On the third Monday of January, the nation celebrate’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. The MLK Community Coalition, Pasadena Unified School District, Pasadena Tournament of Roses and Aspires West in conjunction with the City of Pasadena hosts a celebration at the Jackie Robinson Park Recreation Center. The King Coalition is a group of community people working to make Dr. King’s dreams become a reality. Part of the celebration will be the culmination of the MLK Community Coalition Essay and Visual Arts/Poster Contests.
The Martin Luther King Community Coalition has been sponsoring the Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay and Visual Arts/Poster Contests for over 35 years here in the Pasadena, Altadena, Sierra Madre, and La Canada communities. The Pasadena Unified School District, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, The City of Pasadena, along with some private schools, have been very supportive of our efforts.
We believe your commitment to the great legacy that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. left us is the reason we get the support we do every year. As volunteers, we want to do what we can to bring his dreams to reality.
The effort of students year after year in the language and creative arts demonstrate what they can do to keep Dr. King’s dreams alive. This experience not only increases students’ knowledge about Dr. King, but enhances their language skills, creativity, self-esteem, and character. “Blessed be the hand that prepares a pleasure for a child, for there is no saying when and where it may bloom forth,” says Douglas Jerrold, and we agree.
General Contest Guidelines
Awards will be given to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners of each three category. Additional awards will be given to the 1st place teacher and school of the winner for each category. Awards will only (unless prior permission is granted) be presented to the winners present at the MLK Day Celebration program. All students will receive Martin Luther King, Jr. certificates for their participation.
All contests are for grades 4 through 12. All submissions are due to your teacher by the date indicated on the form. Importation deadlines may also be found on our website under Calendar.
All submitted essays become the property of the Martin Luther King Coalition, may be used for promotional and/or educational purposes, and will not be returned.
Contest Packet and Entry Forms:
Register online here: http://www.pasadenamlk.org/register/
Download the contest packet and label here: http://www.pasadenamlk.org/mlk-2020-packet-5/
Note: Both the online registration and essay/art entries need to be submitted by the deadline given.
Essay Guidelines
All essays must be legibly printed or typed, and neat in appearance. Typed copies are required for those competing in the senior high categories.
Essay Categories:
1. Elementary School (Grades 4-5): 150-350 words
2. Middle School (Grades 6-8): 350-650 words
3. High School (Grades 9-12): 450-800 words
Judging Criteria:
Development of the theme. (40 points): The content of the essay should demonstrate an understanding of Dr. King’s dream and who he was. It should include suggestions and ideas for practical ways of addressing his dream. *See the theme on the following page.
Organization. (30 points): The essay should exhibit clarity of thought, good sentence structure, neat appearance, correct spelling and grammar.
Creativity. (30 points): The essay should express fresh, new ideas – originality of thought.
Registration:
All students participating in the MLK Community Coalition Visual Arts/Poster Contest must register online at pasadenamlk.org/register and must have the attached entry form or a 3” x 5’’ label attached to the essay (secured in such a way as not to damage the writing). The following information should be included: Student’s first and last name, address, phone number, email address, age, grade, teacher’s and principal’s name (first and last), school name.
Due Date: All essays must be delivered on or before December 6, 2019 by 5:00 PM
Deliver via mail or in person to:
Pasadena Unified School District
Martin Luther King Community Coalition Essay Contest
Attn: Dr. Dana Hill
444 N. Orange Grove Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91103-3541
Notification Day: Finalists will be notified by December 20, 2019
Art Guidelines
Art Categories:
1. Elementary School (Grades 4-5)
2. Middle School (Grades 6-8)
3. High School (Grades 9-12)
Judging Criteria:
All artwork will be judged on the use of media, technique, and the interpretation of the contest theme.
Registration:
All students participating in the MLK Community Coalition Visual Arts/Poster Contest must register online at pasadenamlk.org/register and must have the attached entry form or a 3” x 5’’ label attached to the lower right hand of the backside of the artwork (secured in such a way as not to destroy the artwork). The following information should be included: Student’s first and last name, address, phone number, email address, age, grade, teacher’s and principal’s name (first and last), school name.
Due Date: All art work must be delivered on or before December 6, 2019 by 5:00 PM
Deliver via mail or in person to:
Pasadena Unified School District
Martin Luther King Community Coalition Art Contest
Attn: Dr. Ayesha Randall
351 S. Hudson Ave., Room 219
Pasadena, CA 91101-3507