Seminole Science Charter seventh grader wins county Red Ribbon poster contest

Tvisha Jain’s winning Red Ribbon poster was not left hanging in a classroom. The Seminole Science Charter School seventh grader’s artwork was displayed on a Seminole County deputy patrol car, giving her anti-drug message a highly visible place on roads and in neighborhoods across the county.

Jain won first place in Seminole County’s Red Ribbon poster contest, a student competition built around promoting a drug-free lifestyle. The project was organized by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and Seminole County Public Schools, tying together classroom participation and public-safety outreach in a way that reaches beyond a typical art assignment.

The county’s approach relies on student participation as much as symbolism. Seminole County Public Schools says it works with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Department on district-wide Red Ribbon activities and a yearly contest. Sheriff’s office posts have invited all fifth-, sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students in public and private schools to take part, making the contest a countywide effort that reaches students at an age when prevention messages can still shape habits and conversations at home.

Other middle school students also received recognition. James, Alicia, Maya and Thomas each earned certificates for their creativity, adding more student voices to a campaign that depends on peer-generated messaging. Past school posts have shown Seminole Science Charter School celebrating student winners and sending their artwork on to the next round, reinforcing that this is an established annual tradition, not a one-time showcase.

The Red Ribbon campaign itself has deep roots. The National Family Partnership says it began in 1985 and has grown into the nation’s oldest and largest drug-prevention campaign. Red Ribbon Week is observed each year from October 23 through October 31, and Seminole County Public Schools says the county celebrates during the last full week in October. In previous years, winners have been recognized at public events such as a ceremony at Lyman High School.

For Seminole County families, the message is now moving on a deputy car instead of staying in a poster board frame. That makes Jain’s artwork more than a school honor: it becomes part of the county’s daily reminder that prevention messaging works best when students help carry it themselves.