Essay Contest Asks Teens What Diversity Means to Them

V1 Staff |

An essay contest about equity, diversity, and inclusion will award cash prizes to Chippewa Valley high school students. The Mahmoud S. Taman Foundation recently announced its 2018 essay contest for students in ninth through 12th grades. First- and second-place winners (who will receive $300 and $200, respectively), will be chosen from each of the following schools: Chippewa Falls High School, McDonell Central High School, Memorial High School, North High School, Regis High School, and Altoona High School. One category of entries from students at other area high schools, as well as home-schooled students, will also be awarded first and second prizes. Essays must be 1,000 to 1,200 words long and should address one these questions:

1. What does racial, gender, and cultural diversity mean to you and how does it manifest in your local community in the Chippewa Valley?

2. How have the contributions of immigrant communities such as the Latino, Hmong, Somali, Bosnian, and others impacted the Chippewa Valley?

3. How has the religion of Islam positively integrated itself into modern American culture and society? What is the history of the Muslim community in the Chippewa Valley and how has their presence enriched the local culture?

4 . How are the goals of the Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations relevant to your local community and how can high school students in the Chippewa Valley work to forward these ideas?

The contest deadline is March 30. The Taman Foundation was formed to honor Mahmoud Taman, a native of Egypt who spent 43 years living and working in the Chippewa Valley. He co-founded the Islamic Society of Northern Wisconsin, which operates a mosque in Altoona, and was a leader in local interfaith dialogue. 

To learn more about the foundation and the contest, visit mstamanfoundation.org or email MSTamanFoundation@gmail.com.