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As part of the ‘Getting to Know Europe’ project for 2007, which is funded by monies awarded from the Delegation of the European Union Commission to the USA, The Institute for European Studies is running a postcard competition for area school students of all grade levels.

Postcard Theme: “Together”
The aim of the Getting to Know Europe project was to bring the USA and Europe together through greater understanding of each other’s cultures, and to celebrate 50 years of unity for The European Union. So, the theme for the postcard competition was together. Students were asked to take a moment to think about how they could show the USA and Europe coming together. Together could mean connections between Europe and the United States-such as the Statue of Liberty being presented as a gift to the American people from France in recognition of the friendship between the two countries during the American Revolution. Ithaca has chosen to explore the theme of together by twinning with Elios Proni, a town in Greece. Students could have submitted postcards that included a picture or message to our new Greek friends. Other suggestions included showing the journey of ancestral immigrants from Europe to the USA or doing a comparative highlight of geographical features from a European country and an area of the USA. Students were encouraged to use their imagination and have fun! >Winning artists from each age group were judged on the basis of artistic talent and creativity.

Prizes:
Winners and honorable mention were selected from each school or category and were announced to the public on May 9th as part of the Europe Day celebration. Each winner received gift certificates for books for the school library, a commemorative plaque and a certificate. All runners-up will receive a certificate and a European goody bag. Entries were displayed at the Tompkins County public library and at the Tompkins County Regional Airport, as well as at various locations around Cornell University. The schools associated with the winning postcards also received funds.

The Institute for European Studies offers grants for Upstate New York teachers of grades K-12, from all subject areas related to Europe. The Getting to Know Europe project has enabled the creation of an additional grant to encourage teachers to develop curriculum materials focusing on the European Union. Kelly Grant Horrocks, a social studies and English teacher at DeWitt Middle School was awarded funding from this project to develop a curriculum unit on "Introducing the European Union: Exploring the Geography, Economics, History and Politics of the European Union." The award will consist of a $1,000 grant plus $125 for travel expenses (per award).