MPY Executive Director Margie Daniels (Left) presented Campos-Gonzalez with the award for his submission to the MPY 2023–2024 Poster Project titled “Respect.” (Photo Courtesy Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative) 
“Respect” by eighth-grade student Alan Campos Gonzales. (Photo Courtesy Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative) 
SMEC eighth-grade student Alan Campos Gonzales was recently awarded the MPY 2023–2024 Poster Contest Middle School Division Award. (Photo Courtesy Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative)
DARTMOUTH — Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative (SMEC) Executive Director Catherine Cooper and Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc. (MPY) Executive Director Margie Daniels are pleased to share that SMEC eighth-grade student Alan Campos-Gonzalez was recently awarded the MPY 2023-24 Poster Project Middle School Division Award.
On Friday, Feb. 16, MPY Executive Director Daniels presented Gonzales with the award for his submission to the poster project titled, “Respect.”
MPY has hosted its annual poster and public service project since 2009 to engage students on important topics and provide a platform for their voices. The project is open to all high school, middle school and elementary students from MPY member districts. Project winners are chosen by a panel of students, educators, law enforcement representatives and MPY staff.
This year, participating students were challenged to create a poster featuring the theme “Respect. Give it. Get it.” 197 entries were submitted to this year’s project.
As part of the project students in Mr. Bill Sylvia’s social skills group were tasked with brainstorming different types of respect including respect for yourself, respect for others, and respect for laws, rules, decisions and institutions. Students then wrote down their ideas on index cards to be shared with their classmates for poster inspiration.
The winning poster “Respect,” depicts the earth and the moon, surrounded by stars containing respectful messages. The winning poster, along with seven other posters created in Nicole Winning’s art class at SMEC, will be on display during the month of May at the New Bedford Art Museum.
“As part of the MPY 2023–24 Poster Project, we strive to spark important conversations inside of the classroom, while giving students the opportunity to showcase their talents,” said MPY Executive Director Daniels. “We are thrilled to present Alan with this award and to recognize the efforts of SMEC students and staff who participated.”
To learn more about the MPY 2023–2024 Poster Project Award, click here.
About the Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc.
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides training, fosters collaboration, and develops programming to increase the health and safety of students. MPY is committed to bringing cutting-edge information and high-quality trainings to constituents and endeavors to provide solution-oriented, community-based, multi-disciplinary approaches to reducing and ideally eliminating risky behaviors for youth.
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth is governed by a Board of Directors made up of school superintendents, police and fire chiefs, and other community leaders who work closely with MPY staff to deliver this mission.
ABOUT SMEC
The Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative is a public education collaborative established in 1975. SMEC is an extension of 10 public school systems, which make up its membership. The present membership includes the Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Fall River, Marion, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, Rochester and Old Rochester Regional public school districts. SMEC accepts students for enrollment in its programs from school systems throughout Southeastern Massachusetts. The Collaborative’s programs and services are locally based and locally directed and are designed to supplement the special education resources of its member districts.
SMEC offers a variety of services for students with special needs aged 3-21 as well as adults with developmental disabilities. To learn more about the Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative, visit smecollaborative.org.
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