1. Who is the contest for?

• Children, ages 11-13 years of age who are part of a group taking part in a Lions Club sponsored project. Even children who have never drawn a poster before can do well, ideas count.

2. What is its aim?

• To give children a chance to creatively express their feelings about peace and to promote awareness of the need for peaceful resolution of problems.

3. What organizations are involved?

• Lions Clubs International. Local business sponsors and Lions Clubs help to bring the contest to local schools and youth groups.
  Did you know that our founder Melvin Jones and two Past Lions International Presidents helped to write the first drafts of the United Nations Charter in 1945!

4. How does the school benefit?

• The contest gives teachers a creative activity that challenges students to think about world peace. With many schools cutting budgets for arts programs, this contest gives youths an outlet for self-expression using an artistic medium. The contest can be an extracurricular activity, or tied to other classes, such as social studies, ethics and literature.

5. How does the child benefit?

• The children are being asked to express themselves creatively. Different things the Lions clubs do with the posters, such as holding a public or school display of entries, give youths the opportunity to show their communities their views. If the poster wins, there is potential for recognition on a city, state, country or international scale. We've heard stories about youth whose self-esteem has really grown upon winning the contest, even on a club level. We've also had many youths decide to pursue art, even if it hadn't been something they've been involved with previously.

6. How does the world benefit?

• Children have a hopeful, almost innocent view of the world, even many who have not known peace in their home countries. The posters we've seen, even the most heartbreaking images, still have one thing in common: hope. As children are our future leaders, it is important for us to nurture their feelings, respect and hope for peace. As adults, we can all benefit from the reminders the posters supply.

7. How can the school get involved?

• By contacting their local Lions Club, the club pays the entry fees.

8. How can teachers integrate the contest into their study plan?

• The contest offers many opportunities for group discussion, in "anti-bully" campaigns, how countries relate to one another, how people can agree to live in peace, artistic styles, etc.

9. How do interested Lions Clubs get involved?

• They order their "Official Kit" from Club Supplies and read it thoroughly and follow the directions in it.
  As soon as they receive their kit, they sent the enclosed card to their District Governor with their M&A report to register they are participating.