Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence (ICHV) is proud to invite students from Illinois schools to participate in its 13th Annual Essay, Poetry & Art Contest. The contest is endorsed by Chicago Public Schools, and a panel of local media celebrities will judge the contest. Winning essays, poems, and artwork may be displayed in local newspapers, hospitals, and courthouses as well as earn great prizes for the winning students and their schools! You will find all the rules below. Good luck!

Contest History:

For the past 12 years, ICHV has hosted the Essay, Poetry & Art Contest in an effort to give kids a public voice on the issue that affects them deeply. ICHV seeks to stimulate thought and discussion among Illinois students, and in turn amplify their statements and ideas in their writing and artwork in the public forum. By publicizing the winning works in the print media as well as among our members, supporters, and backers, ICHV spreads the word that children are still dying from guns at an unacceptable rate, and that all students are deeply affected by the climate of violence in our schools. After an initial round of screening judges have reviewed every submission, a select group of works are sent on to a panel of celebrity Blue Ribbon Judges. This esteemed panel selects the Blue Ribbon Winners for the Contest every year. Winning students and winning schools are awarded prizes as a way of reinforcing and validating their message. Illinois youth under 18 are unable to vote and are largely the subject of public debate without being included in that debate. This contest is a way to address and promote their feelings and thoughts on gun violence.

Deadline for entries: February 1, 2008.

Winners: Typically winners are selected from each category (essay, poetry, and artwork) from each Grade Division with certain exceptions. Each winner receives a desktop computer and a $25 bookstore gift certificate, and their teachers receive a $100 bookstore gift certificate. Winners will be honored at an Awards Assembly at the end of the 2007-08 school year.

Contest Packet:

We at ICHV understand that an educator's job is never done and that it can often be stressful to add new activities to an already packed curriculum; however, there are many simple ways in which you can implement the Essay, Poetry & Art contest in your classrooms and schools to make it easily accessible to your students. Listed below you will find a few suggestions on ways in which the Essay, Poetry & Art Contest can be promoted to students. These ideas are based on feedback from past participants, various educators and those familiar with the Essay, Poetry & Art contest. We hope that you will be able to use some or all of these ideas in your school. Good luck to you and your students, and thank you again for your participation and dedication.

How to promote the Essay, Poetry & Art contest in your school:

Any and all questions can be answered by submitting them here to ICHV. Additionally, if you have any suggestions of how ICHV could expand the Contest to reach more students, or be more accessible to Illinois Students please let us know. Furthermore, ICHV is always accepting recommendations for future contest themes. If you have a suggestion for the Essay, Poetry & Art contest theme, please submit it by using the form provided on our "Contact Us" page.