Creative Expression Contest
September 7, 2021 – October 29, 2021
Jackson and Madison County students are invited to participate in an essay contest, poetry contest or art contest beginning September 7 and endeing October 29. Students can be in public, private or homeschool, but must attend a school based in Madison County. Age requirements range from kindergarten to college.
Students will be divided into grade bands for each of the contests. Each school will select one school winners from each grade band. Those winners’ essay, poem or art piece will then be judged by a panel of judges. There will be monetary rewards for first, second and third place: $300 for first place, $200 for second place and $100 for third place. Students whose essay, poem, or art submissions are chosen on the school level will receive a commemorative Bicentennial Certificate.
The school winners’ submissions are to be dropped off at either the Main Library or the North Library no later than November 1, 2021. If that isn’t convenient, contact Ken Newman at knewman@uu.edu to arrange for pick-up. Whitney Norwood wnorwood@madisoncountytn.gov is the contact person at the Library.
On February 8, 2022, there will be a special awards presentation at The NED at 6 p.m., where the winners will be showcased and prizes will be awarded. The overall winning essay, poem and art piece will be placed in the bicentennial time capsule to be buried June 2022.
The Bicentennial Creative Expressions contest is sponsored by Leaders Education Foundation. The Leaders Education Foundation was formed by Leaders Credit Union in 2019 and is a 501c3 non-profit organization committed to making lives better in its community by bringing educational resources and opportunities to students and educators in West Tennessee. Leaders Education Foundation partners with local organizations and Foundation members to provide educational grants, scholarships and other resources to promote lifelong learning, workforce development and education. To learn more, visit www.leadersgives.org or visit the Leaders Education Foundation’s facebook.
Details for each of the contests:
Essay
The overall theme for the contest is “Jackson-Madison County: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow.” More specific writing prompts are designated for each grade band.
Grades 3-5. The prompt is “Imagine you were a student your age when the city of Jackson and Madison County were founded in 1821-22. Tell a story about what your life would have been like during that time.” (approximately 200 words) A narrative rubric will be used to score the essays.
Grades 6-8. The prompt is “The year is 2072 when the city of Jackson and Madison County celebrate their 250th anniversary. Write an essay describing what you think Jackson and Madison County will look like in 50 years.” (approximately 500 words) An informational/explanatory rubric will be used to score the essays.
Grades 9-12. The prompt is “As a part of the celebration of the city of Jackson and Madison County’s 200th anniversary, items will be chosen to be placed in a Time Capsule to be opened in 2072, the 250th anniversary celebration. What three items would you choose to place in this capsule to best represent Jackson and Madison County? Write an essay that convinces the Time Capsule Committee to include these three items.” (approximately 750 words) An opinion rubric will be used to score the essays.
College. The prompt is “You have chosen to attend college in Jackson, Tennessee. Write an essay encouraging other students to choose a college in Jackson by pointing out Jackson’s historical significance, what Jackson currently offers, and what Jackson will offer in the future.” (approximately 1,000 words) An expository rubric will be used to score the essays.
Poetry
The theme for the poetry contest is “Jackson-Madison County: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow” (maximum of 100 words). Students may choose a poetry technique of their choice and adhere to the maximum number of words. A poetry rubric will be used to score the poems.
The following grade bands will be used:
Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, College
Art
The theme for the art contest is “Jackson-Madison County: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow.”
The following grade bands will be used:
Grades K-2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, College
Guidelines:
- One entry per student
- All artwork must be completed entirely by the student
- All artwork must be original; no copyrighted images allowed
- No digital art will be accepted
- All art must be completed in the physical media. Acceptable media would include:
- Paint (watercolor, tempera, oil, acrylic, etc.)
- Drawing (pencil, charcoal, pastels, oil pastels, colored pencils, pen, etc.)
- Collage (cut and glued papers, tissue paper, aluminum foil, etc.)
- Sculpting materials for 3-D work (clay, papier-mache, cardboard, sculpey, etc.)
Sizes: K-5 should be no larger than 16 x 20
6-college should be no larger than 24 x 36
Criteria for Judging:
- Interpretation and clarity of the theme
- Creativity, uniqueness, and originality of the theme
- Overall appearance of the art