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[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"40030","attributes":{"class":"media-image","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","alt":"Power of Children"}}]]If you, or someone you know in grades 6-11, is making an extraordinary difference in the lives of other, nominate them for the Power of Children Awards at childrensmuseum.org/poca-apply.
Interested in applying for the Power of Children Awards, but a little unsure about the rules for participation or the essay criteria? Today’s blog will try to answer some common questions.
Why do we require a "youth" and "adult" portion for the applications?
A completed application requires both a youth/nominee, with parental or guardian permission to apply, and an adult/nominator form to be submitted. We ask that the four criteria (Need, Achievement, Impact, and Further Empowerment) be reflected upon by both parties in order for the full application to be reviewed. The reason we do this is because we want to hear about the project from both perspectives. As a youth you may have certain things that you are proud to share about your project, but an adult may have additional elements that they want to highlight and discuss. We do not however want the exact same text copied and pasted in both applications. This will disqualify an applicant.
What does "no group projects" mean?
We are looking for youth who have created a project on their own, not as a group. This means that if you and your classmates or friends started a project or organization together, the work unfortunately does not qualify for this award. With group projects it is hard to tell who actually did what portion of the work and since the award goes to an individual winner it doesn’t seem fair to the rest of the group if only one person gets acknowledged for their contribution. On the other hand, if you started a project and then recruited your friends to help you, but you kept control/leadership of the project, it is eligible for the award.
What should I write about in my four criteria (Need, Achievement, Impact, and Further Empowerment)?
Each portion of the criteria should be discussed in 150 words or less. As the youth/nominee, you will write about your project from your personal perspective. For the adult/nominator, you will write about the stories the youth has shared with you and the impact you see on both the youth and the community through the project.
- Need: This portion will address why the project was created and what the youth did to start it. Where did the idea for the project originate? How did you learn about the need you are addressing? Was it a hobby, a news article, a friend or family member, a trip, or other that helped spark the idea in your head?
- Achievement: This portion will address what the youth has accomplished while working on this project and what sort of obstacles may have been encountered. Tell us about your process. Did you have to do research or get permission to start your project? Did you meet with the community? Did you need assistance from others? Did you recruit volunteers, how? Did you struggle to find support, money or come across other barriers?
- Impact: This portion will address the specific details of the ways in which the project made an impact. How many people have you helped? What sort of monetary contributions have you acquired? How many volunteers do you use? How many days/hours have you put in on this project?
- Further Empowerment: This portion will address how funds would be used to continue the project. How will you use the Power of Children Awards grant to help your project? Do you see the project expanding, changing, evolving, how? What would you like to see happen to your project after the awards?
Remember the deadline for applications is March 23, 2014 at 11:59 p.m.!
