TORII STATION, Okinawa, Japan -- The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is proud to announce that DoDEA student artwork will be used for the 2006 Federal Voting Assistance Program’s voter information campaign.

In December of 2005, the Federal Voting Assistance Program requested that DoDEA students submit artwork for incorporation into the campaign.  Of the hundreds of works submitted, five were chosen.

During the 2004-2005 school year, posters by Adair Charfauros a senior at Guam High School and Stacy M. Fetherolf, a 5th grader from Quantico, Virginia will be incorporated into the campaign.  Artwork by Jasmine Thibodeax, a 10th grader at Ansbach High School was selected for the cover of the 2006 Federal Voting Assistance Program brochure.

Honorable mentions were awarded to Mathew Bernal, a 5th grader at Sollars Elementary School in Misawa, Japan and Jovan Williams, a 4th grader at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.  Each of the students received a letter and Certificate of Appreciation from the Secretary of Defense. 

The Federal Voting Assistance Program administers the federal responsibilities of the Presidential designee, the Secretary of Defense, under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act of 1986. The Act covers more than six million potential voters. The Federal Voting Assistance Program provides U.S. citizens worldwide a broad range of non-partisan information and assistance to facilitate their participation in the democratic process - regardless of where they work or live.

“Special thanks to the teachers and administrators who encourage our students to participate and congratulations to Adair Charfauros and Mathew Bernal.  Their interest in submitting their artwork and in the democratic process speaks volumes about our students and schools across the Pacific,” said Dr. Nancy Bresell, Director, DoDDS-Pacific/DDESS-Guam.