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Dear Judge,
We encourage you to seek personal support if you become troubled by the content of this category. If you experience an emotional crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (available 24/7) or the California Warm Line at (833) 845-7415
The entries you are judging are submissions in the Hope and Justice category. Entries in this category deal with a variety of topics including mental health, suicide prevention, social justice and other complex topics that need to be addressed with compassion and knowledge.
For this category we asked youth to communicate about what they are feeling, increase knowledge about an issue or take a stand against injustice, or share their perspective in a way that gives others a glimpse into their lives. While some youth submit entries share ideas for solutions to the issues of concern, others used this as an opportunity to process their feelings in a therapeutic way.
We welcome all types of submissions. In our submission criteria, we remind youth that whatever message they choose, their submissions need to be thoughtful and respectful. We asked youth to be honest about their feelings, but to be sure their entries convey that they are coming from a place of cultural humility and has the intent to further understanding and constructive dialogue about social justice and change. So, as a judge please score each of these entries based on how well they conveyed their messages and followed these guidelines.
At any point if you are experiencing technical difficulties with the website, or have questions regarding the category, please email shanti@youthcreatingchange.org or call (619) 786-5622.
In advance, we appreciate your time.
My piece titled Solace reflects my cultural background. Although most of my family come from mainland China, I’ve lived in the U.S. for the majority of my life. Both cultures unite to make up my identity and I found myself connecting to each place. This sense of belonging felt comforting, like a home that I would always be welcomed in. I painted myself enjoying a leisure activity in my grandma’s house back in China. In my hand is an English dictionary and around me are scattered books. They represent my connection to America, and the time I spent learning English and attending school. My piece intends to demonstrate my cultural ties and my life experiences in a physical space, all of which make up who I am. Knowing that you will always have a place where you belong and people to look back to can be reassuring.
