1. Social Justice Youth Art Contest
for the 2018
Educators for Social Justice Curriculum Conference

2. What is Educators for Social Justice? (ESJ)
ESJ is a group of St. Louis teachers who believe children are capable of understanding and solving complex social problems. Our goal is to support educators in teaching about social problems and so that YOU can be a part of creating socially just schools and communities.

3. ESJ Conference & Art Contest
Every year ESJ hosts a conference in which teachers share social justice curriculum and ideas. We ask for youth support by participating in our “Social Justice Youth Art Contest.” We call for K-12 students to reflect on the theme of our conference through artwork. The winning submission becomes the colorful visual of our conference flyer, program cover & web page. Click here to see examples of past youth artwork on our flyers!

4. This Year’s Conference Title:
Educators for Social Justice presents…
The 13th Annual
2018 Educating for Change Curriculum Conference
Theme: “Building Counter-narratives for Radical Healing and Hope”

5. “Social Justice”
Social justice has had many definitions and interpretations. One definition is...
Social justice is the view that everyone deserves to enjoy the same economic, political and social rights, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, gender or other characteristics. -Education World
What is social justice to you?

6. “Counter-narratives”
"Counter-narrative refers to the narratives that arise from the vantage point of those who have been historically marginalized. The idea of “counter-“ itself implies a space of resistance against traditional domination. A counter-narrative goes beyond the notion that those in relative positions of power can just tell the stories of those in the margins. Instead, these must come from the margins, from the perspectives and voices of those individuals. A counter-narrative thus goes beyond the telling of stories that take place in the margins. The effect of a counter-narrative is to empower and give agency to those communities. By choosing their own words and telling their own stories, members of marginalized communities provide alternative points of view, helping to create complex narratives truly presenting their realities." Source: The Center for Intercultural Dialogue
When have you felt that truth has been dismissed or misrepresented?
How can we identify what is true and what is not the full version of the truth?
How can we build counter-narratives to expose the truth and empower marginalized communities?

7. “Radical Healing & Hope”
We believe that our children, teachers, and communities are in need of radical healing and hope to repair the damage done by racism, oppression, violence, and post-truth politics in our society. We are confident that educators, students and community members have great power to heal and give hope.
What does “radical healing and hope” look like to you?
What kind of “radical healing and hope” do you, your school, and your community need?

8. “Building Counter-narratives for Radical Healing and Hope”
Artistic Reflection
Take some time to research, sketch, and create art about...
“Building Counter-narratives for Radical Healing and Hope”

9. Art Contest Details
Submission Deadline: October 15th. You can submit your artwork by:
Scanning & ing it to (preferred)
Mailing it to: Genevieve Caffrey, 7315 Northmoor Drive, St. Louis, MO
In your submission, you need to include:
1) A 2-4 sentence description of your artwork (What is there? What is happening?)
2) A 5-8 sentence paragraph answering: How does your artwork reflect the idea of “Radical Healing & Hope in a Post-Truth Era.”
*Writing can be scripted by an adult if the artist is challenged by the writing segment of the submission. However, original language must come from the student.

10. More Art Contest Details
• Open to all youth, ages 18 and under.
• Submissions must be on an 8 ½ x 11-inch piece of paper.
• Any suitable art materials or a computer-generated design may be utilized.
• Original artwork may be picked up between 1:00-1:30 the day of the conference.
• Submitting your art grants permission to ESJ to reproduce the art to promote the conference.
• Registration Form must be typed or printed legibly in ink, signed, and must accompany the artwork submission.
• DO NOT STAPLE the Registration Form to the artwork.
• You are welcome (but not required) to include a photo of the artist to be displayed with the artwork.

11. Art Contest Winners The Youth Art Contest winner will receive:
the honor of published artwork for the ESJ conference flyer, program, web page, Facebook page, Twitter page & more. (Great for an art portfolio!)
a Blick’s Art Supply Gift Card
recognition at the 2018 Educating for Change Curriculum Fair at Wydown Middle School on Saturday, February 24, 2018 (You will be invited on stage!)
free entrance to the conference for you and two adults over 18 years old
All artwork along with their descriptions will be posted on a banner that displays our theme at the conference. We hope you, your friends, and your family members come to the conference, even if you don’t submit artwork!

12. Questions?
More details on our website:
contest.html