SAN JOSE, CA – The Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) has announced the winners of the 2020 Young Artist Showcase Competition and the Silicon Valley Reads Contest. Both contests are open to Santa Clara County public school students, grades pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
Each year, the Young Artist Showcase features various forms of student expression including paintings, drawings, watercolors, photographs, sculptures, and digital art. Designed to encourage students' interest in art, and to emphasize the importance of art in our schools, the Young Artist Showcase gives students the opportunity to envision and create meaningful works of craftsmanship for all to enjoy. Student artists that participated in the Young Artist Showcase competition were evaluated in six categories, based on their ability to convey the theme for this year, “My Voice,” with an idea that reflected emotion, imagination, creativity, and originality. Winning artwork will be displayed in the building of the Santa Clara County Office of Education which hosts the largest collection of student adjudicated art in California.
Silicon Valley Reads is an important literacy program in Santa Clara County that invites students to participate annually in a contest that promotes reading and learning and encourages reading and discussion of selected books as a way to open community dialogue about provocative themes relevant to our region. To mark the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, this year’s Silicon Valley Reads contest required K-12 candidates to create a physical or digital poster based on a historical figure that best represented this year’s theme “Women Making it Happen” which explores impressive historical accomplishments, and looks toward the future as women are defining who they are as a gender as well as what is achievable. Seven students were selected to win this prestigious award based on how well they conveyed factual information about the individual, the impact of their work, and how we can continue their fight for equality.
“Programs like the Young Artists Showcase and Silicon Valley Reads are crucial to the educational experience, and give students a platform to express their talent and creativity towards a cause that is important to them and our community,” said Dr. Mary Ann Dewan, Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools. “This online event is a bright spot during this time when we cannot celebrate in person, and it reminds us that art expression can be experienced and enjoyed everywhere.”
Contest winners for the Young Artist Showcase can be found on the Artspiration
website, and visit the Silicon Valley Reads
website to find the winners of the “Women Making it Happen” competition.
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About the Santa Clara County Office of Education
Working collaboratively with school and community partners, the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) is a regional service agency that provides instructional, business, and technology services to the 31 school districts of Santa Clara County. The County Office of Education directly serves students through special education programs, alternative schools, Head Start and State Preschool programs, migrant education, and Opportunity Youth Academy. The SCCOE also provides academic and fiscal oversight and monitoring to districts in addition to the 21 Santa Clara County Board of Education authorized charter schools.