Koernig, 7th Grader, Henry Hudson Regional (Highlands)
Honorable mention: Lilli Koernig, 7th Grader, Henry Hudson Regional (Highlands)

High School Poster Contest Winners:

1st Place: Priya Patel, 10th Grader, Triton Regional High School (Runnemede)
2nd Place: Marquise Green, 11th Grader, Rosa L. Parks School of Fine and Performing Arts (Paterson)
3rd Place: Jack Wietzke, 12th Grader, Marine Academy of Science and Technology (Highlands)
Honorable mention: Zero Beltran, 10th Grader, Rosa L Parks School of Fine and Performing Arts (Paterson)
Honorable mention: Spencer Doran, 11th Grader, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School (Scotch Plains)

Middle School Video Contest Winners:

1st Place: Avery Shui, 5th Grader, Franklin Elementary School (Summit)
2nd Place: Connor Chuang, 7th Grader, Heritage Middle School (Livingston)

High School Video Contest Winners:

1st Place: Kylie Tabak and Svana Shankar, 11th Graders, Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science (Neptune City)
2nd Place: Isabel Romero, 11th Grader, Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science (Neptune City)
3rd Place: Devon Roth, Rachel Glantzberg and Madeline Rumsby, 11th Graders, Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science (Neptune City)
Honorable mention: Makena Augusta, and Kayla Aumack, 11th Graders, Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science (Neptune City)
Honorable mention: Tejaswi Vallabhaneni, and Dev Patel, 11th Graders, Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science (Neptune City)

The winners and finalists were honored at an awards ceremony and banquet held at the Robert Wood Johnson Conference Center on May 11, 2023. The top three student winners in the poster and video categories received prizes and a chance for their creations to be displayed at future health events throughout the state. The winning creations can be viewed at protectmewith3.com/winners.

Teachers with the most eligible classroom submissions in each category were also acknowledged. Winning teachers and schools include:

Venisha Jordan, Franklin Elementary (Rahway)
Cynthia Pfirrmann, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School (Scotch Plains)
Melissa Pitman, Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science (Neptune City)

“The artistic submissions we received showcase the talent of New Jersey’s middle and high school students and their desire to educate communities statewide about the health benefits of vaccinations,” said Mariekarl Vilceus-Talty, President and CEO of the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey. “We’re so grateful for the opportunity to partner with the New Jersey Department of Health again on this fun, youthful contest. Congratulations to all winners, their families, and participating teachers on a job well done.”

“We appreciate and thank all of the students and educators who participated in this year’s Protect Me With 3+ contest and used their creative talents to raise vaccine awareness,” said Dr. Tina Tan, State Epidemiologist and Assistant Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health. “This contest empowers students to advocate for their health and promotes the importance of immunizations across the lifespan.”

For more information about the Protect Me With 3+ campaign, visit protectmewith3.com/.

About the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey

The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation, licensed by the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH). Its mission is to improve the health of women, children, and families. The Partnership has more than 20 years of experience mounting community-based, consumer-friendly and culturally competent educational programs to parents, caregivers, pregnant women and individuals of child-bearing age. For more information visit, partnershipmch.org/.

To learn more about vaccinations, please visit the New Jersey Department of Health’s website: nj.gov/health/cd/vpdp.shtml.