India Philanthropy Alliance Announces Essay Competition For School Students
India-West Staff Reporter
WASHINGTON, DC – The India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA), a U.S.-based coalition of 16 of the leading India-focused nonprofits in the United States, has announced its fourth annual essay competition to engage youth in the conversation on India’s development and its natural environment. The essay competition is one way in which youth are encouraged to show their support for India Giving Day.
The competition seeks to “catalyze and recognize creative thinking and action among middle school and high school youth and inspire an ongoing commitment to philanthropy benefitting India, particularly among second and third-generation Indian Americans,” a press release said.
Through participation in this India-focused competition, the IPA hopes to nurture in the younger generation an awareness and understanding of the crucial issues affecting the well-being of millions of Indians living in poverty and those impacted by the erosion of the natural environment.
Now in its fourth year, the contest is open to students across the United States, asking them to answer the prompt: Which developmental issue in India do you feel is most pressing and why? How can American individuals and groups be a part of the solution?
Past contest winners have addressed various topics, including education, clean air, violence against women, the criminal justice system, drinking water, and care for the elderly.
In 2022, winners presented their ideas at a major philanthropy convening held at the Indian Consulate in New York. Students and their families traveled from CA, NJ, and PA to attend the in-person gathering.
Winners and runners-up of the 2023 competition will be invited to share their ideas with philanthropists and business and nonprofit leaders on September 29, 2023, in the San Francisco area. In addition, winners and runners-up will be able to receive grants of $1000 and $500, respectively, to support the organizations of their choice.
A panel of philanthropy experts will determine the winners, runners-up, and finalists in two age cohorts. For middle school students, the essay length is 600 words or fewer; for high school students, the limit is 1,200 words. The deadline for submissions is July 1, 2023. For more information: http://www.indiaphilanthropyalliance.org
The 2023 essay competition and related events would not be possible without the generosity of Give and the Iowa-based Sehgal Foundation, IPA said.
The IPA is a coalition of nonprofit, philanthropic and charitable organizations that mobilize people and funding in the US for development and poverty-reduction programs in India. The sixteen organizations of the IPA include Agastya USA, Akanksha Education Fund, Akshaya Patra Foundation USA, American India Foundation, Antara International, Arogya World, Children’s Hope India, CRY America, Foundation for Excellence, Indiaspora, Pratham USA, Project ECHO, Sehgal Foundation, Teach for India U.S., Vision Spring, and WISH Foundation.
