WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

2009 PBS eight High School Contests

We live in a world where change happens constantly and quickly. Change is occurring right now in our homes, our schools, our communities, our institutions, our natural surroundings, our economy, our world, and within us. Change is indeed inevitable, but the course of change is influenced by many factors, including eloquent voices that can help chart and steer the change that occurs in our communities. This contest is an opportunity for our area youth to share their “voices” about what they consider to be important considerations that may affect change in our region. The theme of our 2009 High School Essay, Art and Photography Contests is What Inspires You? This theme was selected because a vital and living community must include the voices of its youth in preparing for changes that will impact all of our lives. What or who do our youth value? This is an opportunity for students in grades 9-12 to share their thoughts about what inspires them, how they are inspired and what this means to them and to the community. In 2008, Over 1200 area youth from 26 area high schools and many home schools participated in our contests. The Duluth News Tribune and other area publications published the winning essays and color pictures of the winning art work and photography in a multi-page feature article. The University of Wisconsin Superior mounted an amazing two-week exhibit of the 153 works of art and photography selected as finalists in these contests (458 entries submitted, a new contest record), and the program to honor the finalists at UWS drew a more than capacity crowd of over 500 people. Music for the progr4am was provided by the “Vocal Point” choir from Hermantown High School. The essay contest winners read their essays during the program and the Mayor of Superior provided certificates of accomplishment from the City to all students with work included in the exhibit. These annual contests clearly show that the expressive arts, using both words and symbols, are alive and well in our Northland schools. Funding for classes that teach the arts of expression continues to be a major problem for continuation of the English and art programs that teach these skills. Artistic expression, according to a great deal of research and professional practice, helps learners to develop significant skill sets leading to creative thinking and problem solving, leadership, higher-order thinking skills, and ownership of learning. In this time of intense national scrutiny of what works in education, how can we not be asking our youth: What Inspires You?”