NEW YORK CITY - What do you want to be when you grow up? What goals and
dreams do you hope to achieve as an adult here in the United States?
These are questions that young immigrants from around the country are
asked to answer artistically in the 2006 Poster Contest for Immigrant
Youth.

This year marks the 12th year that HIAS - the Hebrew Immigrant Aid
Society - has sponsored the contest as a way to keep its legacy of
rescue and resettlement alive in the minds of its youngest
beneficiaries.

“Many immigrants, when asked why they chose to uproot their lives and
come to the United States, will answer, simply, ‘for my children,’”
remarked Jerry Teller, chair of the board of HIAS. “In turn, these
youngsters’ artwork inspires us to uphold the great values upon which
our country was founded. They teach us tolerance, pride and gratitude,
the value of diversity, the importance of good citizenship and the
amazing gifts that different cultures bring to the U.S.”

Last year’s theme, “ America’s Place in the World,” inspired dozens of
entries. The grand prize went to Annabelle Blushteyn, 9, of Fishers,
Ind. Her drawing, in crayon and pencil, depicts a marathon in the
Olympics.

“In my picture, I have an American holding a great symbol of peace, the
Olympic flame. She leads everybody…dressed in the colors of their
countries flags and they follow the torch bearer. This is just like the
countries following America to peace.”

The contest is open to immigrant and first-generation children (whose
parents immigrated to the United States) between the ages of 4 and 15.
There can be only one entry per contestant and all artwork becomes the
property of HIAS. Artwork must be no larger than 20” x 24” (50 x 60
cm), in any medium - watercolor, crayon, oil, pencil, sculpture, etc.

Submissions will be divided according to the following age groups: 4-7,
8-11 and 12-15. Each entry must be accompanied by a brief explanation
of how the artwork relates to the theme. Contestants in the 4-7
category should prepare at least two sentences describing their work,
those in the 8-11 category should write at least one paragraph; and
those in the 12-15 category should write two to three paragraphs. A
panel will judge all works and accompanying descriptions on the basis
of creativity, originality, technique, and relation to the theme.

The grand-prize winner will receive a $1,000 U.S. savings bond. Three
runners-up will receive special recognition prizes. All 12 finalists
will receive a certificate of achievement and have their poster
reproduced in our magazine, Passages, as well as have the artwork
included in HIAS’ online calendar (available for viewing at http://www.hias.org/News/Pubs/Calendar_2006.pdf).

Entries should be mailed to: HIAS Poster Contest, 333 7th Avenue, 16th
Floor, New York, N.Y., 10001. All entries must be received by June 30,
2006.

The official entry form, which includes contest rules, may be accessed via the HIAS website http://www.hias.org/Scholarships/poster/2006poster_flyers.pdf; by calling the HIAS Communications Office at 212-613-1349, or by e-mailing: poster@hias.org.