From USCCB.org
The Multimedia Youth Contest is a tool for schools and parishes noting how the efforts of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) address the root causes of poverty in the United States. CCHD is the domestic anti-poverty program of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. You can learn more about CCHD at www.usccb.org/cchd.
Through participation in the contest, students in grades 7-12 can explore the issue of U.S. poverty in the context of their faith and learn about what empowered, low-income persons in their communities are doing to address poverty’s root causes. This connection with local anti-poverty efforts is vital to creating a meaningful understanding of poverty and generating an effective response. In response to what they have learned, youth are then guided to utilize creative skills to use their multimedia work to educate peers, family, friends and others about the root causes of poverty.
The contest is designed to be used across disciplines and is evaluated on two components: the creativity of the work, and the essay answers submitted with the work to demonstrate proper understanding of how we are called to respond as disciples of Jesus when people are living in poverty in our communities.
Youth work can be any medium (video, PowerPoint, short story, painting, poetry, drama, song, or photography). The work must be original and illustrate the annual theme, “Being Neighbors in our Common Home.”
Youth work will be judged in two categories based on grade level: 7-9 and 10-12. The grand prize, drawn from both categories is $500, with a $500 matching grant to a CCHD funded group working to fight poverty, plus a trip to a national awards event will be awarded to one entry. Second ($375) and third ($250) place prizes and matching grants are also given. In addition, the national winners’ schools or parishes will receive a $500, $250, or $150 gift certificate (for grand prize, 2nd place, or 3rd place, respectively), from RCL Benziger.
Submissions are due by March 1, 2017, to our diocesan contact, James Birney (jbirney@ccwestmi.org), who can also answer questions about the contest. More details are available here.