AUGUSTA, ME — The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) today announced the winners of the 2024 Lyme Disease Awareness Month poster contest. The Maine CDC holds the contest each year for Maine students in kindergarten to 8th grade to help raise awareness about Lyme disease and tick bite prevention. This year, the 15th year of the contest, students designed posters on the theme “Little Tick, Big Deal.”

This year’s winners are:

Zelma Young, 1st Grade, Girl Scout Troop 1561

Caroline Cook, 3rd Grade, Homeschooled Student

Keria Letendre, 5th Grade, Marcia Buker Elementary School

Kylie Welch, 8th Grade, Katahdin Middle and High School

Congratulations to all the winners, as well as honorable mention awardee:

Leila Schmoyer, 7th Grade, Gorham Middle School

Visit the Maine CDC’s website to view the winning posters. Each poster illustrated at least one tick prevention tip:

Know tick habitat and use caution in areas where ticks may live.

Use an EPA-approved repellent.

Wear protective clothing.

Perform tick checks daily and after any outdoor activity.

 Each winner received a Maine State Parks family day pass for themselves and tick removal kits for their classmates. The Maine CDC thanks all participants for their contributions to Lyme Disease Awareness Month.

Visit www.maine.gov/lyme for more information on Lyme disease and other tickborne diseases.

Check out the tick and mosquito school curriculum for youth in third through 8th grades at www.maine.gov/dhhs/schoolcurricula

Watch tickborne disease videos on Maine CDC’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/MainePublicHealth.

Explore Maine tickborne disease data through the Maine Tracking Network. Visit the Maine Tracking Network and click on “Maine Tracking Network: Tickborne Diseases” in the menu on the left.

Honorable Mention: Leila Schmoyer, 7th grade, Gorham Middle School