Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence

• .download the complete 2011 winners packet here

(May 18, 2011, Chicago) – The Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence (ICHV) announced the winners of the 16th annual “Student Voices Contest.,” an educational program that encourages and rewards young people for using their creativity to raise awareness about gun violence. ICHV will hold an awards ceremony on May 26th at Bridgeport Catholic Academy where several student winners, though not all, read selections of their essays and poetry and displayed their artwork to their peers. All of the student winners receive a new computer and a $25 gift certificate from a bookstore to further their educational opportunities.  computer and a $25 gift certificate from a bookstore to further their educational opportunities. (See complete listing of student winners below).

The Student Voices Contest is both inspirational and heart breaking: young people say they deserve the right to be safe in their communities and want opportunities to pursue their dreams. But students oftentimes express their pain and anger at losing friends and schoolmates to gun violence.

One winner, Sam Jones of Lawrence Hall Youth Services, created an art work that features a white dove, a symbol of peace, carrying a broken gun in its beak with the planet earth in the background. As Sam described, the dove is taking the gun into outer space, removing gun violence from our world. “At Lawrence Hall Youth Services, we are so proud of our youth and their many accomplishments, despite insurmountable challenges they face before we ever meet them. Many have experienced the trauma of urban violence,” said Mary Hollie, CEO at Lawrence Hall Youth Services. “The youth at Lawrence Hall are able to focus on their lives, and build their futures. Sam is a talented artist who is able to express his emotion through his artwork and I know he will continue to make a big impact in the community.”

“We congratulate and honor all of our student winners for using their talents and voices in speaking out about gun violence. It is truly inspiring to see the creativity, thoughtfulness and passion from our young people who care deeply about making our communities safer,” said Colleen Daley, Executive Director of Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence. “We are grateful for all of the schools that participated in this year’s Student Voices Contest, from our principals, teachers, parents and especially our young people who worked so hard and helped make this event a success. We were honored to hold this year’s awards ceremony at Bridgeport Catholic Academy, a school in Chicago which has demonstrated incredible leadership in helping to build this powerful educational forum.”

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Complete Listing Of Student Winners:

Division One (1st -4th grade)

Essay winners:

Kevin Johnson, 4^th Grade, St. Angela School

Kevin Thynne, 4^th grade, Bridgeport Catholic Academy

Poetry Winners:

Gabrielle Portillo, 4^th grade, Bridgeport Catholic Academy

Art Winners:

Danielle Jones, 4^th grade, Scott Joplin Elementary

Makayla Lewis, 3^rd grade Lewis Lemon School, Rockford, IL

Yesenia Villa, 4^th grade, Daley Academy

Division two (5th- 8th grade)

Essay Winners:

Junina Furigay, 8^th grade, Hitch Elementary

Nigel Perrin, 6^th grade, Capital College Prep, Springfield, IL

Poetry Winners:

Cierra Robinson, 8^th grade, St. Angela School

Sam Zofkie, 7^th grade, Taft Academic Center

Art Winners

Daisy Evariz, 7^th grade, Daley Academy

Nicholas Lau, 6^th grade, Robert Healey Elementary

Abierre Minor, 6^th grade, Scott Joplin Elementary

Division Three ( 9th – 12th grade)

Board Member Marcia Adelman, Colleen Daley and BCA principal Ms. Buckley with BCA winner Gabrielle Portillo and Kevin Thynne.

Essay Winners:

Katie Mazziotti, 9^th grade, De La Salle

Margaret Rocha, 9^th grade, De La Salle

Poetry Winners:

Alejandro Cortez, 12^th grade, North Grand High School

Jada McLean, 11^th grade, Springfield High School, Springfield, IL

Art Winners:

Sam Jones, 11^th grade, Lawrence Hall Youth Services