A fifth grade student in the West Penn Elementary School will have her art work featured in the 2019 edition of Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s Drug Free Calendar.

Isabella DiCarlo is one of 13 students whose art was selected for the calendar after fifth grade students across the commonwealth were invited to create an original work of art featuring a drug free message. Her entry will be featured for the month of July.

A total of 912 entries were received from 140 schools in 47 Pennsylvania counties.

Next year marks the 22nd year for the annual drug free calendar contest. The finished calendars will be circulated throughout Pennsylvania in an effort to educate the public to the dangers of drug abuse.

“Our annual calendar contest is about more than celebrating student artwork; it’s about students empowering other young people to make smart choices,” Shapiro said. “Combating the opioid epidemic is my number one priority and we need a multipronged approach, including education to prevent drug use.

“Children must learn about the real dangers of substance abuse, and the calendar contest helps spread that message across the commonwealth.”

The 13 winners were invited to a special luncheon at Shapiro’s office in Harrisburg, where they received a certificate and a $529 contribution to their Pennsylvania 529 College Savings Program, supervised by the Pennsylvania Treasury Department.

The calendar contest is funded through the Community Drug Abuse Prevention Fund, along with fines and penalties collected from certain offenses, such as driving under the influence.

For more information on the attorney general’s programs designed to educate students about the importance of staying drug free, visit www.attorneygeneral.gov or call 800-525-7642.