Top student art works and essays on the topic “Who’s My Neighbour?” have been awarded by prominent leaders of Peel Region at the Awards Ceremony of the first Peel Art and Essay contest on February 20th at the Mississauga Convention Centre. Being a collaborative effort of Intercultural Dialogue Institute GTA and Peel District School Board, Peel Art and Essay contest aims to motivate youth (high school students) to reflect on a wide range of topics such as intercultural understanding, peaceful coexistence, social justice and responsible citizenship and gives them an opportunity to express their ideas through their art works and essays.
This year’s contest was supported by a number of organizations in Peel region, e.g. Peel Children’s Aid Society, Peel Regional Police, Art Gallery of Mississauga, Dixie Bloor Neighbourhood Centre and Rogers TV Peel as well as a distinguished Selection and Hosting Committee comprised of many prominent names of the region (see below).
The awards ceremony brought together around 150 attendees including finalists, their family members and their teachers along with many distinguished members of Peel Region. The ceremony was a great excitement for the students and their families since nobody had known the names of winners before they were announced on the stage. Top three students in each category (art and essay) received their laptops (1st place), Surface Tablets (2nd place) and Wacom Bamboo Tablets (3rd place) from the organizers of the contest. All finalists received certificates kindly presented by Kyle Seeback, MP Brampton West and Amrit Mangat, MPP Mississauga-Brampton West who is also the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Children and Youth Services. Irwin Elman, Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth offered an inspiring and insightful speech on the importance of living as neighbours. Rosey Edeh, three-time Olympian and currently Host/Anchor of Globe Toronto’s News at Noon, did a fantastic job as the master of ceremonies of the evening.
We extend our sincere congratulations to all the finalists of the contest and all individuals and organizations who supported it in different ways.
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Art category finalists (click thumbnails to see the names of the winners):
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Essay category finalists
First Place: Linda Li, Glenforest Secondary School
Second Place: Mara Currie, Glenforest Secondary School
Third Place: Christofer Deguzman, Glenforest Secondary School
Finalist: Nandini Bansal Glenforest Secondary School
Finalist: Amar Arefeen Glenforest Secondary School
Finalist: Kevin He Glenforest Secondary School
Finalist: Nirmal Pol Glenforest Secondary School
Keynote Address
Peel Art and Essay Contest 2013-2014
Contest Theme
“Who is My Neighbour?”
Keynote Speaker
Irwin Elman, Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth
MC
Rosey Edeh, Host/Anchor, News at Noon, Global Toronto
@IDIGTA #PeelArtEssay
HOSTING AND SELECTION COMMITTEE
Alison Syme, Chair, Department of Visual Studies, UTM
Bonnie Crombie, Councillor, Mississauga
Chief Jennifer Evans, Peel Regional Police
David Szwarc, Chief Administrative Officer, Region of Peel
Deep Saini, Principal, University of Toronto Mississauga
Elaine Moore, Peel Regional Councillor (Brampton)
Emil Kolb, Chair, Region of Peel
George Carlson, Peel Regional Councillor (Mississauga)
Holger Syme, Chair, Depratment of English and Drama, UTM
Humphrey Mitchell, Executive Director, Peel Children’s Centre
Janet McDougald, Chair, Peel District School Board
Jeff Zabudsky, President, Sheridan College
Kyle Seeback, MP, Brampton West
Lynn Petrushchak, Executive Director, Dixie Bloor Neighbourhood Centre
Marolyn Morrison, Mayor, Town of Caledon
Rav Bains, Executive Director, Peel Children’s Aid Society
Sandy Milakovic, Executive Director, Canadian Mental Health Association/Peel Branch
Shelley White, President and CEO, United Way of Peel
Stuart Keeler, Director, Art Gallery of Mississauga
Tony Pontes, Director of Education, Peel District School Board
Co-organizers:
Intercultural Dialogue Institute GTA &
Peel District School Board
Sponsors:
Peel Children’s Aid Society
Art Gallery of Mississauga
Peel Regional Police
Dixie Bloor Neighbourhood Centre
Media Sponsor:
Rogers TV Peel
