CHICAGO, June 28 - A 12-year-old Puerto Rican girl from Philadelphia and a 12-year-old
boy of Irish heritage from Chicago captured the attention of the 800.000 students
in the public schools of the two cities as the grand prize winners in the essay
contest on Olympic Games Athens 2004 sponsored by the World Council of Hellenes
(SAE).
The two pupils, Christina Cruz and Joe Camper, won an all-expense paid trip
to the Olympic Games August 12-18, each accompanied by one parent and their
history teacher who nominated their essay. SAE’s “Teach Olympics”
project consisted of training sessions for school teachers in American public
schools, followed by contests where students reflected on the meaning of the
Olympic Ideal in Ancient Greece and in their lives today. Philadelphia, on the
East Coast, was the first capital of the United States, and Chicago is the largest
city in the Midwest.
|
Chief Executive Officer of Philadelphia School District Paul
Vallas (from left), Principal George Roesser, World SAE President Andrew
A. Athens and SAE Culture Coordinator Dr. Eleni Katsarou applaud Grand Prize
winner Christina Cruz who read her essay at the school auditorium.
|
History teachers accompanying the students are, Mrs. Carlton Conn-Oquendo from
the Chicago School District, and Mrs. Mary Hausler from the School District
of Philadelphia.
Winning students in Moscow, Russia, the third city included in this project,
will be announced July 4, following the Olympic Torch Relay festivities. Moscow�s
mayor and leaders in the Hellenic community in Russia will participate in the
ceremony announcing the students.
�Teach Olympics� also included an Art and Poetry competition. Chicago winner
JoAnn Cooper, 18 years old, won a two-week summer training session at the highly
acclaimed School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Philadelphia winner Danny
Murray, 17, won a laptop computer. A total of 12 other students won laptop computers
or certificates to major bookstores in their respective cities.
�All the students who participated in the Teach Olympics contest have demonstrated
an exceptional understanding of the Olympic spirit even though they come from
various nationalities,� said Andrew A. Athens, president of the World Council
of Hellenes. �SAE is proud to be sponsoring this event, with the assistance
of the Greek Ministry of Culture, because it is apparent that with the occasion
of the Olympics we have focused long-term the school curriculum on Greece�s
culture.�
|
Chicago Public Schools student winners of the Teach Olympics
contest sponsored by the World Council of Hellenes (SAE) are recognized
for their creative essay, poetry and art submissions on the Olympic ideal
at an official awards ceremony attended by the Consul General of Greece
and Chicago Public Schools CEO. First prize winner Joey Camper (4th from
left) will travel to the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens to experience firsthand
the Greek culture and Olympic spirit.
Left to right: Eleni Katsarou, World Coordinator, Culture Network of SAE;
JoAnn Cooper, 1st Prize Arts Contest, Morgan Park High School; Ailinh Bui,
Honorable Mention, Nicholas Senn High School; Joey Camper, 1st Prize Essay
Contest, Hawthorne Scholastic Academy; Hector Santiago, 2nd Prize Essay
Contest, Mitchell Elementary School; Charlotte Cook, 3rd Prize Essay Contest,
Hawthorne Scholastic Academy; Michael Spencer, Honorable Mention, Kelvyn
Park High School; Aliki Hadji, Consul General of Greece
|
Mass media, both television and newspapers in Chicago and Philadelphia, covered
extensively the ceremonies announcing the winners. In Chicago, Mayor Richard
Daley honored the winners, their parents, teachers and SAE in a private reception.
The awards were presented by Consul General of Greece Aliki Hadji and SAE Culture
Coordinator Dr. Eleni Katsarou at Hawthorne Scholastic Academy.
In Philadelphia, Paul Vallas, Chief Executive Officer of the Public School
District, lead the ceremony in a filled school auditorium, and the awards were
presented by Mr. Athens and Dr. Katsarou. As part of the awards, contest winners
in Philadelphia will also be hired to summer jobs in the school district.
Back
|
Search