THE ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP

Requirements

Must be Chin.

Must be 15-24 years old.

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Theme for 2021.

As of February 1st, Myanmar has been under political turmoil as the Tatmadaw (military) staged a coup d'état and detained all its democratically elected leaders. Since then, the people have participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and have courageously protested against the military to reinstate the nation’s progress and efforts towards democracy. However, hundreds of lives have been taken and life as we know it will never be the same in our home country. The people’s voice has been oppressed and taken but for those who are still able to express freely, we have a choice to do so. That said, the theme this year will focus on the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM). Whether you are creating an artwork, writing an essay, directing a film, or composing a song, be that voice for the unknown and the unheard! This is for home.

4 Categories. 1 Winner Per Category.

 

PRIZE: $1,000.00

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ART

Guidelines:

  • Must be an ORIGINAL work

  • Can either be traditional or digital

    • Drawings, paintings, sculptures, ceramics, digital art, etc.

  • Description of your work (max. 500 words)

Submission:

  • Please take a picture of your work to the BEST of your ability (under good lighting conditions) and submit it

    • If your work cannot be seen properly, it will be disregarded

  • If you wish to scan your work (digitize it) for submission, you may do so

    • this will not put those who submitted photos at a disadvantage in the judging process

  • We will NOT accept any physical submissions

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see” 
-Edgar Degas

PRIZE: $1,000.00

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ESSAY

Choose one of the following prompts and write an essay. Be expressive, be creative, and use the power of words to deliver YOUR message!

Prompts:

  1. Imagine that you are giving a speech at the United Nations General Assembly regarding the situation(s) in Myanmar. What would you say?

  2. If you could write a letter to our national hero and Noble Peace Prize laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, what would you tell her?

  3. Personally, what has the ongoing situation and any recent events in Myanmar taught you?

Guidelines:

  • 2,500-3,000 words

  • Times New Roman, 12 point font

  • Double-spaced

  • Can be in English, Chin, or Burmese

Submission:

  • Save your essay as a PDF file and submit it

“If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write”         
- Martin Luther 

PRIZE: $1,000.00

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FILM

Walt Disney once said, “…that’s what we storytellers do. We restore order with imagination. We instill hope again and again and again.”

So pick up your camera, ready your lights, scribble away a script, and drag us into your world. What will YOUR story be?

Guidelines:

  • No more than 5 minutes in length

  • Can be in English, Chin, or Burmese (if there is a narration) but subtitles are required in English

  • If there is music, it must be copyright free or licensed

  • Must give credit if you use footages that are not originally shot by you

Submission:

  • Upload to YouTube and submit a link

Click below to watch a sample film.


PRIZE: $1,000.00

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SONGWRITING

Let your words flow with melody and your music speak with rhythm. Tune up that guitar, start jotting down lyrics, fire up your software, and start hitting that record button!

Guidelines:

  • Must be an unpublished, ORIGINAL composition

  • The song must have both lyrics and music

  • 5 minutes or less in length

  • No profanity

  • Must include:

    • a lyric sheet

    • an instrumental version

    • a full mix (music & lyrics)

    • Description of your work (max. 500 words)

Submission:

  • Submit the FOUR required components

Songs will be judged based on melody, composition, originality, and lyrics.

“Where words fail, music speaks” 
-Hans Christian Anderson
 

Submitting Information

  • Please email your submissions to media@davidstanleyfoundation.org

  • On the subject line, please write: “Your Category, Your Full Name”

  • In the body of the mail, please include:

    • your full name & age

    • school & grade (if applicable)

    • a good contact info

  • Please send/include any necessary attachments and follow each submission rules to fulfill the requirements for each of the categories

Deadline: November 1, 2021 at 11:59 PM EST

FAQs

Do I have to live in the United States to apply for this scholarship?

No! This is an international scholarship made for Chin people around the world.


Who will judge our work?

Members associated with the David Stanley Foundation (DSF) will be judging and deciding the winner for each category.

Can you specify what counts as “Chin”?

Regardless of where you come from, we are all one under Chin.

When will we know the results?

We will announce each winner of the categories in December 2021! Stay tuned!

Can I apply for (and even win) more than one category?

Yes, if you want, you can have a submission for all the categories. And if your work tops all the other entries, YES, you can win more than one category.

Where can we find announcements and updates regarding the scholarship?

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook. There are clickable icons at the bottom of this page that will direct you to our social media pages.