Emily Marks (left) and Giovana Nolasco De Carvalho stand next to Giovana's winning poster that hangs in the hallways.

“Education will begin a new generation.” Those are the words students all across Allegan County will see to encourage them to stay in school. Those words grace the winning poster in the 8^th annual AAESA “Keeping Kids in School” Poster Contest for elementary students the Allegan Area Educational Service Agency (AAESA) serves.

Dix Street Elementary 4^th grader, Giovana Nolasco De Carvalho is the artist behind the picture and the winner of the 2012 contest, “it means there will be a generation of smarter, better students,” she says and adds that if you stay in school you will a part of that smarter generation, “the smarter people are the more job opportunities they’ll have.”

She, along with other 4^th graders in Otsego entered a design for the poster contest; in total, about 300 students participated across Allegan County. Meijer sponsors this Truancy Poster Contest to encourage kids to stay in school.

Along with the words “Education will begin a new generation”, Giovana put traditional school symbols on her poster such as math signs and an apple. For her win, Giovana received a Kindle Fire, a framed print of her winning poster, and a $50 gift card to Amazon. In addition, her poster will be distributed to schools all across the county. She received her award at the May 21st AAESA Board meeting. (Pictured right)

Otsego is also very proud to have the runner-up to the contest, Emily Marks, also a 4^th grade student at Dix Street Elementary. Emily received a Kindle Touch and $25 gift card to Amazon. Emily’s poster depicts a giant bobble head of her with a giant ear toward an old fashioned red brick schoolhouse on a hill. It reads “If you want to keep ahead in life, keep an ear in school.”