Art & Essay Contest

Since 2009, the Children in the Fields Campaign has hosted its art and essay contest annually to provide a safe platform to showcase farmworker children’s heartwarming and compelling stories on the national stage, and to empower them as they find the power in their voices.

Every year, CIFC receives thousands of entries for farmworker children around the United States. Their stories are very emotional, and must be seen and heard by everyone, especially lawmakers. It is our hope that the stories received through the contest, can help us change the narrative, and find the needed change to protect farmworker children in our Country.

2024 CONTEST THEME: THE ECHOES OF THE HARVEST

Tema: LOS ECOS DE LA COSECHA

2024 CONTEST

OPENS: April 1, 2024 / ABRE: 1 de abril de 2024

DEADLINE: July 15, 2024 / CIERRA: 15 de julio de 2024

Listen to Podcast with 2023 Essay Winner - Emily Camacho

Listen Here!

2024 CONTEST QUICK
GUIDELINES & ELIGIBILITY

Resumen de las Reglas
del Concurso 2024

Eligibility:

Open to all migrant or seasonal farmworker children in the United States of America
The farmworker child must be between the ages of 10 to 18 years old by July 15th, 2024.

Rules:

Entries must clearly express this year’s theme
Entries must be submitted by: July 15, 2024
Entries must be original and solely the work of the student.
Essay Size: must be submitted in 8.5 x 11-inch paper (also known as letter size paper or photocopier paper)
Art Size: must be submitted on 8.5 x 11-inch paper (no canvas, cardboard, etc.)
Art can be done using pencil, colored pencils, any type of paint, crayons, chalk, etc. (no stitches, no embroidery, etc.)
Art descriptions and Essays can be submitted in English or Spanish
Must submit the Application Form, Media Release, and one Photo
Incomplete submission disqualifies entry

DOWNLOAD THE CONTEST APPLICATION AND GUIDELINES HERE!

¡Descargue las reglas y aplicación del concurso aquí!

2024 Application & Guidelines

2024 Aplicación y Reglas del Concurso

COMING SOON: 2024 Contest Flyer

PRONTO: Afiche de Promoción del Concurso 2024

CHECK OUT THE WINNERS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS…

2023

The Children Behind The Food We Eat

(booklet) / (video)

2022

I’m a Farmworker Child, See Me!

(booklet) / (video)

2021

We Are the Harvest of Hope: We Will Change the World
(booklet) / (video)

2020

Season of Transformation & Triumph

(video)

2019

My Story from The Fields: Growing My Dreams
(booklet)

2018

Flourishing in the Fields
(booklet)
.

2017

Growing Up in the Fields that Feed America
(booklet)

2016

Cultivating Roots of Opportunities
(booklet)

FEEL LIKE SPONSORING THE CONTEST?

You can sponsor the contest by:

Sponsorship Tiers
Choose a sponsorship tier that best fits you or your organization. Then, make a check to AFOP for the amount you are able to donate. Don’t forget to write in the Memo section that it’s for CIFC Contest! Mail the check, and send your organization’s logo via email in a JPEG or PNG format to give proper credit.

Sponsorship Tiers:
- Diamond Sponsor: Exclusive sponsor $20,000
- Platinum Sponsor: Exclusively sponsors one winner and their chaperon – $5,000
- Gold Sponsor: $3,000 towards CIFC contest winners’ prizes & travel
- Silver Sponsor: $2,000 towards CIFC contest winners’ prizes & travel
- Bronze Sponsor: $1,000 towards CIFC contest winners’ prizes & travel
- Donor: Any donation towards CIFC contest winners’ prizes & travel
Send check with attention to Melanie Forti at 1150 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 31, Washington, DC 20036

Send logos to forti@afop.org
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2023 Art & Essay Winners

Each entry submitted was full of heartwarming stories and will be shared on our social media. Each entry deserves to be seen and heard.

Theme: THE CHILDREN BEHIND THE FOOD WE EAT

ART (Category 1 – Ages 10 to 13)

ART (Category 2 – Ages 14 to 18)

1st

2nd

3rd

Vanessa Iturralde (CA)

Carlos Zepeda (CA)

Allendra Aburto (CA)

Estrella Paredes (TX)

1st

2nd

3rd

Cielo J. Rios Ortiz (NE)

Jonathan Alaniz (FL)

Ashley Mejia (TX)

ESSAY (Category 3 – Ages 10 to 13)

ESSAY (Category 4 – Ages 14 to 18)

1st

2nd

3rd

Liliana Ascencio (CA)