AUGUSTA — The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention held its annual poster design contest for students in grades kindergarten through eight as part of Lyme Disease Awareness Month.

The goal during this month is to raise awareness of the disease and increase knowledge about prevention.

This year’s theme was Tick Watch, with an emphasis on the awareness of ticks and prevention of tick bites. Students were asked to illustrate at least one of the prevention methods from the “No Ticks 4 ME” educational campaign.

The Maine CDC received many submissions for the 2016 contest, and one poster winner was selected from each of the three participating age groups: kindergarten through third grade, fourth through fifth, and sixth through eighth. Winners are:

• Reid Robishaw, kindergarten, Gilford Butler School;

• Elizabeth Grondin, grade four, Jay Elementary School; and

• Vanessa Luce, grade six, Warren Community School.

The winning posters may be viewed at www.maine.gov/lyme. Each winner received a Maine state parks family day pass, a certificate and tick removal kits for their classrooms.

In addition to the contest, the Maine CDC raised awareness of Lyme disease by hosting informational tables, providing information on ticks and diseases for newsletters, posting new videos and launching a new adult program, Tick-Free ME. Earlier in the year, a webinar on tick-borne illness and prevention was made available on Maine CDC’s YouTube channel.

FMI: www.maine.gov/lyme, www.youtube.com/user/MainePublicHealth.