AUGUSTA, MAINE – There were more than 300 entries in the Secretary of State Poster and Essay Contests this year. Submissions were received from K-12 students from across Maine. Lowell Griffiths, fourth grade student at the Ashwood Waldorf School, in Rockport, received top honors for his Maine history poster, and Elsie Mann, a ninth grader at North Haven Community School, received first place for her essay on voting and democracy.

The annual contests are designed to excite students about topics related to Maine civic education, including state history and the democratic process.

The contests, which began in 2002, give educators an opportunity to intertwine Maine Civics Learning Results with art and writing composition by engaging students in a statewide competition. Students explore their individual interests by selecting topics from broad themes. All posters and essays were judged based on originality, knowledge of subject, and dedication to the contest theme.  

The following students were selected as the winners:

• Maine Symbols Poster (K-3): Madisen McNellis, grade 3, Fort O’Brien School, Machiasport

• Maine History Poster (4/5): Lowell Griffiths, grade 4, Ashwood Waldorf School, Rockport

• Maine Constitution Essay: Tilly Ewing, grade 7, North Yarmouth Academy, Yarmouth

• Voting and Democracy Essay: Elsie Mann, grade 9, North Haven Community School, North Haven

“This year especially, seeing all of the poster entries and reading through the essays was such a refreshing and joyful opportunity,” said Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, in a news release. “These students showed not only an interest in and passion for Maine but also such a positive and inspirational view of our state, including its past and its future.  We thank the legislators from both sides of the aisle who judged the contests, the educators who made the opportunity available to their students, and most of all, the students of Maine who give us hope for the future.”

Students in Grades K-3 drew posters featuring official Maine state symbols, creating artwork that featured blueberries, moose, landlocked salmon, pine trees, and others. The 2026 winning symbols poster drawn by Madisen McNellis, a third-grade student from the Fort O’Brien School in Machiasport showed a chickadee flying over a Maine lake featuring a salmon swimming.  

Students in grades 4 and 5 drew posters of Maine historical events, including Maine industries past and present. The winning poster created Lowell Griffiths, a 4th grader at Ashwood Waldorf School in Rockport, titled “Oh Pine Tree State” depicted the history of economic development in Maine, from the lumber industry to the emergence of the rail system used to connect Maine’s rugged, rural terrain and its timber and other industries to Boston, establishing a vital trade link. 

Students in grades 6-8 wrote essays regarding what they thought is the most important aspect of the Maine State Constitution. The winning essay was written by Tilly Ewing, a 7th grader at North Yarmouth Academy in Yarmouth, is titled “History of Women’s Rights in Maine.” The essay dives into the changes that have been made over time to expand women’s rights and how gender equality is foundational to freedom and justice for all. 

Students in grades 9-12 wrote about the importance of voting and democracy. The winning essay was written by Elsie Mann, a 9th grader at North Haven Community School in North Haven, is titled, “The Importance of the Vote.” The essay discusses the civic responsibility that is voting and reminds readers that their voices matter and deserve to be heard at the polls.