How to Participate/Guidelines for All Submissions

• Register to participate. You will be asked to include your full name, age, and contact information, such as phone and email, and other information.
• Each youth can submit only once.
• FFLIC is a diverse and inclusive community. We expressly invite submissions from Louisiana’s Black, Indigenous, and youth of color. We believe in centering the experiences of Louisiana’s most vulnerable youth, including Black youth at its intersections—Indigenous Black youth, Afro-Latine youth, LGBTQ youth, womxn, disabled youth, and incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youth.
• Send your submission. ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 12:00 A.M., SEPTEMBER 21, 2022. Email your submissions to fflic@fflic.org.

Additional Specific Guidelines

• Writing should be no more than 800 words. The submissions can be typed or handwritten and delivered or sent electronically.
• Spoken Word Performances must be on a high-resolution video with good sound quality and be no longer than four minutes. A link to the video is preferred, but video files can also be emailed.

Judging and Prizes

We will select judges from the Louisiana Arts community to judge writing in three age categories: 10-14, 15-19, and 20-24. One winner from each age category will receive $500 and a FFLIC gift bag. A runner up will receive $200 and a FFLIC gift bag in each category.

How FFLIC Plans to Use the Art and Writing

We are truly grateful for the artistic expressions of our youth and will do our best to ensure that youth receive credit for your work. We will use the submissions as part of our advocacy efforts to end the school-to-prison pipeline and transform the youth justice system. If we plan to use the writing we will try to  send the participant the information about how it is being used.

Other important information

By submitting your work you (and/or when applicable, your parent/guardian) grant FFLIC the right to edit, use, and reuse the materials; agree that such use shall be without payment of fees, royalties, special credit or other compensation; and release FFLIC of all claims, demands, and liabilities whatsoever in connection with the use of the materials.