Fall 2016 National Student Writing Competition: Why Bother to Vote?
Want a motivator to take your students' writing to a higher level? Here's an opportunity to write for a real audience, and the chance to get published by an award-winning magazine.
YES! Article archive
Fall 2016: “Why Bother to Vote?” Middle School Winner Red Sheets
Read Red's essay, Your Voice, Your Vote," about how a vote isn't just for a person, but also for an idea, a policy, and, even, your integrity.
Fall 2016: “Why Bother to Vote?” High School Winner Catherine Skubiz
Read Catherine's essay, "Make a Choice," about how time and time again voters have proven that when we make the choice to vote, we give ourselves the power to change the nation.
Fall 2016: “Why Bother to Vote?” University Winner Ben Marcus
Read Ben's essay, "The Voting Superhero," about how we may not be able to fly or have an arsenal of high-tech crime-fighting tools, but we do have the power to vote.
Fall 2016: “Why Bother to Vote?” Powerful Voice Winner Tyler Kim
Read Tyler's essay, "With Great Asians Comes Great Responsibility," about how some of the same people who urge us to vote are the same people who neglect what should be their real responsibility—caring about people on the margins.
Fall 2016: “Why Bother To Vote?” Powerful Voice Winner Norbu Sonam
Read Norbu's essay, "A Voice for the Voiceless," about how his father's treacherous escape from Tibet to America in 1949 shaped his appreciation for the rights—like voting— that Americans have today.
Fall 2016: “Why Bother to Vote?” Literary Gems
We received many outstanding essays for the Fall 2016 Writing Competition. Though not every participant can win the contest, we'd like to share some excerpts that caught our eye.
Yessenia Funes’ Response to “Why Bother to Vote?” Essay Winners
Yessenia Funes responds to the winners of our Fall 2016 National Student Writing Competition.
Infographic: Does Congress Look Like America?
There are 469 seats in the U.S. Congress up for election this November 8th. This infographic explores how the demographics of Congress compare to America at large.
This Artist and Composer Bring the Power of Story to Your Classroom. They Want You and Your Students to Truly Know “The Other Side” of Each Other.
Since 2011, the Academy for the Love of Learning has used story and art to help strengthen relationships and understanding in Santa Fe classrooms. Now, it’s ready to share its curriculum with the rest of the country. El Otro Lado's (the other side) lessons are more of a living guide and philosophy than “one more thing” teachers have to do. The reward? The collective experience of empathy, a sense of home and belonging, and a renewed look at teaching.
Visual Learning: Time Flies
This visual learning lesson will get your students thinking about empathy for living things and how humans perceive time.
“What We Fear” Student Writing Lesson
What is one thing you fear about your future? How can you lessen that fear?
“Every Girl’s Right” Student Writing Lesson
Describe how you would feel if you were forcibly banned from going to school tomorrow—and indefinitely. What would you do?
Spring 2016 National Student Writing Competition: What We Fear
Want a motivator to take your students' writing to a higher level? Here's an opportunity to write for a real audience, and the chance to get published by an award-winning magazine.
Spring 2016: “What We Fear” Middle School Winner Deedee Jansen
Read Deedee's essay, "How Do You Spell: Afriad, Dislexsa, Faer," about how people's biases toward dyslexia can lock her in a cage, but having dyslexia can also be a blessing for seeing things differently.
Spring 2016: “What We Fear” High School Winner Clair Williamson
Read Clair's essay, "A Different Kind of Relapse" about how her struggle with depression has motivated her to accept the love and kindness of those around her.
Spring 2016: “What We Fear” University Winner Dion Medina
Read Dion's essay, "Chronic Pain," about sacrificing an active lifestyle—and inheriting an unthinkable future—to manage avascular necrosis, a disease that causes bone to slowly die.
Spring 2016: “What We Fear” Powerful Voice Winner Jazmyn Bryant
Read Jazmyn's essay, "A Serf in the Midst of Feudalism" about personally confronting racial injustice, and how necessary it is to act collectively for a reformed system.
Spring 2016: “What We Fear” Powerful Voice Winner Jonah Gold
Read Jonah's essay, "A Future Me," about the challenge in balancing two different parts of himself, and his efforts toward becoming proud of the part he's less comfortable with.
Spring 2016: “What We Fear” Powerful Voice Winner Nicole Reiber
Read Nicole's essay, "The Monster Within" about relationships and career opportunities in her life that have been lost because of her self-sabotaging behaviors, and how self-respect has helped her fight this monster.
Spring 2016: “What We Fear” Literary Gems
We received many outstanding essays for the Spring 2016 Writing Competition. Though not every participant can win the contest, we'd like to share some excerpts that caught our eye.
Spring 2016: Julie M. Elman’s Response to “What We Fear” Essay Winners
Julie M. Elman responds to the winners of our Spring 2016 Student Writing Competition.
51 Nations and 44 Languages: A Shared Struggle Toward Integration and Acceptance
In 2010, former Los Angeles Superior Court law clerk Luis Escamilla traded the courtroom for the classroom, where he teaches his immigrant and refugee students English, history, and a worldly understanding of identity and justice. This is Luis’ story.
Cross the Line
Cross the Line breaks down stereotypes, and allows students a safe space to explore the diverse identities we carry.
Visual Learning: Trouble in the Fields
This visual learning lesson will get your students thinking about the lives of migrant farm workers, and where their food comes from.
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