ESSAY WRITING COMPETITION IN ENGLISH FOR THE CHILDREN IN GRADES 3 TO 12 AND DRAWING COMPETITION FOR CHILDREN IN GRADES KG TO GRADE 2

Dear Sangam Members and well -wishers

ESSAY WRITING COMPETITION IN ENGLISH FOR THE CHILDREN IN GRADES 3 TO 12 AND DRAWING COMPETITION FOR CHILDREN IN GRADES KG TO GRADE 2

Ilankai Tamil Sangam is organizing its 5th annual writing competition on the subject of “TAMIL HISTORY, ARTS AND CULTURE” for children currently enrolled in Grades 3 to 12. We are also offering a drawing competition for students currently enrolled in kinder garden to grade 2. This year the competition will take place between September 16th and September 30th. The dates and locations are listed below. If any of your local communities would like participate in this competition please reach out to Sangam.

Queens, New York – Naavalar Thamil Paadasalai, Saturday September 16th
Staten Island, New York – Ilankai Tamil Sangam Thamil School, Sunday September 17th
Central New Jersey – New Jersey Tamil Arts and Cultural Society, Sunday September 24th
Northern New Jersey – Ilankai Thamil Manram, New Jersey, Saturday September 30th
Boston – Boston Thamil Association. (Date TBD)
Columbus, Ohio (TBD)
Pennsylvania (TBD)

AGE GROUPS FOR THE COMPETITION:
Group 1 – Students currently enrolled in Kinder Garden or Grade 1 or Grade 2
Group 2 – Students currently enrolled in Grade 3 or 4
Group 3 – Students currently enrolled in Grade 5 or 6
Group 4 – Students currently enrolled in Grade 7 or 8
Group 5 – Students currently enrolled in Grade 9 or 10 or 11 or 12

Participants are required to come to the one of the above venues and
write the essay or draw the drawing in a supervised environment.

TOPIC FOR EACH GROUP:

Group 1 – Students currently enrolled in Kinder Garden or Grade 1 or Grade 2

Participants should submit a drawing about a tamil festival or Tamil Cultural programs. Drawing should reflect the artistic talent of the participant and should reflect the understanding of the festival/program characteristics, traditions and purpose.

Group 2 – Students currently enrolled in Grade 3 or 4
Guidelines:

Participants should write an essay on the life of a Tamil poet. Prepare an outline of your ideas with the introduction, body and conclusion. Explain the importance of the selected Poet’s life style and how the Poet or the Poem affected day to day life of people and how beneficial it was to the enhancement of the Tamil Culture and History. Use a phrase/ a line or 2, from a Poem to support the main idea and explain why it was chosen. Limit your Essay for 100-150 words.

Group 3 – Students currently enrolled in Grade 5 or 6
Guidelines:

Participants should write an essay on the impact a Tamil folk story, book, rhyme or poem has had on them. Introduce the piece and where you heard it from, or read. Explain the moral or main lesson of the piece. Touch on the impact it had on you, why you chose to write about this piece for this essay, or a fond memory you have regarding this piece (ex: your Grandma told it to you, your mom sang it to you). Limit your Essay for 150 -200 words.

Group 4 – Students currently enrolled in Grade 7 or 8

Guidelines:

Participants should write an essay about the historical formation of Tamil people in Ilankai. It can cover topics such as the migration of people to the island, the creation of government, religious movements and a general political history including the British rule over Ilankai. Furthermore, it should include how these events have shaped Ilankai today. Make sure to touch on the societal, governmental, and economic influences. Limit your Essay to 200-250 words.

Group 5 – Students currently enrolled in Grade 9 or 10 or 11 or 12

From 1983 to 2009, civil war in Ilankai effected the lives of thousands of civilians, particularly children. As a result, many children lost their homes, families, and endured significant physical and
psychological damages. The damages caused by this war have continued to effect later generations as the country struggles to restore faith and normalcy in the civilians daily lives. Your task, is to come up with two ideas on how to help children in Ilankai to learn to cope with how the war has effected their lives. Please choose two of the problems identified below and give one solution to each problem.

Topics:

* Lack of healthcare and trained medical professionals to provide adequate care to sick children
* Children who have any physical damages to their bodies, or have lost any limbs that
* Children with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) from the war
* Children who are now responsible for younger siblings and families because they have lost a mother or father
* Poverty and homelessness as a result of displacement
* Children unable to get an education because they have to work

Your essay must:
* Be between 300-350 words.
* Identify the two problems as a result of the war (ex: lack of food, healthcare) and give realistic solutions that can be implemented.
* Your solution may not be to use funding from any existing relief or charity organization.
* Must be in direct relation to the children of Ilankai

The organizing committee recommends a maximum of one hour to be given to write the essay or drawing. All essays and drawings will be evaluated by a panel of judges prior to the AGM. Winners will be selected from each group. First place winners will receive a trophy. Second and third place will receive certificates. All participants will receive a participation certificate. Winners will receive the trophy and the certificates from the chief guest of the event on the main stage at the AGM in the
evening. Last year awards were presented by Hon. Judge Navi Pillay, former UN high commissioner for human rights.

AWARD CEREMONY:

Crowe Plaza and Conference Center
390 Forsgate Dr, Monroe Township, NJ 08831
DATE: Saturday November 4th
Time – Between 7 P.M and 9 P.M.

Sincerely
Secretary
Ilankai Tamil Sangam USA