In the spirit of "learning from the past–shaping our future," the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Burbank has organized an essay and art contest to commemorate and learn from the Armenian genocide of 1915-1923.
The contests officially began in early March with the help of more than 80 English–Art–and History teachers from the Burbank Unified School District. Contest packets were distributed to teachers and student. Students in grades 10-12 were invited to take part in either the art or essay contest with the theme–"Learning From The Past–Shaping Our Future: What does the Armenian genocide mean to me?" Using any form of visual media or their own original writing–participating students of all ethnic backgrounds will have the opportunity to creatively express their thoughts and feelings about the impact of the Armenian genocide.
"Our goal is to create an understanding among youth that this crime against the Armenia’s is not just past history and it still has a real impact on our lives today" said Tamar Krekorian–head of the Genocide Commemoration Committee of the Burbank ANC. "Through this contest–young people will learn the continuing lessons of the Armenian genocide and will be prepared to work together to prevent future atrocities."
The Burbank ANC is also collaborating with a long time friend–the Burbank Public Library. The contests–running through March 24–2006–will culminate in an award ceremony Saturday–April 1 at the Burbank Central Library. Student art will be on display and excerpts from winning essays will be read. Three winners for each contest will be awarded cash prizes. Representatives of the City of Burbank and the Burbank Unified School District present the winners with their prizes. The event is open to the public. For more information on the contest–visit www.burbankanc.org.