Community Connections

"Celebrate America" Creative Writing Contest 2011 [1]

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

Creative Writing Contest Community Resources [2]

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.

Student Authorization Form [3]
Timeline and Checklist [4]
Contest Coordinator Guide [5]
Immigration History [6]
Creative Writing Contest Flyer [7]
Contact Sheet for 2010-2011 Coordinators [8]
Book and Lesson Ideas for 5th Graders [9]
You Tube Video "What Makes Us American" [10]
You Tube Video "What Makes Us American" Spanish version [11]

For more information, please contact [email protected] [12].

Creative Writing Contest Past Winners [13]

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.

Exhibit Hall [14]

Becoming Americans: A Historical Perspective

Exhibit by Phillip Ratner

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."

Past Exhibits [15]

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.

Winning Entry 2010 Creative Writing Contest [16]

The American Immigration Council is happy to announce the winner of the 2010 National Creative Writing Contest.

Julia Culbert a fifth grader from Santa Clara Valley was selected from thousands of entries with her piece, "America's Fried."

Winners by State 2011 [17]

Over 6,500 entries were sent by 5th Graders from across the country. Here are the winners from the regional contests.

Winners of the 14th Annual Creative Writing Contest [18]

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.

[19]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
[20]Maya W.
Castelar Elementary of Los Angeles, California
Read the Winning Entry [20]

2nd Place
[21]Fiona L.
Oyster Bilingual School-Washington, DC

Links:
[1] http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/community/celebrate-america-creative-writing-contest-2011
[2] http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/community/creative-writing-contest-community-resources
[3] http://www.communityeducationcenter.org/sites/default/files/docs/cec/CWCauthorization.pdf
[4] http://www.communityeducationcenter.org/sites/default/files/docs/cec/CoordinatorTimeline2010-11.pdf
[5] http://www.communityeducationcenter.org/sites/default/files/docs/cec/contestcoordguide2010.pdf
[6] http://www.communityeducationcenter.org/sites/default/files/docs/cec/immigrationhistory.pdf
[7] http://www.communityeducationcenter.org/sites/default/files/docs/cec/CWC2011Flyer.pdf
[8] http://www.communityeducationcenter.org/contest-coordinators-2011-celebrate-america-creative-writing-contest
[9] http://communityeducationcenter.org/book-and-lesson-ideas-5th-graders
[10] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEiLYB33PA4
[11] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHvrpucsy8g
[12] mailto:[email protected]
[13] http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/community/creative-writing-contest-past-winners
[14] http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/community/exhibit-hall
[15] http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/community/past-exhibits
[16] http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/community/winning-entry-2010-creative-writing-contest
[17] http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/community/winners-state-2011
[18] http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/community/winners-14th-annual-creative-writing-contest
[19] http://www.communityeducationcenter.org/sites/default/files/docs/2011 Creative Writing Contest Judges.pdf
[20] http://www.communityeducationcenter.org/my-grand-father-ben-2011-national-grand-prize-winning-entry
[21] http://www.communityeducationcenter.org/2011-2nd-place-national-winner