Students in Framingham, Tyngsborough, Somerville, and Westford receive honors

Left to right: Tristan Khim, Alexi Delcid, District Attorney Ryan, Chormrern Chan, and Nick Rioux.

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Middlesex Partnerships for Youth, Inc., are pleased to announce that Tristan Khim, a student at Nashoba Valley Technical High School in Westford is the winner of the third annual 2015 Poster Project. Honorable Mention Certificates were awarded to: Nick Rioux, a student at Keefe Technical High School in Framingham; Chormrern Chan from Greater Lowell Technical High School in Tyngsborough; and Alexi Delcid from Somerville High School.

More than 190 posters from middle and high school students throughout Middlesex County were submitted for the 2015 Poster Project. The winners were selected by a panel of judges which included art teachers, police officers, school administrators, and staff of the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and Middlesex Partnerships for Youth. This year’s poster contest theme was, “I’m Worth More.” This theme emphasizes the importance of self-confidence and stresses that healthy personal relationships are based upon mutual respect, acceptance, and an appreciation of the differences which make individuals unique.

“We will be using the posters created by these students as part of this office’s outreach campaign to other young people,” said District Attorney Ryan. “When my office hosts workshops based on our ‘I’m Worth More’ theme, our message will be reinforced by the visual images on these winning posters. They encourage young people to stand up for themselves and to resist peer pressure when they are being pulled toward negative behavior which may be unsafe and even criminal.”

In addition to the Poster Project, a companion program, the PSA Project, is held yearly by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and Middlesex Partnerships for Youth. Students in middle and high schools across the county are invited to submit videos they create for public service announcements. This year’s PSA Project theme is also, “I’m Worth More.” Information about the contest may be found at www.middlesexpartnershipsforyouth.com/about. The deadline to enter is May 1, 2015.

Middlesex Partnerships for Youth, Inc. (MPY) is a non-profit organization which provides prevention and intervention resources and training to Middlesex school districts and communities. District Attorney Ryan is the Chair of the MPY Board of Directors.

Through the efforts of District Attorney Ryan and MPY, educators, parents, and students can regularly engage in collaborative trainings with law enforcement, social services, and community-based organizations as well as share the latest information and resources. Such interactions provide the foundation for creating solution-oriented, community-based, multi-disciplinary approaches to addressing youth violence, substance abuse, child abuse and neglect, hate crimes, and harassment across Middlesex County. For more information on prevention and intervention programs visit www.middlesexda.com and www.middlesexpartnershipsforyouth.org.

Middlesex County is the largest county in Massachusetts and one of the largest counties in the country with 54 cities and towns and 26 colleges in urban, suburban, and rural areas, comprising over one quarter of the population of Massachusetts. The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office has offices throughout the county, including in Ayer, Cambridge, Concord, Framingham, Lowell, Malden, Marlborough, Newton, Somerville, Waltham and Woburn.