VoiceBox summer contest asks Scarborough students what ‘fairness’ means to them
BY JULIA SAWICKI
Manha Islam, a Scarborough high school student, has launched her own “summer passion project,” VoiceBox.
VoiceBox is a digital drop box contest, inviting students from Grade 4 to Grade 8 in Scarborough to share their ideas, stories and poems for the chance to win a special prize and a mention in Beach Metro Community News.
Putting together the flyers, sign-ups, and organizing the reward herself, Islam launched the initiative to give children the chance to get creative and offers an accessible way for young students to get their voices heard.
“Kids have the most honest perspective. I just wanted to allow them to share their voices with the community,” said Islam.
The theme of the contest is “What does fairness mean to you?”
Participants tell their stories through writing, art or a combination of the two, answering the prompt in a way that’s most true to them.
“All submissions will be reviewed based on originality, creative expression and how meaningfully each piece connects to the central theme,” explained Islam. “To me, a perfect drawing or perfect grammar isn’t as important as an honest message.”
Every entry will be judged equally, regardless of school grade, as Islam will be searching for authenticity in the work.
“The piece that will win is the piece that speaks most from the heart,” said Islam.
Submissions close on Aug. 31, with the winner announced in September.
To enter a submission, please go to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc_ab0RL8HUG9w0m6GglIw_ji3D89iJq6Yt8SK2zOshPNuyBA/viewform
