More than 700 Middle School Students Participated in the 22nd Annual Contest
Metro Atlanta, GA — The Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District (District) held a ceremony at the Georgia State Capitol on Thursday, Dec. 14 to celebrate the winners of its 22nd annual middle school essay contest. London Davis of Harvester Christian Academy in Douglasville was recognized as the District-wide winner along with winners from 12 other counties and the City of Atlanta. District leaders joined the students, parents and educators to recognize the students’ achievements.
More than 700 students from across the 15-county region participated in this year’s contest. Students were challenged to write a 300-500 word essay about local river basins throughout the District. Davis received a $500 prize for her winning essay examining the power, beauty and role the Middle Chattahoochee River basin plays in the local community, noting the river “…is a stunning natural treasure with a vast history and powerful culture.”
Chloe-Blessing Minor, a 6th grade student at Memorial Middle School in Rockdale County, was named the District-wide runner-up for her essay, which noted “Water is a source all humans need. To stay healthy, keep away water pollution, or water scarcity, we should learn how to keep our river basins clean.”
For over two decades, the District has hosted the annual essay contest as an education and outreach activity to challenge thousands of middle school students to think critically about the conservation and protection of water resources in the region.
“We are thrilled by the quality of the essays we received this year and by the level of participation across the region,” said Sarah Skinner, District Manager. “The responses not only illustrate the depth of knowledge participants are gaining through this research, but also their passion for preserving and protecting our local water systems so we all can continue to enjoy access to clean, safe water.”
2023 Essay Contest Winners
- District-wide winner: London Davis of Harvester Christian Academy, Douglas County
- District Runner-up: Chloe-Blessing Minor, Memorial Middle School, Rockdale County
- Emily Segall – Pace Academy, City of Atlanta
- Saanvi Lamba – Mill Creek Middle School, Cherokee County
- Danny Ho – Rex Mill Middle School, Clayton County
- Raina Banerjee – Simpson Middle School, Cobb County
- Christyunna Render – Smokey Road Middle School, Coweta County
- Vikrant Ravi – Kittredge Magnet School for High Achievers, DeKalb County
- Frank Edwards – Crossroads Christian School, Fayette County
- Nila Prakash – Riverwatch Middle School, Forsyth County
- Ahaan Dev – Fulton Science Academy, Fulton County
- Zenishba Naz – Hull Middle School, Gwinnett County
- Teniola Ogungbamila – Hampton Road Middle School, Henry County
- Elizabeth Altman – Austin Middle School, Paulding County
The annual essay contest is one of many District initiatives to raise awareness about conservation efforts and the importance of water quality preservation in the metro Atlanta region. Visit My Drop Counts for information, resources and educational activities about the region’s water supplies and planning.
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About the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District (District)
The Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District is dedicated to developing a comprehensive regional and watershed-specific Water Resources Management Plan to be implemented by local governments in the 15-county metro Atlanta region, which includes Bartow, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry, Paulding and Rockdale counties. The Plan conserves public water supplies, protects water quality and recreational value of the waters and minimizes potential adverse impacts of development on waters in and downstream of the region. Learn more at www.northgeorgiawater.org.