Champaign County children of all backgrounds are eligible to enter a contest sponsored by the Interfaith Alliance of Champaign County that allows them to show their care for Earth.
Michael Crosby, pastor of the First Mennonite Church of Champaign-Urbana, said the Interfaith Alliance works to encourage people “that diverse expressions of faith and spirituality enrich the fabric of our community. We work together for the common good, grounded in our common religious commitments to justice, peace and mercy. One way we can work together for the common good is by caring for our common home, the Earth.”
In that vein, the IA’s contest — open to county residents in middle school or high school — asks participants to address the following question: How does your faith and/or spiritual tradition inspire you to practice care for the Earth?
Entries can be made in one of five categories: essay, poetry, spoken word, music/dance and visual arts. The submission deadline is Nov. 15 and prizes are $300 in cash to each of the top four entries.
“We find that faith traditions and spiritual practices all bring different resources to the work of tending the environment, and we also find that young people have some of the most creative, unifying expressions of this,” Crosby said.
The top four overall winners from the second annual contest will be asked to share their work publicly at the Interfaith Alliance “Grateful Gathering” program at 3 p.m. Nov. 24 at Spurlock Museum.
Crosby said last year’s winners included poetry, sculpture, pastels and music. “The sculpture entry, which won a ‘Best in Show’ prize, was a teapot crafted by a sixth-grader from Urbana,” he said. “For the artist, the teapot represented the importance of eating together in two different faith traditions — how coming together to share food evokes feelings of gratitude for those who love us and are there for us.”
The IA’s work seemingly has never been more important, given the heightened polarization that has encapsulated American life in recent years.
“The Alliance is a relational group, committed to learning about and appreciating each other’s traditions,” Crosby said. “At a time when differences can be seen as something to fear, we want to celebrate the differences that make our community wiser, more vibrant and more beautiful.”
Full Contest Rules
INTERFAITH ALLIANCE GRATITUDE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES 2024
Entries can be made in any one of five categories (limit one entry per person/group).
Essays: Maximum 500 words. Entries will be accepted in all languages; if not in English, please include an English translation.
Poetry: Maximum 500 words. Entries will be accepted in all languages; if not in English, please include an English translation.
Spoken Word: Maximum 5 minutes. Audio or video formats may be submitted by email. Please include a written copy of your spoken words.
Music or Dance: Maximum 5 minutes. Submit original musical compositions or choreographed performances as digital audio or audio/video recordings. Include a one paragraph written description of the work.
Visual Art: Digital submissions are welcome from a variety of media: photography, multimedia, sculptures, print media, or other formats. If the submission is a sculpture, painting, or other physical media, please submit three (3) photographs showing the work from multiple angles. Include a one paragraph written description of the work.
Strong entries will include the following elements:
Reflection on your own faith tradition, spiritual practices, philosophies, and/or religious community
Personal experiences of caring for the earth
Creativity within the chosen category (essay, poetry, spoken word, music/dance, or visual art)
Submissions:
All entries should be submitted digitally to interfaithchampaign@gmail.com no later than November 15. Written submissions should be in Word, Google Doc, or PDF format. Music, video, or photograph entries may be sent in any standard file format by email attachment, or, send a link using a file sharing or streaming service. If submitted as an attachment, files must be less than 10 MB.
Submission email must include:
First and Last Name – School and Grade
The following acknowledgment: “I certify that this submission is my own original work.”
*Entrants must be Champaign County residents and Middle or High School students during the
fall semester of 2024.
**Entrants retain copyrights to their work, but will be asked to grant permission to the Interfaith
Alliance of Champaign County to reproduce and distribute it for the purposes of the 2024
Grateful Gathering promotion and programming.
***Entries may not contain any copyrighted material, nor threatening, offensive, or abusive
material. Entries that are illegible, incomplete, or contain corrupted files will be considered void.