Trafficking Awareness Contest for Youth 2024 - 2025

Create a Poem, Song, Story, or Artwork on "What is Child Trafficking?"

The Office of Child Trafficking Prevention and Policy is sponsoring a Trafficking Awareness Contest for Youth in Foster Care

The goal of the contest is to provide youth with an opportunity to think about child trafficking and a voice to discuss how they feel about a topic that has frequently been in the news. This will also provide an opportunity for adults to understand what youth think about trafficking.
The contest is open to all New York City youth in Foster Care ages 12 and up. The contest starts on Monday, June 17, 2024 and all submissions must be received by COB Monday, June 30, 2025.
All submissions must be original.
Submissions can be in the form of a poem/song lyrics, story or drawing.
Each youth may provide multiple submissions.
If a youth experiences writing challenges, they can tell their poem or story to staff and staff can write out the poem or story for them.
The submissions may NOT include any sexist, racist, homophobic, or transphobic comments or images.

Every youth who participates will receive a $25 gift card.
Multiple submissions by a youth will be accepted, but only one $25 gift card per youth for participation ($25 per youth, not per submission).
There will be multiple winners selected from each media category (poem/song lyrics, story or drawing) for each age group:
- 1st prize $200
- 2nd prize $100
- 3rd prize $50
- Honorable Mentions (2) at $25
All participating youth will also receive a certificate of participation (in addition to the $25 gift card) and category winners will receive special certificates noting their achievements (in addition to their prize/gift cards).

Submissions will be scanned and emailed to Trafficking.awareness.contest@acs.nyc.gov
The email will contain the youth’s name, age, agency and case planner and the case planner’s supervisor’ contact information (email and phone number). The email will also include the youth’s email and cell phone number, if applicable. The email will contain the youth’s name, age, agency and case planner and the case planner’s supervisor’ contact information (email and phone number). The email will also include the youth’s email and cell phone number, if applicable.
All emails must include a signed consent/release form that is applicable to the youth’s age and legal status (see below for ages). The consent forms are available through the QR code on the Trafficking Awareness Contest Poster or in the Resources Section below.

Please send each youth’s submission(s) separately. Do not send an email with submissions for multiple youth.

Please consult the Trafficking Awareness Contest Poster for additional details.

All questions should be sent to Trafficking.Awareness.Contest@acs.nyc.gov