The Pasadena Media Foundation, in partnership with the nonprofit Formative Youth Journalism Initiative, is restarting a long-inactive Pasadena-area essay writing competition for local middle school students.
Titled the “Sí Se Puede” Annual Youth Essay Contest, the competition is open to all middle school students in grades 6-8 who reside within the attendance zone of the Pasadena Community College District or who live within ZIP Codes 90032 (Los Angeles/El Sereno), 90041 (Los Angeles/Eagle Rock), 90042 (Los Angeles/Highland Park), 91775 (San Gabriel), 91776 (San Gabriel), 91801 (Alhambra) or 91803 (Alhambra).
The competition is free to enter, submissions may be in English or Spanish, and the entry deadline is April 30, 2025. Contest prizes, awarded by the Pasadena Media Foundation, are $250 for first place, $150 for second place and $100 for third place.
The essay competition, once a fixture in Pasadena-area schools, is being restarted to build researching, writing and critical thinking skills among middle school students regardless of their primary language.
“While writing about the Latino community’s resilience following the Eaton Fire, Roberta Martínez lightly mentioned an almost-forgotten ‘Sí Se Puede’ essay contest that had once existed in Pasadena,” said FYJI Executive Director Nathan Wang. “I have long wanted to provide opportunities for self-expression in writing, and restarting this essay competition felt incredibly aligned with that theme. Through FYJI, I often work with marginalized students – many of whom had been recently devastated by the Eaton Fire – so working around this idea of resilience and perseverance was crucial for me as I re-envisioned the contest.”
According to the contest description, “The contest is both inspired by Dolores Huerta’s passionate words, “Sí Se Puede” and by a powerful belief in students’ self-vocalization of their experiences.”
Sheryl Turner, Pasadena Media Foundation’s Founder and President, said, “We are excited to be part of the relaunch of the Si Se Puede Essay Competition and to continue to recognize the historic non-violent leadership of Caesar Chavez. It is especially important to have middle school students submit researched essays about Chavez to ensure his labor and civil rights legacy continues.”
The competition will be judged by a panel of bilingual independent historians and literary scholars, with awards announced in late May, 2025.
Deets
- Full Contest Description / Sobre el Concurso
- Permission Form / Formulario de Permiso
- Online Entry Form / Formulario de Inscripción
