MONTPELIER — More than 70 Vermont students who completed the 2018 Good Citizen Challenge gathered at the Statehouse in Montpelier on March 27 to be recognized for their accomplishment.
Among them were a Middlebury youth and 29 students from Salisbury Community School.
The challenge invited K-12 students to earn points by doing a variety of activities related to civics, history, advocacy and media literacy — all crucial elements of being an informed citizen. These activities included attending city council meetings, picking up litter, reading local news articles, writing a letter to an elected official and naming the five freedoms specified in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
SALISBURY COMMUNITY SCHOOL students earned points in the 2018 Good Citizen Challenge by picking up roadside trash as part of Green Up Day.
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Seven Days and Kids VT organized the initiative, with support from the Vermont Community Foundation. Its goal? To incentivize youth to educate themselves about the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, using their communities as a classroom. Students finished the Challenge by earning 251 points, the number of towns in Vermont.
The Statehouse event was part of their reward. The Good Citizens met with Gov. Phil Scott in his ceremonial office and posed for a group photo.
“I think it’s important for all of us to get involved and be good citizens, be public servants,” said the two-term Republican. And anyone can run for office, he said. “I certainly didn’t envision myself being in the position I am today when I was your age, not by a long shot.”
Speaker of the House Mitzi Johnson (D-South Hero) also addressed the group.
TEACHER DIANE BENWARE helped motivate Salisbury children to take part in the Good Citizen Challenge. Benware is also chair of the Leicester selectboard.
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Representative Peter Conlon (D-Cornwall) introduced the students from the House chamber floor; legislators gave them a round of applause. Afterward, each student received a medal, a T-shirt, a sticker and a pocket-sized U.S. Constitution, donated by Phoenix Books.
Addison County students who completed the Good Citizen Challenge include:
Middlebury: Henry Weston
Salisbury: Riley Amerio, Thomas Bishop, Sophia Boise, Channing Brush, Meredith Cameron, Kayla Charbonneau, Keenan Chicoine, Ethan Delorme, Owen Flanagan, Josie Gaiotti, Chris Gile, Natalie Gillette, Vance Larocque, Jameson Maguire, Addison Moats, Emma Morrissey, Luke Nuceder, Yankee Rheaume, Sutton Rubright, Mercedes Sheldrick, Pela Slater, Makyliah Tellier, Tyreese Tucker, Gabe Velez, Cody Warner, Ada Weaber, Matt Whelan, Mykayla White and Holly Whitney.