Students: Enter Lake County Rising's Writing/Poster Contest

LAKE COUNTY, IL — Lake County high schoolers and middle schoolers are invited to submit essays, poems and posters to advocacy group Lake County Rising, as part of an initiative to raise awareness of violence against women.

The contest theme is "We Rise To Respect, Grace, and Kindness," and participants should describe what it means to rise on behalf of others, and how the words "respect," "grace" and "kindness" play a role.

High school students can submit poems and essays, while the poster contest is open to middle schoolers, officials said. The contests are sponsored by the Lake County State's Attorney's Office and several partner agencies.

The winning poet/essayist is invited to read their work at Lake County Rising 2022, an annual event that brings the community together to reflect on the abuse experienced by women and to commit to ending it, officials said. The winning art submission will be on display during the event.

Lake County Rising is modeled after One Billion Rising, a global movement demanding an end to violence against women, officials said.

Lake County's event will be held Feb. 8, 2022 at the Round Lake Beach Civic Center. It will be a "demonstration of rising in solidarity with women who have experienced abuse," said Sandra Bankston, a therapist with the State's Attorney's Office.

Rules for each contest can be found below, as provided by the Office of the State's Attorney. Winners will be notified on or before Feb. 1.

High School Essay:
Essays must be 500 words or less, double-spaced. Preference will be given to any essay or poem that incorporates diversity and inclusivity.

High School Poem:
Poems are judged based on originality, creativity, and artistic quality. Any styles (sonnet, haiku, etc.) are accepted, with the exception of block or blackout poems. Poetry submissions should not exceed two pages.

Middle School Poster Submission:
Posters must be original work and can use any medium, including paint, crayons, stickers, charcoal, computer generated graphics, handwritings, and fonts. Posters should not use any stereotypical representations of domestic violence.

Anyone interested should email their intention to participate in either contest to Bankston at sbankston@lakecountyil.gov by Jan. 1, 2022, with Lake County Rising 2022 as the email subject line.

The email should include the entrant's name, an email contact, school and grade level, and which type of entry they will be submitting.

Deadline for final submissions is Jan. 14, 2022.