We want to send a big thank you to everyone who participated in our I Am Here photo contest and helped make it a success!
The grade level winning classrooms will receive $1000 awards for health and wellness projects at their schools. At the 2017 I Am Here Awards on March 2, the students will give “Shark Tank” style presentations and ask audience members to support their projects. A grand prize winner will be announced, and that school will take home an additional $1500 to make lasting change in their community. Watch Last Year’s Pitches
Grade Level Winners
3rd Grade: Whittier Elementary, Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, Teacher: Kristina Kidwell
4th Grade: Edgerton Elementary, Gardner Edgerton School District, Teacher: Crysta Baier
5th Grade: Stony Point Elementary School, Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, Teacher: Ray Lipovac
6th Grade, Dobbs Elementary School, Hickman Mills School District, Teacher: Sharon Ford-Parker
7th Grade, The Barstow School, Teacher: Sarah Holmes
8th Grade, Scuola Vita Nuova, Teacher: Drew Carey (Afternoon Class)
Through the contest, teachers helped students think critically about how their surroundings – walking trails or broken sidewalks, safe playgrounds or blighted lots, schoolyard gardens or fast food restaurants – impact their health. Hundreds of students were involved in the contest and submitted captioned photos illustrating how their communities help and hinder healthy habits.
The ceremony is at 11:30 a.m. at the Kansas City Convention Center at 301 W 13th Street, KCMO 64105. Get Tickets
This year, the awards ceremony will take place over lunch during KC Healthy Kids’ new youth summit, “Champions for Health.” At this all-day conference, 200 students who participated in the contest will learn to speak out for healthier food in schools, walkable communities, urban farms and gardens and more.
Event sponsorships and single tickets are available online. Proceeds help KC Healthy Kids reshape our region for a brighter future. Funds raised also benefit Greater Kansas City’s schools through I Am Here’s cash awards.
Honorable Mentions
Eighteen schools received $100 Honorable Mention awards. These classrooms will receive $100 awards for health and wellness projects at their schools and they are invited to attend the youth summit.
Bonner Springs School District
Bonner Springs Elementary, 5th Grade, Tammy Dooley
Center School District
Indian Creek Elementary, 4th Grade, Michelle Kruse
Gardner Edgerton School District
Trail Ridge Middle School, 7th Grade, Maryann Hebda
Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools
Eugene Ware Elementary, 3rd Grade, Chelsey Skipton
Whittier Elementary, 4th Grade, Sildiane Quinteros
ME Pearson, 5th Grade, Sabrina Rauer
Kansas City Public Schools
Longfellow Elementary, 3rd – 5th Grade, Imani Malaika Mehta
Lee’s Summit School District
Bernard Campbell Middle School, 7th Grade, Stu Reece
Pleasant Lea Middle School, 7th Grade, Joel Staponski
Liberty Public School District
EPiC Elementary, 5th Grade, Deb Caywood
North Kansas City
Meadowbrook Elementary, 3rd and 4th Grades, Sarah Farsace
Shawnee Mission School District
Roesland Elementary 1, 4th Grade, Jennifer Thomson, Stephanie Nielsen
Prairie Elementary, 6th Grade, Laura Moore
Private & Charter Schools
The Barstow School, 8th Grade, Kelly Finn
The Barstow School, 8th Grade, Jennifer Padberg
Scuola Vita Nuova-Morning, 6th-8th Grade, Drew Carey
Summit Christian Academy, 5th Grade (Kates), Ashlee Smith
Photo: Students from Academy for Integrated Arts used their 2014 award to build raised garden beds.
