Announcing The 2025 Southwest Washington Regional High School Art Show Winners (Photo) -04/09/25

On April 9, Educational Service District 112 (ESD 112) hosted the 2025 Southwest Washington Regional High School Art Show. Presented on YouTube, ESD 112 Superintendent Tim Merlino welcomed guests and participants in this year’s online showcase.

“To the students, thank you for sharing your creativity with us. Your work is inspiring and we celebrate each and every one of you,” said Superintendent Merlino. “This exhibition is a testament to the talent, passion, and vision of our young artists.” 

Winners of the Regional Awards will compete against entries from across Washington State in the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Art Show. This event, now in its 52nd year, honors the tradition and innovation in student art, culminating in a virtual awards presentation on May 14.

In addition to the recognition from ESD 112, select students received scholarships to continue their education in the arts. These scholarships are generously provided by the Department of Art + Design at Central Washington University and the Pacific Northwest College of Art.

Click here to see the gallery of all participants. Student artists who received awards and/or scholarships are listed below.

Regional Awards

These 15 pieces received the highest average scores from the judges and will represent the Southwest region in the Annual State Superintendent of Public Instruction Art Show in Olympia.

• Caelyn Smith, Tattered Paths, Kelso High School, Kelso School District

• Jasmyn Bethards, Safe Haven, Evergreen High School, Evergreen Public Schools

• Ada Chen, 巾巾, Fort Vancouver High School, Vancouver Public Schools

• Anna Caine, Coleoptera, Camas High School, Camas School District

• Elliana (LeeAnn) Higgins, The Chase, R.A. Long High School, Longview School District

• Aiden Lloyd, Nice Docs, Baby!, Kelso High School, Kelso School District

• Elizabeth Stovall, Sgraffito Wildlife Mug, Camas High School, Camas School District

• Kimberly Aldous, boredom., Evergreen High School, Evergreen Public School

• Lilly Adams, Ivy to I-beams, Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield School District

• Connor White, Rusty Blue Teapot, Camas High School, Camas School District

• Sophia Jiang, Mom, Camas High School, Camas School District

• Mia Johnson, Peachy Keen, Kelso High School, Kelso School District

• Hannah Kessler, Sweet Somnolence, Mark Morris High School, Longview School District

• Malya Garza, Comfort of Sleep, Camas High School, Camas School District

• Sarah DeRoos, Wounds of Time, Hockinson High School, Hockinson School District

ESD 112 Awards

The judges rated these 15 pieces very highly in the judging criteria which aligns with the Washington State Arts K-12 Learning Standards, including creativity, composition and technique.

• Ella Hill, The Hills are Alive, Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield School District

• Molly Jung, Take a Breath. Take it In., Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield School District

• Hannah Tapio, Recapturing Hawaii, River HomeLink, Battle Ground School District

• Maria Austin, A Tear in Time, Woodland High School, Woodland Public Schools

• Arkira Phuttong, My Heart Beats For You, Skyview High School, Vancouver Public Schools

• Julien Hewson, If You Can Spin It, Camas High School, Camas School District

• Valencia Hernandez, Small Disruption, Mark Morris High School, Longview School District

• Ava Noble, Obsession Spiral, Woodland High School, Woodland Public Schools

• Avery Berg, Self-Portrait #18, Hockinson High School, Hockinson School District

• Lucas Young, Quilt Vessel, R.A. Long High School, Longview School District

• Nox Woods-McFarland, Oliver the Raccoon, Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, Vancouver Public Schools

• Leonell Alpyorov, Tower of Solitude, River HomeLink, Battle Ground School District

• Tori Rehwaldt, Heavy Things, Skyview High School, Vancouver Public Schools

• Karina Cooper, Home Field Evenings, Camas High School, Camas School District

• Patrick (Tzu Liang) Wang, Tainan City, Camas High School, Camas School District

Honorable Mentions

These 17 pieces were also rated very highly by the judges.

• Elina Caine, What Needs Revival, Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield School District

• Hadley Shores, What’s next?, Woodland High School, Woodland Public Schools

• Emma Ulmer, Burning Out, Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield School District

• Kingston Chapman, Diminishing Glare, Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield School District

• Laurellie Beers, Who’s There?, Woodland High School, Woodland Public Schools

• Abril Solorio-Antonio, Jarritos De Mi Cultura, Fort Vancouver High School, Vancouver Public Schools

• Anonymous, Butterfly, Fort Vancouver High School, Vancouver Public Schools

• Daniel Bareford, Do A Kickflip!, Woodland High School, Woodland Public Schools

• Loralai Nichols, Shroomy McShroom Face, Fort Vancouver High School, Vancouver Public Schools

• Nevaeh Shaw, Seasonal Blooms, Fort Vancouver High School, Vancouver Public Schools

• Piper Gannon, Escaping Destruction, Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield School District

• Benjamin Kerr, Deadly Duel, Camas High School, Camas School District

• Atlas Arianna Nicholson, DAYDREAMZzz, Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, Vancouver Public Schools

• Karlie Bach, My First Try, Stevenson High School, Stevenson-Carson School District

• Megan Wallingford, Garden Party, R.A. Long High School, Longview School District

• Aden Sparman, Kitchen Rush, Kelso High School, Kelso School District

• Avery Deal, Brain Fog, Kelso High School, Kelso School District

ESD 112 Choice Award

This  award is chosen by the staff at ESD 112. The winning piece is purchased for permanent display in the ESD building.

Zachary Clayton, Home on a Winter Night, Camas High School, Camas School District

The Department of Art + Design at Central Washington University Scholarship Awards

The Department of Art + Design at Central Washington University is awarding scholarships in the amount of $2,000 towards future enrollment.

• Kimberlyn Aldous, boredom., Evergreen High School, Evergreen Public Schools

• Anna Caine, Coleoptera, Camas High School, Camas School District

• Molly Jung, Take a Breath. Take it In., Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield School District

• Sarah DeRoos, Wounds of Time, Hockinson High School, Hockinson School District

• Elliana (LeeAnn) Higgins, The Chase, R.A. Long High School, Longview School District

• Zoe Meyer, Auuggghhh, Prairie High School, Battle Ground School District

• Sarah Guzman, family portrait, Woodland High School, Woodland Public Schools

• Anonymous, Solitude, Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, Vancouver Public Schools

• Mia Johnson, Peachy Keen, Kelso High School, Kelso School District

• Tori Rehwaldt, Heavy Things, Skyview High School, Vancouver Public Schools

Pacific Northwest College of Art Scholarship Awards

PNCA is awarding Vision Scholarships in the amount of $3,000 towards Fall 2025 enrollment that will renew annually. 

• Kimberlyn Aldous, boredom., Evergreen High School, Evergreen Public Schools

• Caelyn Smith, Tattered Paths, Kelso High School, Kelso School District

• Connor White, Rusty Blue Teapot, Camas High School, Camas School District

• Ada Chen, 巾巾, Fort Vancouver High School, Vancouver Public Schools

• Sarah DeRoos, Wounds of Time, Hockinson High School, Hockinson School District

• Malya Garza, Comfort of Sleep, Camas High School, Camas School District

• Sophia Jiang, Mom, Camas High School, Camas School District

• Hannah Kessler, Sweet Somnolence, Mark Morris High School, Longview School District

ESD 112 extends its heartfelt thanks to the Department of Art + Design at Central Washington University and the Pacific Northwest College of Art for their generous scholarships and continued support of the Southwest Washington Regional High School Art Show.

Additional photos available upon request.

Cowlitz County Youth Learn Leadership Skills At Annual Prevention Summit (Photo) -03/27/25

On March 21, 2025, more than 250 sixth graders from Cowlitz County public schools gathered at the Longview First Baptist Church for the annual Youth Leadership and Prevention Summit, a full-day conference designed to build leadership skills, confidence, and promote the importance of healthy behaviors.

This year’s theme, “Find Your Good: Lifesaving Leadership,” was woven into various workshops, covering topics such as drug education and prevention, mental health, and leadership. Students were encouraged to work with their Student Assistance Professionals (SAPs), counselors, and teachers to create positive change–whether big or small–in their classrooms. They also learned strategies to educate and support their peers on these important topics.

“Being a student leader means being kind and respecting one another,” said Maverick from Huntington Middle School. “This event builds up student leaders because they can learn how to be kind.”

This year’s keynote speaker was Jake White from Vive18, a national drug prevention platform that provides engaging education and programming to save student lives and create a safer school environment. He encouraged Cowlitz County youth to think about the impact of their choices, expressing that their leadership has the power to save lives. White has spoken to tens of thousands of high school and college students and has been featured on USA Today and ABC News.

Students play a vital role in the event, both as participants and organizers. In 2022, when large gatherings were limited due to COVID-19, Castle Rock Middle School students planned and implemented a smaller summit for Castle Rock and Toutle Lake students and additional events at interested schools. In the following years, students helped plan the regional summit, led workshops, emceed, and were an integral part of the event setup.

The youth summit was sponsored by Community Prevention Wellness Initiative (CPWI) Coalitions, a collaboration between Hilander HOPE (Kelso), EPIC (Longview), and CARE (Castle Rock) Coalitions. All three coalitions are funded by the Washington State Health Care Authority.

“The summit aims to empower students to realize their potential and voice in leadership,” said Lindsey Worley, who has been involved with the CARE Coalition for over 20 years. “We want to guide students to recognize their strengths and confidence to become school and community leaders.”

During the summit, ESD 112’s Prevent Coalition hosted a training for prevention professionals who work directly with students to foster safe school environments. The training, “From Fun to Framework: How to Create Sustainable, Substance Free Youth Movements,” engaged participants in creating sustainable, student-led prevention clubs and explored ways to empower student advocacy and strengthen prevention efforts in schools and the community.

The Cowlitz County Youth Leadership and Prevention Summit has been a cornerstone event for this community since 2003 when the Cowlitz Substance Abuse Coalition (CSAC) and the Cowlitz Meth Action Team coordinated the first summit. The event was funded by CSAC’s Drug-Free Communities Grant and received support from local agencies and faith-based communities, providing space, time, and supplies. The summit was created to bring together youth, empowering them to create change and become leaders in their community–a goal that continues to guide the event today.

The summit’s success would not have been possible without the support of this year’s community partners: 

• Emergency Support Shelter

• Lower Columbia School Gardens

• Toutle Lake High School Prevention Team

• Cowlitz County Juvenile Court

• Castle Rock Schools WEB Crew Program

• 4-H, WSU Extension

• Educational Service District 112

• Kelso Police Department

• Hello Life Eating Disorder Recovery Services

• Cowlitz County Health and Human Services

• Castle Rock Police Department

• Longview First Baptist Church

• Bre Beverly of Holos Yoga + Wellness Collective

Community Prevention Wellness Initiative’s goal is to support proven strategies that will have a long-term, positive impact on youth and families. CPWI is being implemented through active partnerships with counties, Educational Service Districts (ESDs), local school districts, and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Learn more and see CPWI community locations in the CPWI handout.