POMEROY —A Meigs County fourth grader was one of 111 winners in the fourth through eight grades across Appalachian Ohio’s 32 counties, and the only student in Meigs County, to be a winner in the Sixth Annual Child of Appalachia’s writing contest conducted by the Foundation of Appalachian Ohio (FAO).
The winner was Olivia Goble, daughter of Kathy and Billy Goble of Middleport, who is in the fourth grade talented and gifted program at Meigs Intermediate School.
Nearly 3,000 students submitted essays answering the question “If you could invent something for your community, what would it be and what problem would it solve?” The title of Olivia’s winning entry was “The Ohio River Reaper.”
It reads as follows:
“If I would invent something, it would be a machine to clean the Ohio River. The Ohio River is near my home and there is trash in the river. My invention would be called the Ohio River Reaper.
My invention would be a tool that would look under the water to make sure there would be no animals hurt in the water as it worked to clean the water. In the summer there are boxes, paper, plastic cups, trash bags, cans and metal in the water. My machine would get trash but no an animal.
The Ohio Rover Reaper would clean the water and more people would feel better about the water and do more things in the water, like swimming.” People would come to my community to fish. Dirt and trash would be out of the water and it would be safe to eat the fish. If people came to fish or use the river, business would grow and improve.
That is how the Ohio River Reaper would make the Oho River cleaner and help my community.”
“Each year, the Child of Appalachia Writing Contest gives students a creative outlet to share their observations, ideas, and dreams,” said Cara Dingus Brook, FAO president and CEO. “The contest is one of FAO’s favorite parts of the year as our region’s youngest citizens open up their minds to all of us.”
Each winning student was awarded two tickets to COSI, Great Lakes Science Center, or the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History and Science to further explore their interest in inventions. Through the generosity of the Duke Energy Foundation, each of the 100 teachers of winning students was provided an iPad to be integrated into his or her classroom curriculum.
“We are excited to see this technology reach the hands of teachers across Appalachian Ohio,” said Karen Monday, vice president of the Duke Energy Foundation. “The winning students showed such enthusiasm and creativity in their essays that we can only imagine what they can do with access to today’s technology.”
More information on this year’s contest, including a list of all student winners and their teachers can be found at www.appalachianohio.org.
The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio is a regional community foundation serving the 32 counties of Appalachian Ohio with the mission of enriching the region’s current and future quality of life.















