DANVILLE — High school artists, writers, poets, and actors throughout Vermilion County presented their health-based art projects to judges and more than 200 people at the April 26 seventh annual I Sing the Body Electric Arts and Health Festival.

Students worked individually or in groups to create 85 projects that addressed the serious health issues of alcohol and drug use, depression, body image, violence, and sexuality behavior.

“We are constantly astounded by the originality and thought-provoking messages of these wonderful projects,” Dottie McLaughlin, program coordinator, said in a press release.

At the end of the day Sunday at Danville Area Community College, various awards were presented to students. The top four awards were:

-- Program Director’s Award — Brittany Thomas from Jamaica High School for her project “Trapped.”

-- Tour Director’s Award —Morgan Rakes from Armstrong High School for her drawing “Suffering.”

-- Best Original Work —Taylor Moody of Westville High School for “Looking at Your Heart.”

-- People’s Choice Award — Lauren Trimble from Schlarman High School for her project “Freedom” and to Renae Adams and Morgan King for “When He’s Good, He’s Good, but When He’s Bad … He’s Terrible.”

Additional awards included:

-- The Most Eye Catching Awards were presented to: Morgan Rakes of Armstrong High School for “What Are You Leaving Behind”; Chance Coffey of Hoopeston High School for “Depression”; and Ashley Craig of Oakwood High School for “Speechless.”

-- The Creativity Awards were won by Cathy Wenthe’s health class at Danville High School for “The Positive Aspects of Family”; Alexzandria Morris of Danville High School for “The Dangers of Drug Use, but So Much More”; Jamiee Clutter of Danville High School for “Mother Earth”; Jenna Grites of Danville High School for “Say What You Want to Say”; Kayla Marrow and Ashley Roark of Jamaica High School for “Parents to Be Should Think before They Drink”; and Eva Decorie of Westville High School for “Choose Life.”

-- The awards for best examples of health promotion went to Anna Berenz of Catlin High School for “Is It Worth It?” and Kayleigh White and Elizabeth Vice of Jamaica High School for “How Much Does It Cost for a Baby?”

-- Creative Writing Awards were given to Jeremiah Hoskins of The Center for Children’s Services for “You Are Not Alone”; Amanda Burton of Middlefork for “Family Portrait”; and Ashly Meyer of Middlefork for “I Feel Alone.”

Monetary awards will be presented to the winners at their individual school’s year-end assemblies or group celebrations. After archiving the projects, the staff of I Sing the Body Electric will begin scheduling the summer tour. Any group wishing to schedule a tour should call 442-6594.

I Sing the Body Electric is a community outreach program of Provena United Samaritans Medical Center Foundation. Primary funding for the program in 2009 is provided by Provena United Samaritans Medical Center Foundation/Festival of Trees, the Herr Family Foundation, Provena Health Transforming Communities Fund, the John P. Cadle Foundation, A. L. Webster Foundation, and Golden K Kiwanis.

Partner organizations include Provena United Samaritans Medical Center and its Foundation, Danville Area Community College, Danville District 118, Vermilion County Regional Office of Education, Vermilion County Health Department, Hoopeston Multi-Agency, Hoopeston Community Memorial Hospital, and the Center for Children’s Services.

Listed below are all the students who received awards from each participating high school:

-- Armstrong Township High School: Ryan Brucker and Jennifer Osborn, Merit; Kourtney Newell, Merit; Jennifer Osborn, Grand Merit; Rachael Walls, Merit; Morgan Rakes, Most Eye Catching and Tour Director’s Award

-- Bismarck-Henning High School: Cheyanne Dawson, Grand Merit

-- Catlin High School: Anna Berenz, Health Promotion Award; Ashley Thompson, Merit

-- The Center for Children’s Services: Jeremiah Hoskins, Creative Writing Award and Merit; Samantha Smith, Grand Merit

-- Danville High School: Renae Adams and Morgan King, People’s Choice Award; Lara Applegate, Merit; Morgan Bailey, Merit; Madhavi Bhavsar, Merit; Dominique Bishop-Smith, Honorable Mention; Ashley Booe, Honorable Mention; Brittany Budnovich, Merit; Grisel Caballero, Tambrisha Derrickson and Tifani Miller, Merit; Jamiee Clutter, Creativity Award; Shacoria Crider, Merit; DHS Health Class, Creativity Award and Merit; April Estes, Merit

Jenna Grites, Creativity Award, Grand Merit and Merit; Brianna Harris, Merit; Carly Head, Grand Merit; Ross Hilleary and Preslee Wheeler, Grand Merit; Doug Huckelberry, Honorable Mention; Rebeca Hughes and Brittney Nuckolls, Grand Merit; Corey Jackson, Merit; Emily Kiley, Grand Merit; Katherine Long, Merit; Keoria Mayfield, Merit; Keoria Mayfield and Shacoria Crider, Merit

Alexzandria Morris, Creativity Award and Grand Merit; Raquel Nichols, Honorable Mention; Tre Parker, Honorable Mention; Natalie Schnelle, Grand Merit; Travis Sentelle and Joseph Merrick, Merit; Hailey Sizemore, Honorable Mention; Dawn Stewart, Honorable Mention; Katelyn Watson, Merit and Honorable Mention

-- Georgetown-Ridge Farm High School: Rachel Adair, Merit; Malcolm Bisbee-Mellon, Honorable Mention; Jordan Burr, Grand Merit and Merit; Coty Morris, Honorable Mention

-- Hoopeston Area: Katana Byers, Grand Merit and Honorable Mention; Chance Coffey, Most Eye Catching; Jennifer Fourez, Honorable Mention; Marissa McNeely, Merit

-- Jamaica: Jennifer Beach, Grand Merit; Marley Jo Clore, Merit; Kayla Marrow and Ashley Roark, Creativity Award; Brittany Thomas, Program Director’s Award and Grand Merit; Chloe Vecellio, Merit; Kayleigh White and Elizabeth Vice, Award for Health Promotion

-- Middlefork: Amanda Burton, Creative Writing Award and Merit; Ashley Griffin, Merit; Ashly Meyer, Creative Writing Award

-- Oakwood: Chelsie Bartlett, Grand Merit; Ashley Craig, Most Eye Catching Award and Merit; Ashley Witt, Grand Merit

-- Schlarman: Michael Callahan and Tommy Petersak, Merit; Tom Callahan, Solomon Crenshaw and Kelsie Lomax, Grand Merit; Greyson Pasco and Zane Dillon, Merit; Holly Story, Honorable Mention; Lauren Trimble, People’s Choice Award

-- Westville: Kimberly Arnett, Grand Merit; Eva Decorie, Creativity Award; Alexa LeValley, Honorable Mention; Taylor Moody, Best Original Work