Programs + Events

Literature

Accessible Artist (Pre-K to 5th)

Aiden Van
Title: I belong, Just like Penny.
Grade: 5
Huntington Seacliff PTA (Fourth District PTA)
“My artwork is about a number #1 pencil who feels different from all the number #2 pencils. At first, she feels left out, but later she realizes being different makes her special and unique. This shows that belonging doesn’t always mean being the same, it means being accepted for who you are.”
 

Accessible Artist (6th to 12th)

Joshua Hyung
Title: Home
Grade: 7
Rosemont Middle School PTA (First District PTA)
“My poem is called “Home”. It describes what home means to me. As I was thinking about how to make the poem more creative and add significance to the theme, I decided to make it the shape of a house. The more I wrote, the more I started connecting with the contents, and the words starting coming from my heart and not just random words to fill the page.”
 

Primary Division (Pre-K-Grade 2)

Aaron Emrani
Title: All the Places and Familiar Faces
Grade: 2
El Rodeo Elementary PTA (Thirty-Third District PTA)
“My poem show the places, people and things that make me who I am. This tells the story of my world, I belong to my own culture, friends, family, art, sports, my teachers and myself.“
 

Intermediate Division (Grades (3-5)

Dia Kaira
Title: Belonging, Piece by Piece
Grade: 5
Tassaraja Hills Elementary PTA (Thirty-Second District PTA)
“Belonging, Piece by Piece, is a poem about my journey of finding home after moving to a new country. It shows how true belonging isn’t instant—it’s built slowly, like a patchwork quilt, through friendships, family, nature, and moments of being yourself. Inspired by Brené Brown’s words, I wanted to express that belonging doesn’t mean changing who you are—it means being accepted just as you are. Through playful imagery and heartfelt reflection, my poem celebrates love, identity, and the joy of growing into a new life while keeping old roots.”

Middle School Division (Grades 6-8)

Chaandni Sakiraju
Title: Heart-to-Heart: A Tale Where Silent Voices Reach Hearts
Grade: 6
Bowditch Middle School PTSA (Seventeeth District PTA)
“My story Heart-to-Heart is inspired by learning that some animals, like gorillas, can use sign language to share their feelings. I imagined what would happen if a child who cannot speak and a gorilla who lost her home communicated through silence. I wanted to show that we do not need the same voice to understand each other, we just need empathy. My story connects to the theme by showing how listening from the heart can protect nature and help humans respect other living beings. I hope readers finish the story feeling inspired to care for animals and the Earth.“

High School Division (Grades 9-12)

Rhea Chakravorty
Title: “Colliding Communities”
Grade: 9
Adrian C. Wilcox High PTSA (Sixth District PTA)
“I wrote my story about the dilemma that first-generation immigrants often face. We are torn between two communities, unsure where we belong. People will often start limiting themselves, trying to fit in. I show how it’s okay to be a part of many different communities. That’s what makes us unique. Why should we try so hard to fit into one place, when we belong everywhere? For us to be ourselves fully, we must embrace every community we are a part of. Only then will we truly belong.”