NORTHERN Marianas Humanities Council program coordinator Leeani Saralu invites interested high school students to register for the My Marianas Writing Contest writers’ workshop this Saturday, Feb. 22, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at the council’s office at Springs Plaza in Gualo Rai.
To participate in the workshop, RSVP by visiting nmhcouncil.org/writersworkshop
The workshop supports the development of personal narrative essays that participants can submit to the My Marianas Writing Contest, an annual competition open to CNMI high school students in public and private schools.
This year’s theme is “Threads of Tradition,” which challenges writers to “reflect on their personal cultural values and traditions shaping their individuality and identity,” according to a media release.
The contest prizes are $500 for 1st place, $400 for 2nd place, and $300 for 3rd place.
The Humanities Council is asking students to write about a time in their lives when they realized that their “heritage and particular traditions” shaped the person they are today.
The contest submission deadline is April 11, Saralu said, adding that this Saturday’s writing workshop will help participants understand the submission rubric and assist students in brainstorming and drafting their essays.
“The workshop is one way we can help ease the entry process for students who might need support,” she added.
She said the contest is also a way for the Humanities Council to support the development of humanities projects involving the islands’ teenagers.
The contest “is an opportunity for CNMI high school students to share their perspectives with the wider community and to shape how their culture is viewed by future generations,” she said. “The council hopes that by empowering teens to think about the ‘threads’ that connect them to their heritage, we’ve allowed them space to grow in their identities and solidify their sense of self.”
The top essays will be collected into a printed booklet, which will be distributed to schools on Saipan, Tinian and Rota. A free PDF version of the booklet will also be made available on the Humanities Council’s website.
