Save the Children Valentines Day Card Contest Encourages Kids to Advocate Fairness for All Kids
Save the Children youth art contest supported by actor Julianne Moore and American Federation of Teachers
WASHINGTON (August 30, 2010) Encouraging kids to take charge of their generations future, Save the Children and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) today announced the second annual Valentine’s Day art contest for students across America.
Open to students in pre-K through 12th grade, the contest encourages children to design Valentines Day cards and submit them to Save the Children by October 31, 2010.
Designs selected by Save the Children and AFT judges will be posted online on November 3 where kids will vote for their favorites. The five most popular designs will be printed on Valentine’s Day cards available in time for Valentines Day and offered as part of a gift with a donation to benefit Save the Children’s programs to fight childhood poverty in the United States.
Themed Uniting a Generation, the contest is live now at http://www.k2kUSA.org — Save the Children U.S. Programs new campaign designed to engage kids in the fight to ensure a fair chance for all kids in the U.S. It is launching in conjunction with an AFT lesson plan on childhood poverty, which is available to teachers across America now at http://go.aft.org/contest. Actor and Save the Children Artist Ambassador Julianne Moore inspired Save the Children’s Valentine’s Card project and has acted as its spokesperson for the last three years.
“There are no better or more credible advocates for kids than kids themselves,” said Moore. “I hope this contest helps educate kids about poverty here at home and inspires them to unite and take action.” Last year, Save the Children received hundreds of submissions from students across the country. Five winners were chosen by kids and each of the winners participated in an event in New York City with Julianne Moore and kids from a local school. They also appeared on The Today Show alongside Moore and host Meredith Vieira.
The winning artists will receive a $500 U.S. Savings Bond and the artist with the most number of total votes will have an opportunity to meet Moore. This year’s art contest is designed to engage kids by asking them to design cards using the heart image as a symbol for values like unity, loyalty and responsibility.
The most effective way to overcome poverty is through education. All our children deserve a world-class education that can help them beat the obstacles,” said AFT president Randi Weingarten. In addition, teachers can use the AFT-created lesson plans to help students overcome adversity in their personal lives to achieve success.
“Empowering young people to fight a poverty crisis that affects one in five of their peers could help make this generation one of the greatest yet,” said Mark Shriver, senior vice president of Save the Children’s U.S. Programs. “I hope this art contest will help educate and activate young people to open a new front against childhood poverty in America.”
For more information and official rules visit http://www.k2kUSA.org. Designs must be received by October 31 and must be accompanied by the signature of a teacher, principal or other school official and a parent or guardian.
About Save the Childrens U.S. Programs
Save the Childrens U.S. Programs work to break the cycle of poverty and improve the lives of children by ensuring they have the resources they need like access to a quality education, healthy foods and opportunities to grow and develop in a safe environment. Save the Childrens early childhood education, literacy, and physical activity and nutrition programs reached more than 50,000 children in the United States last year alone. Combined with our emergency response work, we reached over 60,000 children. For more information visit www.savethechildren.org/us.
