Now in its second year, the Baldwin Prize encourages students at Baltimore City College High School to think about what matters--to explore their humanity and its connection to society.
This year's theme is empowerment. The prompt reads:
Describe a moment when you felt empowered. This could have arisen from a single event or an ongoing activity. It could be in any setting--social, professional, academic. Why did you feel empowered? What did you do with that power? Did you use it responsibly?
Two weeks ago, I spent an entire school day talking to 15 different classes of students about the prompt. They're bringing a wide range of experiences to it. One young woman talked about a non-profit organization she founded. A rapper talked about his first rap battle. One class had an aspiring filmmaker. And another young man talked about stepping into and welcoming his role as a guide and protector for his younger brother.
But the most memorable responses were from students who didn't know how to respond. They know what empowerment means, but they don't think they've ever felt it. They cannot think of a single moment when they have. That is tragic, but it also hits squarely on the purpose of the Baldwin Prize. This may be their first time grappling with the issue. If they write this year, it's the students who don't know where to begin who might dig deepest and learn something about themselves that they never knew.
It is with these students in mind that, as I did last year, I encourage adults to respond to the
prompt as well. When have you felt empowered? Just make your response less than 1,000 words. Only City College students are eligible to compete for awards, but I will post what you send on the blog. Something as short as a well-crafted paragraph could do. I may edit for spelling and grammar but not content. And I reserve the right not to post anything that is patently false, defamatory, or mean-spirited. Not that you would submit anything like that. That's just by way of full disclosure.
Submit your response using the Contact link in the menu by March 15.
What you write could help someone see some facet of themselves and their potential for the very first time.
- Lionel
This year's theme is empowerment. The prompt reads:
Describe a moment when you felt empowered. This could have arisen from a single event or an ongoing activity. It could be in any setting--social, professional, academic. Why did you feel empowered? What did you do with that power? Did you use it responsibly?
Two weeks ago, I spent an entire school day talking to 15 different classes of students about the prompt. They're bringing a wide range of experiences to it. One young woman talked about a non-profit organization she founded. A rapper talked about his first rap battle. One class had an aspiring filmmaker. And another young man talked about stepping into and welcoming his role as a guide and protector for his younger brother.
But the most memorable responses were from students who didn't know how to respond. They know what empowerment means, but they don't think they've ever felt it. They cannot think of a single moment when they have. That is tragic, but it also hits squarely on the purpose of the Baldwin Prize. This may be their first time grappling with the issue. If they write this year, it's the students who don't know where to begin who might dig deepest and learn something about themselves that they never knew.
It is with these students in mind that, as I did last year, I encourage adults to respond to the
prompt as well. When have you felt empowered? Just make your response less than 1,000 words. Only City College students are eligible to compete for awards, but I will post what you send on the blog. Something as short as a well-crafted paragraph could do. I may edit for spelling and grammar but not content. And I reserve the right not to post anything that is patently false, defamatory, or mean-spirited. Not that you would submit anything like that. That's just by way of full disclosure.
Submit your response using the Contact link in the menu by March 15.
What you write could help someone see some facet of themselves and their potential for the very first time.
- Lionel
RSS Feed