Connect for Kids Announces “Speak Out” Youth Essay Winners
WASHINGTON, August 2, 2005 – More than 70 young people from 22 states participated in the first-ever Connect for Kids Youth Essay Contest. “Speak Out! Let Your Voice Be Heard” allows teens to share their ideas on what policy makers need to know about youth with Connect for Kids’ national audience.
“We are very happy that so many young people participated in this initial effort,” said Cecilia Garcia, executive director of Connect for Kids. “Their essays offer valuable insights into what young people are thinking about – their education, the war in Iraq and its impact on their future, as well personal issues, like moving through the foster care or juvenile justice systems.”
The winners are:
Lisa Dolasinski, 17, of Boardman, Ohio
Keisha Mitchell, 16, of Indianapolis, Indiana
Alex Morse, 16, of Westfield, Massachusetts
Caitlin Hillyard, 16, of Des Moines, Iowa
They each will receive a CFK cash award of $100 and a copy of Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul IV, compliments of Health Communications, Inc. Their essays will be published on Connectforkids.org throughout the month of August.
Connect for Kids engaged the DC Writers Corps, an organization dedicated to working with young people develop strong communications skills, to assist in the final judging. “We think it’s important to have young people looking at the work of their peers to make decisions about quality and creativity,” explains Garcia. “The writing talents and media experience of the DC Writers Corps youth make them perfect partners in this effort.”
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Connect for Kids makes the best use of communications technologies, specifically the Internet, to give adults the tools and information they need to improve the lives of children, youth and families. Connectforkids.org covers more than 30 topics ranging from arts to youth development, foster care to adoption, and welfare reform to oral health.
