Toby McDonald Chou and Mary Ulin of the San Marino Anti-Bias Community Engagement Hub recently presented 18 students cash prizes, totaling $4,500, for their winning essays at the Chinese Club of San Marino’s Mid-Autumn Festival Kick-off Party.
The prompt for the essay contest was: “We value your opinion and want to know how to be a more inclusive community where everyone feels welcome and safe. For this essay, we ask you to share the two most important ways for your school to be an inclusive place for everyone. How is your school meeting these goals? Who do you think is being left out? What is something you, the students collectively, the staff, and/or faculty could do to help all members of the school community feel more included and supported?”
The winning essay writers were students from Valentine and Carver Elementary, Huntington Middle School, San Marino High School and the Chinese School of San Marino.
“These 5th through 10th graders showed their depth of understanding and their commitment to making our community more inclusive, welcoming and safe,” the San Marino Anti-Bias Community Engagement Hub said in a statement. “The winning essays addressed how we can meet these goals, identified areas where some members may be left out, and proposed actionable steps for creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for all.”
The insights and recommendations given by all the contestants will be shared with the city of San Marino and the San Marino Unified School District.
The San Marino Anti-Bias Community Engagement Hub is a collaboration of community organizations and residents whose mission is to bring together representatives of community organizations, schools and city government working together to support efforts to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion and to take positive and direct actions to confront bias and racism, embrace diversity, and foster a community where all members feel safe, respected and welcome.
This inaugural Anti-Bias Essay contest arose out of the work of this group. The generous sponsors of the contest were the Chinese Club of San Marino, East Meets West Parent Education Club, Partnership for Awareness, Rotary Club of San Marino and the San Marino City Club, and San Marino residents Linda Wah, Kelly Ryan and Mary Ulin.
First published in the Oct.12 issue of the San Marino Tribune
