Third Annual River of Words Program Announced
Students throughout Alabama will have a chance to get their feet wet in science AND the arts again this year as the third annual Alabama River of Words (ROW) program gets under way.
ROW, a National Center for the Book–affiliated international program, is a contest that promotes environmental awareness, literacy and the arts among the world's children and youth by encouraging young people to translate environmental science into art and poetry.
According to Jay Lamar, director of the Alabama Center for the Book, ROW was founded nationally in 1995; however, 2004 was the first year Alabama participated in the contest, which is open to all kindergarten through 12th grade public, private and home-schooled students in the state. It is cosponsored by the Alabama Center for the Book, the Auburn University Environmental Institute (AUEI), AU Libraries, Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, AU College of Agriculture and the Alabama Water Watch program.
As it begins its third year, the program has gained support from students and teachers. In 2005 some 280 students submitted work to the national contest and one of those students, Morgan Pier of Florence, Ala., was named as a national finalist as well as winner of Alabama's ROW overall award.
Support also is coming from the state’s artistic community. Nationally known river photographer Beth Maynor Young, who lives in Birmingham, has agreed to be ROW’s official artist and spokesperson again this year.
Young’s moving, often haunting photographs chronicle the natural beauty and remnant wild places of the southern United States. She worked as a staff photographer for the magazine and book division of the Southern Progress Corporation, publishers of Southern Living Magazine. Young now operates Cahaba River Publishing (www.cahabariverpublishing.com/), a business dedicated to photographing the remnant wild places of the southeastern United States and creating a visual identity for the region.
“We are so pleased that Beth has agreed to be our River of Words spokesperson again this year,” says Lamar. “Many of the entries in 2005 were from young photographers, and having someone as accomplished as Beth as our spokesperson is an inspiration to these students. In fact, all the state ROW winners this year received sets of Beth’s beautiful note cards that chronicle Alabama’s rivers, which we hope to do again next year.”
Though the deadline for sending in entries to the ROW contest is not until Feb. 15, 2006, students and teachers often spend time in the fall learning about watersheds and systems before the students get down to the creative process. Information on the 2006 contest has been sent to teachers throughout the state, but anyone who wants more information or may have been missed in the mailing can contact Alabama’s ROW program by calling 334-844-4946 or visiting www.riverofwords.auburn.edu.