DC Press Release - April 20, 2009
Contact: Pamela Michael EDITORS, PLEASE NOTE: We have high-
510-548-7636 quality electronic files of the artwork
510-914-1585 (mobile) for your use. Poem texts also are
pamelam@riverofwords.org available.
****************NEWS RELEASE*****************
Robt. Hass, Library of Congress to Honor
Young Poets and Artists from Around U.S.
Washington, DCÑ On Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. The Library of Congress Center for the Book will honor the young winners and finalists of the 14th annual River of Words Environmental Poetry & Art Contest in Rm. 119 of the Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. The ceremony will be emceed by former US Poet Laureate, Robert Hass (recent winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for Poetry), who co-founded River of Words in 1995 with writer Pamela Michael, the non-profit organizationÕs executive director. The contestÑthe largest youth poetry and art competition in the worldÑis conducted by Berkeley nonprofit River of Words and is affiliated with The Library of Congress Center for the Book.
The ceremony will feature children from all over the country reading their winning poems about the natural world. Barbara Strasko, from Fulton Elementary School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, will also be honored as the 2009 Teacher of the Year. The event will include an art exhibit of this yearÕs winning landscape art by children and youth from around the world. River of Words will also be releasing their 2009 anthology of art and poetry by children at the event, which will feature a book signing by the young winners after the event.
River of
Words¨ (ROW) is a nature-based science, art and poetry organization, founded to
promote watershed awareness, literacy and the arts. ROW helps young people
explore the natural and cultural history of their own communities through their
innovative Watershed Explorer
curriculum. Beyond the annual contest, ROW also provides educational support
services for schools, water districts, libraries, museums, community
organizations and governmental agencies that want to promote environmental
consciousness via the creative process.
Open at
no cost to youth aged 5 Ð 19, the annual contest typically receives over 20,000
submissions from almost every state in the union and many foreign countries.
Poetry entries are judged by ROW co-founders Robert Hass and Pamela Michael;
renowned childrenÕs book author and illustrator Thacher Hurd judges the
artwork.
Commenting on this yearÕs winners,
Robert Hass remarked ÒItÕs thrilling to see, year after year, these young
writers and artists giving us back the places where we live through their words
and images. Through their explorations and reflection on their homegrounds, we
are all made more aware of the beauty, history, and fragility of our natural
landscapes.Ó
Through student and teacher workshops, publications and public exhibitions, the River of Words helps children discover their Òecological addressÓ by exploring and interpreting their local watersheds, the contest theme. ÒOur goal is to help children become informed, engaged and inspired citizens of the places they live,Ó remarked River
of Words co-founder and executive
director, Pamela Michael. The Berkeley-based nonprofit provides teachers, park
rangers, Scout leaders and other educators with ideas and inspiration to guide
students in exploring the natural and cultural history of their particular
watershed, along with the art, music, folktales and literature it has inspired.
What: FREE
14thth Annual River of Words Award Ceremony
Reading/Book-signing/Art Exhibition/Celebration
Where: Library of Congress
110 First St. SE, Room 119, Washington, DC
When: Wednesday, May 13, 2009
10:00 AM
Who: Children
and youth reading their winning poems
Emcee:
Robert Hass
2009
River of Words Winners
Teacher of the Year: Barbara Strasko, Fulton Elementary, Lancaster, PA
International Prize: Atalanta Shi, age 13, Canada
2008 International Prize winner Sasini Navoda, from Sri Lanka, will also be honored in DC
Category I Poetry (K-Gr. 2): Quinn Whitlow, age 7, St. Louis Park, MN
Category II Poetry (Gr. 3-6): Yalonda Lockett, age 9, Lancaster, PA
Category III Poetry (Gr. 7-9): Savannah Fehling, age 14, Sarasota, FL
Category IV Poetry (Gr. 10-12): Skyler Pham, age 17, Opelousas, LA
Category I Art (K-Gr 2): Jake Barrios, age 7 Watsonville, CA
Category II Art (Gr. 3-6): Erik Raul Oliva, age 9, Chico, CA
Category III Art (Gr. 7-9): Scott Styslinger, age 14, Birmingham, AL
Category IV Art (Gr. 10-12): Eunsil Choi, age17, Lawrenceville, GA
Shasta Bioregion Prize
(Honoring a student from the SF Bay Area):
Arianna LaChance, age 12, San Anselmo, CA
Anacostia Watershed Prize:
(Honoring
a student from the Washington, DC Area)
Grace Fitzpatrick, age 13, Washington, DC
MonkeyÕs Raincoat Prize:
(Honoring a short poem in the Japanese haiku tradition):
Noah Jordan, age 9, Alna, ME
Poetry Finalists:
Alabama: Obianujunwa Anakwenze, Arizona: Julissa Elyse Thamar Trevino, California: Mirabai Britton, Kyla Candido, Lizzie Chadbourne, Audrey Larkin, Cole Morales, Bo Yan Moran, Georgina Parfitt, Ariah Thornton, Marley Walker, Colorado: Alexa Beaver, Madeline McGrigg, Georgia: Bill Adams, Megan Mabry, Emilie Menzel, Courtney Reed, Hope Rogers, Hawaii: Cyrus Maunakea, Sidney Pang, Indiana: Aidan Abney, Louisiana: Jenae' Clay, Caroline Devlin, David Lauve, Maine: Tess Hinchman, Emma Moorhead, Amelia Neilson, Maryland: Everett Hutter, Ruben Moreno, Michigan: Paul Harrington, Patty Schlutt, Missouri: Elisa Steele, Montana: Aurora Rummel-Lindig, New Jersey: Thornton Blease, North Carolina: Amelia Fuller, Pennsylvania: Andrew Baxter, Jennifer Hu, Alijah Rosario, Virginia: Samah Rash, Washington: Helena Eitel, Matt Turner
Art Finalists:
Alabama: Karmen Gaines, Hannah McGee, California: Daniel Knight, Joshua Vega, Juan Velasguez, Georgia: Jesse Abbott, Addison Bandoly, Morgen Dennis, Drake Harris, Alexandra Laing, Tiffany Ling, Lucy Xu, Indiana: Jacob Scott, Maryland: Meranda Gaffney, Patrick Kam, Michigan: John Xuecheng Fan, Missouri: Marquesha Oliver, Oregon: Grace Tran, North Carolina: Zachary Tomlinson, China: Vanessa Ho, Livia Korng, Wong Cho Ying, India: Prakruthi, Shruthi S., Pakistan (Afghan nationals): Saking Khadimi, Muzhgan, Slovenia: Lara Erjavec, Sri Lanka: H.N. Rathnayaka, N.S.K. Silva, Prasadini Wickramasinghe, Sasina Navoda Wickramatunga