Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile: Contest “Talentos de Chile” receives more than 200 works from elementary and high school students
“My life in three stanzas” is the title of this poem by the student Juan José Huentelaf, from the Juan XXIII Educational Complex of Huiscapi, in Villarrica. The text obtained the first place in the basic education category in the sixth edition of the Literary Contest “Talentos de Chile” of the Future School Library (BEF), which this year managed to gather about 230 works in its three lines: short story, poetry and illustration .
Personal spaces, nature, life and transcendence were the topics most addressed by children and adolescents.
Compared to other editions, the contest aimed at schoolchildren from fifth to fourth grade of educational establishments in agreement with BEF, Penta UC and sons and daughters of UC officials, students and academics, became a space for internal reflection for its participants. Evelyn Didier, Director of UC Libraries, who also served as a jury in the story line, highlighted this:
“It caught my attention that this year the students leaned towards much deeper themes such as transcendence and exploration. It seems to me that this change is associated with the pandemic, an experience that has undoubtedly led them to look for references that go far beyond the obvious and immediate ”.
“It seems wonderful to me that my drawing is going to appear in a book. It is a dream for me. It is very nice that they give us the opportunity to show and express our feelings and with this display case the people who see us will be able to feel identified with our works ”- Jade Berd, student from Los Pensamiento de La Granja
In addition, Didier pointed out that the contest became a bridge between reflection and creativity: “Children and adolescents in our country have a lot to say and the literary contest, especially in this edition, is a tool that allows them to express through creativity all his talent and inner world. As UC Libraries we are very happy to continue developing this initiative ”.
Link with school communities
The 24 outstanding works of this year belong to students from different corners of the country, who are summoned annually through activities and instances – face-to-face and virtual – of linking that the UC Libraries Program carries out with its schools, colleges and high schools.
Soledad Alegría, a language teacher at the Juan XXIII Educational Complex located in the rural area of Huiscapi in Villarrica, a school that obtained three winners in the story and poetry lines, highlights the role of the university in its establishment: of schools, it is one of the most important in the country. In addition to being an instance of creative learning, it helps us with reading promotion. So I thank the Catholic University and the Future School Library for convening us year after year, despite the fact that we are far away, and for the constant concern they have for our children and the entire educational community ”.
“We consider this contest, at the school level, to be one of the most important in the country. In addition to being an instance of creative learning, it helps us with the promotion of reading ”- Soledad Alegría, professor at the Juan XXIII Educational Complex, Huiscapi, Villarrica
Jimena Reyes, Coordinator of Cultural Management and Development of BEF Collections, who is also in charge of organizing the contest, emphasizes the support of the establishments for the development of the Contest.
“As organizers we want to thank all the students who participated by sending their works and especially their teachers and establishments who, without a doubt, were fundamental in supporting and convening them. We hope that the contest will continue to be this beautiful meeting place with our communities ”.
Talents of Chile 2021: Book
The winning and outstanding poems, stories and illustrations will become part of the publication “Talentos de Chile 2021”, which will soon be available for free download on the Biblioteca Escolar Futuro website.
“It seems wonderful to me that my drawing is going to appear in a book. It is a dream for me. It is very nice that they give us the opportunity to show and express our feelings and with this display case the people who see us will be able to feel identified with our works “, said Jade Berd, student of the College” Los Pensamiento de la Granja “which was awarded on 2 ° place in Illustration category secondary education.