​SAN JOSE, CA– As part of the Silicon Valley Reads initiative, Students in grades 6 through 8 participated in a creative art contest that asked, "What does 'justice for all' mean to you?" The responses, 79 in total, came in the form of poetry, essay, narrative, and visual arts, all submitted through schools, libraries, and online.

Winners are:

• Poetry (any style including free verse, rap, song, acrostic, etc.) – Kauya, Grade 7, Redwood Middle School, Saratoga Union School District
  
• Essay/Written Speech – Colin, Grade 8, Redwood Middle School, Saratoga Union School District
  
• Narrative (non-poetry) – Shannon, Grade 6, Redwood Middle School, Saratoga Union School District
  
• Visual (any style including graphic image, poster, cartoon, etc.)  - Avigail, Grade 6, Britton Middle School, Morgan Hill Unified School District
  

One student in each category received a $25 Amazon gift card, the gift cards were donated by a Silicon Valley Reads supporter. The Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) Learning Multimedia Center, local public libraries, and the Silicon Valley Reads website will display some of the entries.

"Silicon Valley Reads is more than just a community book club, every year we host a full schedule of community engagement events suitable for all ages," said Dr. Mary Ann Dewan, Silicon Valley Reads co-chair and SCCOE Deputy Superintendent.

​"There were so many excellent entries, ultimately the winners were randomly selected," says Beth Olshewsky, Supervisor of media services for the SCCOE Learning Multimedia Center​.

Silicon Valley Reads is co-sponsored by the Santa Clara County Library District, the San Jose Public Library, and the Santa Clara County Office of Education. For more information about Silicon Valley Reads, please visit the website.

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