ALLOUEZ — The Compass is seeking entries from young people for its 28th annual “Just for Kids” Christmas challenge. This year, The Compass is pairing with World Mission Services of the Green Bay Diocese to include “Just for Kids’ art entries in the Missionary Childhood Association’s (MCA) National Christmas Card contest.
Twenty-four national MCA winners will be selected. Their art will appear on e-greeting Christmas cards at www.MCAKids.org and two grand prize winners will have their art displayed at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., during Advent and Christmas 2016. These two art pieces will also be reproduced as the official Christmas cards for the national director of the Pontifical Mission Society in the United States.
The Compass “Just For Kids” Christmas challenge still includes the paper’s traditional essay contest.
Three winners (each in art and essay) will be chosen in each age group/category: grades pre-K to 2; grades 3-4; grades 5-6; grades 7-8. Winners’ work will be featured in The Compass’ Christmas issue on Dec. 18, as well as on The Compass website, during the Christmas season.
Artwork: Entries may be black and white, or color, based on images of the Archangel Gabriel with a Nativity theme. Artwork must be original freehand — no copying or tracing — not larger than 8.5 by 11 inches and done on white paper (no lined paper). Acceptable media includes crayons, pastels, colored pencils, markers, tempera or watercolor paints. (No lead pencils.)
Essay: (Not to exceed 60 words.) Entries should reflect the following question: “If the Archangel Gabriel was part of the choirs of angels at Bethlehem, what did Gabriel say or do on that night?”
For entries that are part of a classroom project, The Compass asks teachers/principals to narrow down the entries to the top seven (three or four each of art and of essays) from each class grouping before submitting.
Winners for both The Compass and the MCA will be chosen with the assistance of a panel of diocesan staff members.
All entries must include the child’s name, address (this can be the school’s address for classes and will not be included in the paper or on the website), school or student’s parish and grade in school. Class submissions must also include teacher’s name and class.
Send entries to “Just for Kids,” attn. Patricia Kasten, c/o The Compass, P.O. Box 23825, Green Bay, WI, 54305-3825, or sent digitally to [email protected] and titled “Just for Kids artwork” or “Just for Kids essay.”
Entries must be received by Dec. 1 to be considered for publication in the Dec. 18 issue. Full rules for the MCA art contest can also be found at www.catholicfoundationgb.org/the-compass-just-for-kids.
(If you would like art entries returned, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Note: Entries that are forwarded to the MCA contest cannot be returned.)
