THE 14th ANNUAL CREATIVE WRITING CONTEST HAS CONCLUDED READ THE WINNING ENTRIES AND COME BACK OFTEN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE 15th ANNUAL CONTEST LAUNCHING THIS SUMMER
Thank you for your interest in the American Immigration Council "Celebrate America Creative Writing Contest." If you are an educator, parent, administrator or student please contact your local coordinator to participate in the 2011 "Celebrate America Creative Writing Contest.
If you are a coordinator below you will find a number of resources to assist you.
Each year, the National Winner of the "Celebrate America" Creative Writing Contest and two guests receive an all expenses paid trip to The Council’s Annual Benefit Dinner where he/she is honored and reads his/her winning entry aloud. The winner also receives a travel stipend, engraved plaque, his/her winning entry printed in the Congressional Record and a flag flown over the Capitol in his/her honor.
When Eleanor Sreb, of the Smithsonian Folklife Center, and Ross Holland, National Park Service Associate Director for Cultural Resources Management, approached artist Phillip Ratner to create artwork for Ellis Island, Ratner initially thought, "How do I fit the entire world into a single piece?" Ratner sat for hours on a bench in the Great Hall at Ellis Island sketching, thinking, observing--trying to capture the essence of the immigration experience. Ratner conjured up images of the millions of immigrants who passed through that Great Hall--travel weary people of all ages, creeds and nationalities who hungered for a new life in America. "I picked up the ghosts," Ratner said, "and it changed my life. I felt my grandparents' energy and that of the thousands of immigrants who passed through those halls."
Exhibits are hosted by the American Immigration Council, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of immigration law and policy and the value of immigration to American society; to promoting public service and excellence in the practice of immigration law; and to advancing fundamental fairness and due process under the law for immigrants.
Over 6,500 entries came in to local contests across the country and the quality of submissions was inspiring. The winning entries from each local contest were sent to the National Office and were screened by a panel of immigration attorneys, authors, and classroom teachers. The scores from this panel were used to select the top five entries which were sent to our celebrity judges.
This year's judges were Randi Weingarten, the President of the American Federation of Teachers; Henry Cejudo, Olympic Gold Medalist; Gerda Weissman Klein, Author and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom; and Senator Daniel Inouye.
Grand Prize Winner Maya W. Castelar Elementary of Los Angeles, California Read the Winning Entry
2nd Place Fiona L. Oyster Bilingual School-Washington, DC
When Eleanor Sreb, of the Smithsonian Folklife Center, and Ross Holland, National Park Service Associate Director for Cultural Resources Management, approached artist Phillip Ratner to create artwork for Ellis Island, Ratner initially thought, "How do I fit the entire world into a single piece?" Ratner sat for hours on a bench in the Great Hall at Ellis Island sketching, thinking, observing--trying to capture the essence of the immigration experience. Ratner conjured up images of the millions of immigrants who passed through that Great Hall--travel weary people of all ages, creeds and nationalities who hungered for a new life in America. "I picked up the ghosts," Ratner said, "and it changed my life. I felt my grandparents' energy and that of the thousands of immigrants who passed through those halls."
