CTA César E. Chávez Memorial Education Awards Program

The César E. Chávez Memorial Education Awards Program will provide recognition for students and their teachers who demonstrate an understanding of the vision and guiding principles by which César E. Chávez lived his life. The Awards Program honors the memory of this great man and ensures that the spirit of his work continues in the classrooms of California.

For the current school year, eligible projects must fit into the catergory of either Written Essays or Visual Arts.

 Individual Project Application | Teacher Check-off List | Criteria Sheet
 Group Project Application  | Teacher Check-off List | Criteria Sheet

General Awards Criteria

Awards must focus on one or more of the following and show which principles of César Chávez’s legacy affect your life:

• Principles of non-violence
• Self determination through unionization (forming and joining unions)
• Social justice for farm workers
• Safe food / health / environmental issues
• Human and civil rights issues
• Teamwork, cooperation, collaboration, service to others Empowerment of the disenfranchised
• Innovation and education

Eligibility

Individual Project: One student, in conjunction with a CTA member who must be employed at the same school or campus where the student, is enrolled.
 Download an interactive application for the Individual Project

Group Project: A group project of no more than five (5) students, in conjunction with a CTA member who must be employed at the same school or campus where the students are enrolled.
 Download an interactive application for the Group Project

Grade level categories included:

• Pre-K (artwork only) - Kindergarten
• First - Second grade
• Third - Fourth grade
• Fifth - Sixth grade
• Seventh - Eighth grade
• Ninth – Twelfth grade
• Higher Education 

*Undergraduates only

All entries shall be judged utilizing the appropriate subject matter rubrics based on the California State Department of Education and/or the California Arts Education Association.

Higher Education level entries shall be judged utilizing statewide Academic Senate standards.

Category 1: Written Essays (not biographies)

Length of essay:

• K-2 Age appropriate composition
• 3-4 200 - 300 words
• 5-8 400 - 600 words
• 9-12 800-1100 words
• Higher Education 1000 to 1500 words

Format of Essay

1. Double-spaced, 1 inch margins, pages numbered

• K-2: Legibly handwritten or typed (12 pt. Font TimesNew Roman).
• 3-Higher Education: Must be typed (12 pt. Font Times New Roman); otherwise a letter explaining circumstances must be included from the submitting CTA member. 
• The higher education rubric contains the same criteria as the 9-12 rubric. However, higher education entry will cite resources using footnotes or a bibliography.

2. Staple
3. Do not put essay into folder or binder

Note:Submissions that do not meet the criteria addressed by the project will not be evaluated. Please provide English translation of essay if written in a language other than English.

Category 2: Visual Arts

Paintings, Drawings, Collages, Posters, Original Technologically Generated Art

• Size of art entry: 8½” x 11” to 18” x 24"
• Two dimensional art projects only.
• Media (mixed media accepted)

Drawings (Pastel; Pencil; Ink; Charcoal)

Paintings (Oil, Watercolor; Acrylic; Airbrush; Tempera)

Posters (Block Printing; Silk Screens)

Collages

Original Technologically Generated Art

• Must be display ready (MOUNTED/MATTED/BORDER EDGE)
• Provide student’s typed or written explanation as to how the artwork addresses the Awards Criteria. Pre-K-2 students may have their responses transcribed by an adult.
• Artwork must be clearly labeled on the back with the applicant’s name, CTA sponsor’s name, grade, and school. The sponsor must be employed at the same school or campus where the students are enrolled.