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March 2010 – The Student Voices Contest is currently closed. We appreciate the outstanding participation from all students who made this year’s contest a huge success.
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Each year ICHV hosts the Student Voices 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 get sent on to a panel of celebrity Blue Ribbon Judges. This esteemed panel that 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 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.
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Contest Rules:
The ICHV Student Voices Contest is open to all Illinois students in grades 1-12. Students may submit entries of essay, poetry or art to the contest by the given deadline. A completed entry form must accompany any and every submission. Entries may be received postal mail by the deadline specified. More specific rules for participation are available on the Guidelines Page.
Contest Packet:
The ICHV contest packet consists of a Contest Flier, that may be downloaded, photocopied and distributed as needed, a copy of the contest Guidelines, that further explains the contest rules, and a Contest Entry Form that must be completed and accompany every submission.
Classroom Suggestions:
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 Student Voices 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 Student Voices Contest can be promoted to students. These ideas are based on feedback from past participants, various educators and those familiar with the Student Voices 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 Student Voices Contest in your school:
* Use the Student Voices Contest as part of a violence prevention week integrating other relevant discussions, activities and assignments that deal with health such as fire safety and drug use prevention.
* Use the contest as a tool to teach different concepts of writing, poetry or art, such as haiku poems, persuasive essays, or color theory.
* Put out an empty box in your classroom or main office where students can submit their entries.
* Use the contest as a creative outlet to recent events your students may wish to respond to, incorporate it with a lesson on current events.
We hope these suggestions get you thinking about how you would like to approach and use the contest with your students. If you have any suggestions to add or would like to provide feedback on your contest experience we would much appreciate it.
Last Year’s Contest:
The theme for the 2008-09 Student Voices Contest was “In June 2008, the Supreme Court reviewed the 2nd amendment and ruled that individuals have the right to own guns. How do you think this ruling will affect gun violence in your community?” ICHV received hundreds of entries from dozens of schools throughout the state of Illinois. After much careful consideration, and two rounds of judging, 17 winners were chosen. On June 3, 2009, Blue Ribbon Winners, their families, friends and supporters gathered at Pulaski Fine Arts Academy for the 2009 Awards Assembly. The event was a great success.
Questions/ Suggestions:
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 any suggestions for the Student Voices Contest theme, please feel free to contact Kate Williamson:kwilliamson@ichv.org
