Go For Broke National Education Center (GFBNEC) on Feb. 5 announced its annual contest for high school and college students, which focuses on the relevance and impact of the Japanese American World War II veterans’ experience.
The 2018 contest includes new categories for performance and visual arts.
The contest is open to high school (grades 9-12) and college (undergraduate and graduate) students with the option to write an essay, film an original performance, or create a work of visual art.
Cash prizes will be awarded to 18 winners: $1,000 each to the top six winners; $200 each to six second-prize winners; and $100 each to six third-prize winners. First-prize winners also will receive two complimentary tickets to attend GFBNEC’s 17th annual Evening of Aloha Gala Dinner on Sept. 8 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in downtown Los Angeles.
Students may write an essay, film a performance, or create visual art on one of two topics:
• The Japanese American WWII veteran experience is still relevant to our society today. Explore one of the ways this is true.
• The Japanese American WWII veteran story is now more than 70 years old. Discuss your ideas on preserving that story for future generations.
“We’re encouraging young people to explore the importance and continued legacy of the WWII Japanese American veterans’ experience in today’s world,” said Mitchell T. Maki, GFBNEC’s president and chief executive officer. “Last year, GFBNEC received entries from around the country and overseas. This year, we’ve added a performance and visual arts category to bring our Nisei vets’ story of commitment and sacrifice to a new audience.”
Essays should be between 250 to 500 words in length. Videoed original performances, including spoken word, original song and short play, should be from three to five minutes Visual artworks include drawing, painting, mixed media, photograph, collage, or three to five minutes of edited video, and must include a short description of the work.
Deadline for submissions is July 1; winners will be notified by Aug. 11. Students are urged to submit their essays, performances, or visual arts to studentcontest@goforbroke.org. For full contest rules, visit www.goforbroke.org or call (310) 328-0907.
GFBNEC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that educates the public on the valor of Japanese American veterans of World War II and their contributions to democracy. Its goal is to inspire new generations to embody the Nisei veterans’ core values of courage, sacrifice, equality, humility and patriotism. Founded in 1989, GFBNEC maintains the Go For Broke monument and the interactive “Defining Courage” exhibition in downtown Los Angeles, as well as extensive oral histories and archives, education and training programs, and other initiatives.