A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF NEW YORK UNITED TEACHERS FOR THE 2001-2002 NEW YORK SWEATFREE SCHOOLS POSTER CONTEST
I am pleased to announce that the New York State United Teachers is partnering again with the New York State Labor-Religion Coalition to hold a new Sweatfree Schools Poster Contest in 2002.
We are pleased with the response this contest receives and the learning that each poster represents.
Children belong in school, not in the factory or job site. Children and parents should not have to work in dangerous, unhealthy places for less than a living wage. Yet today these situations continue to exist and, indeed, expand.
While creating their posters, teachers and students in New York State delved deeply into how child labor and sweatshop products have a large impact on all of us, including our schools. In New York State and around the world, multinational corporations and their owners exploit children and workers.
The sweatfree poster contest increases public understanding of this immoral practice and motivates teachers and students to learn more about child labor and sweatshop working conditions.
It's been proven that by teaching students about sweatshops and child labor, we can create a powerful force to eliminate these injustices. You can make a difference. This is why I invite you to participate.
Thomas Y. Hobart, Jr.
CONTEST INFORMATION
THEME: "We can make a difference; say "no" to child labor and sweatshops" In your poster convince your classmates and others that you can make a difference in eliminating child labor. The poster might show how youth can make a difference in attitudes or might encourage others to be responsible consumers. Posters might show imaginative alternatives to child labor and sweatshops or express a dream for a world where no child labor or sweatshops exist.
PRIZES: A panel of art teachers will judge entries. There will be first and second prize winners for each of the four grade categories. First Prize winners receive from New York State United Teachers $1000 US Savings Bonds; Second Prize winners get $500 US Savings Bonds. All poster contest entrants will receive a certificate of participation.
ELIGIBILITY: The poster contest is open to students in public and non-public schools in New York State. Students will compete in four grade categories: K-3rd grade; 4-6th grade; 7-9th grade; and 10-12th grade. Only one entry per student is allowed.
FORMAT: The artwork must be 16x20" to 22x28" in size, and two dimensional in form. A student can use acrylic, crayon, pencil, colored pencil, gouache, charcoal, pastels, magic markers, watercolors, ink, tempera, or any combination of these media. This year a student may choose computer-generated graphics as one of the media. Computer work should be 8 1/2 x 11", mounted on poster board with a 2-3 inch border. A disk of the work should be kept by the student until after the judging. If computer work is selected as a winner, the student will be asked to submit the disk so the work can be enlarged. A student's entry should be his or her own work. The artwork is to be original in intent and design, and should not be copied from other artwork or published material. Students must secure a sign-off by an art teacher or another teacher before submitting their poster for consideration.
ENTRY FORM: Each poster must have taped to its back the entry form included here. Additional entry forms may be printed or obtained from the NYS Labor-Religion Coalition office at 518-213-6000 . All posters or disks become the property of the Coalition and cannot be returned.
DEADLINE: Teachers in the state may select up to ten (10) entries to represent their school. Entries must be postmarked by February 1, 2002. Send them to: Sweatfree Schools Poster Contest, NYS
Labor-Religion Coalition, 800 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham, NY 12110-2455. Avoid folding posters; use of mailing tubes is acceptable.
The New York State Labor-Religion Coalition is a human rights organization focusing on workplace issues, especially those that affect low-wage workers and their families.
If you have questions or want more information about the poster contest, the Sweatfree Schools Campaign, or the Coalition, please call 518-213-6000 or e-mail us at info@labor-religion.org