Monday, April 3, 2023

Drawing of a brown horse pulling a black carriage in front of green lawn and large white house in background.

Each April, National County Government Month, celebrates the work of county government employees in communities across the country.

Since 1991, the National Association of Counties (NACo) has encouraged their members to promote county services and programs to residents and use this month to educate and connect with their communities.

This year’s theme, “Counties RISE!,” stands for Resiliency, Inclusion, Solvency, and Empowerment. And the exclamation point captures the enthusiasm and passion for local county stories. From events to social media to proclamations, get to know more about your local county this month!

Just one of the many offerings of NACo is the “I Love My County Because” wall calendar, composed of artwork from students in grade K-12. Americans for the Arts is thrilled to sponsor this calendar for the second year in a row. Each county official received a calendar, so if you’re visiting your county offices, look for it! 
 

Collage of artwork from all months of NACo's 2023 I Love My County Because calendar

Artwork:

Row1 (center): Cover artwork by Alayna Garst, 10th grade, Williamstown High School, Wood County, West Virginia

Row 2 (left to right): January artwork by Mira Panchuk, first grade, Southwest Calloway Elementary School, Calloway County, Kentucky. February artwork by Kason Moore, third grade, Chicod School, Pitt County, North Carolina. March artwork by Joshua Centner, second grade, West Street Elementary School, Niagara County, New York.

Row 3 (left to right): April artwork by Ava Jensen, 11th grade, Gatlinburg-Pittman High School, Sevier County, Tennessee. May artwork by Emily Clark, sixth grade, Brentwood Academy, Johnson County, Kansas. June artwork by Lily Rayhart, fourth grade, Windsor Farm Elementary School, Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

Row 4 (left to right): July artwork by Ciel Williams, fifth grade, Chicod School, Pitt County, North Carolina. August artwork by Sadey Bowen, 11th grade, Harrisburg High School, Poinsett County, Arkansas. September artwork by Kesley Robbins, fifth grade, Mountainburg Middle School, Crawford County, Arkansas.

Row 5 (left to right): October artwork by Kat Brickle, 12th grade, Gatlinburg-Pittman High School, Sevier County, Tennessee. November artwork by Kennedy Kirkland, seventh grade, home-schooled, Johnson County, Kansas. December artwork by Emma Boyd, fourth grade, Chicod School, Pitt County, North Carolina.