Cesar Chavez, the founder and president of the United Farm Workers of America, dedicated his life to improving the plight of American farm workers and pointing out the dangers of pesticide on food. His deep belief in nonviolence and the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. won him the admiration and respect of leaders throughout the world. Chavez believed strongly in public schools, stating, "The end of all education should surely be service to others."
CTA Secretary-Treasurer David A. Sanchez (seated left) and other members of the committee that proposed the new awards program (clockwise from top left): CCA President Dian Hasson, Butte College; Ron Edwards, Riverbank (Stanislaus); Mary Ann Pacheco, Rio Hondo CCA; Tony Duarte, Whittier; CTA Board member Joyce Lewke, Pomona; Cliff Kusaba, Long Beach; Dorothy Chu, Montebello; and CTA and NEA Board member David Hernandez, Alum Rock.
The memory of this great man and the spirit of his work will live on in California's classrooms, partly through the new Cesar Chavez Memorial Education Awards Program, sponsored by CTA's Human Rights Department. The awards program will recognize students and their teachers who demonstrate an understanding of the vision and principles that guided this Hispanic leader's life. Awards will be granted to projects that demonstrate knowledge about Chavez and one or more of the following components:
- Principles of non-violence;
- Self-determination through unionization (forming and joining unions);
- Social justice for farm workers;
- Safe food/health/environmental issues;
- Human and civil rights issues;
- Teamwork cooperation and collaboration;
- Empowerment of the disenfranchised.
For the current school year, eligible projects must fit into the category of either art or essay. Awards will be given to either one student or a group of no more than five students in conjunction with a CTA member. Both art and essay awards will be given in separate regions to the following grade-level groupings: K-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12; and community college. Students in grades K-11 will receive a $500 savings bond. High school seniors and community college students will receive $500 cash. Teachers of winners will receive $500 cash. In all, 40 top prizes will be awarded. Projects must be postmarked on or before April 2.
"We are very excited about this program," comments Dolores Heisinger, manager of CTA's Human Rights Department. "It promises to pay great dividends in our classrooms in the future. Hopefully, it will help recruit more young people into the teaching profession. What better place to begin molding our teachers for tomorrow than in our own classrooms today."
Funding for the awards will come from personal and corporate contributions. Local associations are encouraged to plan fundraising activities for the Cesar Chavez Memorial Education Fund, and individual teachers may also contribute by either sending a check or filling out a payroll authorization contribution form.
"In the future, we plan to expand our awards categories to include photo essays, 3-D art, media projects, performing arts, community service projects and creative writing," says Heisinger.
The motto for the awards competition is "Si Se Puede!" - or, in English, "Yes, We Can!"
For more information, check the CTA Web site [http://www.cta.org/] or contact the Human Rights Department at (650) 552-5370. Teachers who are interested in serving as judges for the awards program are encouraged to volunteer.
