CONGRATULATIONS TO COSTI'S 2018 REFUGEES & HUMAN RIGHTS CHILD & YOUTH POETRY CONTEST WINNERS!
Milena Boryczko, First Prize Winner, Division I - Grades 4 to 6
Kiran Bentley, First Prize Winner, Division II - Grades 7 to 8
Adham Al Azhari, First Prize Winner, Division III - Grades 9 to 12
The winners of COSTI’s 2018 Refugees & Human Rights Child & Youth Poetry Contest were announced on World Refugee Day, June 20, 2018 at Toronto City Hall. The City of Toronto’s Newcomer Advocates Councillor Jim Karygiannis, Rana Khan, Nicholas Keung and Mario J. Calla presented award recipients with gifts and plaques in recognition of their achievements.
Over 100 guests were present to congratulate the students and celebrate their achievements. All winning poems were displayed for guests to peruse, with First Prize Winners reading their poems to guests. Adham Al Azhari, Division III Winner, who came to Canada as a privately-sponsored refugee from Syria, also shared his experiences and hopes for the future.
Many thanks to the City of Toronto Newcomer Office for hosting and supporting the awards ceremony.
This year, COSTI received over 300 poems from schools across the greater Toronto area that were evaluated by a selection committee and judged on the basis of originality, creative imagination, characterization, artistic quality, and adherence to the topic. Thank you to our selection committee for their ongoing support for the contest and for volunteering their time for over 10 years: Rana Khan, Legal Officer for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Toronto Office, Nicholas Keung, Immigration Reporter for the Toronto Star and Mario J. Calla, COSTI’s Executive Director.
The purpose of COSTI’s Refugees & Human Rights Child & Youth Poetry Contest is to bring greater attention to human rights abuses and the plight of refugees. The competition was open to all students in Grades 4-12 that attend school in the Province of Ontario.
Please join us in congratulating the Winners of the 2018 Poetry Contest! First Prize winners received an Apple IPad, Second Prize winners received Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones and Third Prize winners were presented with a Beats Pill & Portable Speaker.
Click on the names below to read the winning poems for all three divisions.
DIVISION I: GRADES 4 TO 6 WINNERS
1st Prize
MILENA BORYCZKO
Age 10
St. Margaret of Scotland, Grade 5
2nd Prize
MYA CHANA
Age 11
Trinity Montessori School, Grade 6
3rd Prize
KAITHLYN CHEN
Age 11
Trinity Montessori School, Grade 5
DIVISION II: GRADES 7 TO 8 WINNERS
1st Prize
KIRAN BENTLEY
Age 13
Fern Avenue Public School, Grade 7
2nd Prize
TUULA FREIR
Age 12
Fern Avenue Public School, Grade 7
2nd Prize
KIMRAJ GREWAL
Age 14
Fletchers's Creek Senior Public School, Grade 8
3rd Prize
JASMINE CURRENT
Age 12
Fern Avenue Public School, Grade 7
DIVISION III: GRADES 9 TO 12 WINNERS
1st Prize
ADHAM AL AZHARI
Age 20
Keystone International Schools, Grade 12
2nd Prize
SERENA HABIB
Age 15
Senator O'Connor College School, Grade 10
3rd Prize
MAEVA KILLAH
Age 17
Central Peel Secondary School, Grade 12
Please take a moment to read the poems that received Honourable Mentions in all three divisions by clicking on the links below. Students received a certificate recognizing their achievement.
Division I Honourable Mentions
