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*****************
WorldÕs Largest Youth Poetry & Art Contest to
Honor 2009 Winners
at San Francisco Public LibraryÕs Koret Auditorium
In honor of Earth Day and National
Poetry Month
San Francisco, CaliforniaÑ On Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 1:30 p.m., River of Words will honor the young winners and finalists of their 14th annual environmental poetry and art contest at the Koret Auditorium of San Francisco Public Library (Civic Center). The contestÑthe largest youth poetry competition in the worldÑis conducted by Berkeley nonprofit River of Words and is affiliated with The Library of Congress Center for the Book.
The free family program, emceed by River of Words co-founder (2008 Pulitzer Prize winner and former US Poet Laureate), Robert Hass, will feature children from all over California reading their winning poems about the natural world. The event also features an art exhibit of this yearÕs winning landscape art by children and youth from around the world. A book-signing with this yearÕs winning young poets and artists and a reception follow the reading.
The contestÕs
International Prize winner, Teacher of the Year, and eight grand prize
winnersÑin kindergarten through 12th gradeÑwill receive a trip to
Washington, D.C., where they will be honored at an Awards Ceremony, luncheon
and public reading at The Library of Congress on May 13th, 2009. The
Library of Congress event is also emceed by Robert Hass, who said of this year's winners, "ItÕs 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."
Through student and teacher workshops, publications and public exhibitions, the program helps children discover their "ecological address" by exploring and interpreting their local watersheds, the contest theme. "Our goal is to help children become informed, engaged and inspired citizens of the places they live," remarked River of Words co-founder and executive director, Pamela Michael. In affiliation with The Library of Congress Center for the Book, 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: 14thth
Annual River of Words Ceremony
Celebration/Book-Signing/Reading/Art
Exhibition
Where: SF Library Koret
Auditorium
100
Larkin Street (Civic Center)
San
Francisco, California
When: 1:30 PM
Saturday,
April 25, 2009
Who: California
children and youth reading their winning poems, Robert Hass, emcee
Note: The Koret
Auditorium is wheelchair accessible.
2009
River of Words Winners
Teacher of the Year: Barbara Strasko, Fulton Elementary, Lancaster, PA
International Prize: Atalanta Shi, age 13, Canada
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