The Wilmette Human Relations Commission had received only one entry, as of Friday, for its annual Black History Month contest, prompting officials to consider extending the submission deadline a few days and considering ways to increase student engagement.
“Unfortunately, this year we did not get the participation we were hoping for,” said Wilmette management analyst Alex Arteaga. “It’s always difficult to determine how responsive students will be.”
The annual Black History Month contest is open to Wilmette-area students in grades K to 12. As part of the competition, students are encouraged to submit posters, essays, poetry, or music in response to a question, which this year is “Why do we celebrate Black History Month?”
“With this contest, we are hoping to get a little bit more of a personal perspective from students on the month itself,” said Arteaga. “It’s a way to reward Wilmette students for doing something in their free time regarding Black History Month and being able to put a personal interpretation on a national month of recognition.”
The submission deadline was March 4 at 4 p.m., but according to Wilmette assistant village manager Erik Hallgren, the commission tends to continue receiving submissions for a few days after the deadline each year. As of the deadline, only one student had submitted an entry.
Arteaga said student participation in the contest tends to fluctuate, drawing in upwards of 50 submissions one year to just a few the next – as was the case last year.
At the commission’s next meeting, they will also discuss ways to increase student engagement. “The village is undergoing a comprehensive planning process,” Arteaga added. “One of the core features of this comprehensive plan is a focus on diversity, equity and inclusiveness initiatives.”
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These initiatives could potentially consist of opening up different contests for other national recognition months, such as Asian American and Pacific Islander History Month, Hispanic American History Month, and LGBTQ+ Pride Month, officials said.
The criteria for judging the Black History Month entries will be based on how well the students answered the question and followed the contest guidelines. Prizes are set to be awarded to participants at the next Human Relations Commission meeting in mid-April, according to officials.
Hallgren said that the prizes, which have already been decided upon by the commission, range from gift cards to letters and certificates of recognition.
Award winners will be announced soon after the commission meeting, with the results posted on the village website. Officials said that if it remains that only one submission is received this year, the sole participant will receive the top prize.
Joey Arnone is a freelancer.