For the past 30 years, Scholastic’s resident cartographer Jim McMahon (aka Mapman) has challenged students nationwide with the Can You Find Mapman®? contest for Junior Scholastic®, a social studies magazine for students in grades 6–8.
In the contest, students test their creative and critical-thinking skills by identifying a mystery location and drawing a map of it, all gleaned from geography clues provided by McMahon. This year, that location was Portugal.
More than 1,500 students from 33 states submitted entries. Each year, McMahon and his wife Helen, a New York City public school librarian, select the winning maps. In addition to working on the contest, McMahon creates all the maps for Scholastic Magazines+—more than 20 different publications!
Silvi Dun Emami-Greifendorf, 8th-grade, Rangeley Lakes School in Rangeley, ME: Grand-Prize Winner
Silvi’s colorful, detail-oriented map of Portugal brings the country’s past and present to life, from an explorer’s ship flying the national flag to the waterfront capital of Lisbon. Her map also highlights famous landmarks, including Benagil Cave and Pena Palace. Silvi’s map is featured in the May 2024 issue of Junior Scholastic and online, here.
Silvi was a runner-up in the 2022 and 2023 Can You Find Mapman®? contests, and her determination and passion for the contest are showcased in her winning map of Portugal. Her eighth-grade teacher, Kelsey Orestis, has been entering students’ work for several years, and Silvi is the first-ever grand-prize winner from Rangeley Lakes School.
Silvi and Orestis will each receive $250. Twenty-five runners-up will each get a Mapman t-shirt, and will have their names appear in the May 2024 issue of Junior Scholastic.
Congratulations to Silvi and all of this year’s participants! Keep an eye out for the next Can You Find Mapman®? contest in Junior Scholastic this coming fall.
