Are you between 6 and 16 years old?
Are you willing to write a creative story centered around Indigenous children's rights, environmental solutions, and a better future for all?
Would you like to join a global council of prize-winning Child Authors, and have your work published in Canada and internationally?
The Voices of Future Generations Children´s Initiative in partnership with the National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada is looking for stories that draw inspiration from the narratives of resilience and healing as witnessed among Sixties Scoop survivors and their descendants and communities.
We warmly extend an invitation to Indigenous children aged 6-16, whose families or communities were affected by the Sixties Scoop, to craft a one-paragraph story idea featuring fictional child characters that symbolize your respective communities and cultural heritage, along with a 100-word biography.
The story ideas should creatively and imaginatively raise awareness about the impacts of the Sixties Scoop and residential schools on Indigenous children and their families. They should also serve to promote access to the rights enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We particularly encourage imaginative and creative ideas featuring resourceful problem-solving young protagonists and vibrant, diverse characters. Preferably, these story ideas should envision the kind of future these children aspire to see.
Interested candidates with a supporting teacher, friend, or family member are encouraged to email Programme Coordinator ela.martinez@vofg.org to schedule a personalized 45-minute online workshop to help create their story idea and bio.
Gold, silver, and bronze prize certificates and medals will be awarded to selected children. Three CA$250 cash prizes will also be awarded as well as sets of award-winning illustrated books to the schools of the top 6 stories. The Child Author of the highest-ranked story will have the extraordinary opportunity to become part of an exclusive global cohort of exceptional young writers, whose stories will be published, beautifully illustrated, and shared with audiences worldwide. Likewise, the silver and bronze winners will be honored by joining a distinguished global cohort of Child Ambassadors, a group of remarkable children who raise awareness and inspire action for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Enhanced by skillful illustrations, the gold-winning story will feature imaginative, captivating, and adventurous ideas geared towards shaping a more equitable and environmentally sustainable future, all within the realm of children's passions and experiences. We aim to publish the book internationally in several UN languages, raising the voices of future generations and spreading their messages for a fair and sustainable tomorrow among their peers and adults worldwide.
The selection of winning entries will be conducted by VOFG CI’s Indigenous Leadership Commission, comprising descendants and survivors of the Sixties Scoop, along with a panel of esteemed experts and Indigenous agencies.
Eligibility:
(1) Open to Indigenous children ages 6-16 whose families or communities were affected by the Sixties Scoop.
(2) Set in Turtle Island, entries must be narrated from the perspective of a child or children and should not be presented from the viewpoint of animals, mountains, trees, objects, or adults.
(3) Story ideas must address the impact of the Sixties Scoop within the context of survivors and descendants, focusing on resilience, healing journeys, and progress toward reconciliation.
(4) Submissions must include a one-paragraph story idea (200-300 words) and a concise 100-word author biography.
Criteria for Awards:
The story ideas will be judged for:
(1) Originality.
(2) Creative thinking.
(3) Alignment with the fundamental principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and a minimum of one of the 94 calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
(4) Emphasis on addressing at least one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on the most pressing issues, solutions, and the distinctive cultural aspects of Indigenous communities in Canada that were affected by the Sixties Scoop.
Entries also can be sent to the Voices of Future Generations International Commission, care of Ms. Elianys Martinez, Programme Coordinator, at ela.martinez@vofg.org by 15 May 2024.
Please visit http://www.vofg.org/books/ to view winning entries of previous story writing contests, which have now been illustrated and published. These gold-winning stories should serve as a guide to the kinds of stories that are published.
This program is made possible by a generous grant from the National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada.