October 22, 2001

Media Contact: Michael Dabney, (858) 822-3432

In honor of Native American Heritage Month during November, the University of California, San Diego will sponsor an essay and art contest to encourage middle school and high school students to discover and celebrate Native American culture and history.

The contest, open to all San Diego County students in grades 7 through 12, is presented by the Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP) at UCSD, and EAOP's American Indian Outreach Program in cooperation with UCSD's University Events Office.

Eyes On Teens is a weekly community affairs program for youths airing on Cox Cable and Time Warner Cable stations. The program, co-produced and hosted by area teens, is sponsored by Pazzaz, Inc., an educational enrichment resource in Southeast San Diego.

Students may submit one entry in the essay category and/or one entry in the art category. All entries must be postmarked by November 9, 2001, and winners will be notified during the week of November 12.

Essays should address the following statement: Think critically about a significant event in Native American history and describe how we can learn from that event to restore and promote Native American culture and language, both as individuals and as a community.

Art submissions should consist of historic and/or contemporary images created by the student which pay tribute to Native Americans and promote Native American culture and history.

Prizes for winning essays will be:

Essay/Art Contest

Essays must be 500 words (or two pages) in length, typed and double-spaced, and written in English unless the student is enrolled in English Language Proficiency classes. Art submissions should be no larger than 8 inches x 24 inches. All entries must be accompanied by a contest application.

Applications and other contest guidelines can be obtained from the Early Academic Outreach Program website at http://sea.ucsd.edu/eaop/

Submit entries to: Native American Heritage Essay/Art Contest, UCSD/EAOP, Student Center Complex B, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0305. For more information, call Marc Chavez, (858) 822-4256, or Kathy Lee, (858) 534-4119.