The City of Santa Clarita, in partnership with the Santa Clarita Valley International Program (SCVIP), is inviting local teen artists and authors to submit artwork, poetry, or essays as part of the Sister Cities Young Artists and Young Authors Showcase contest, which is themed “The Power of Exchange.”

Sponsored by Sisters Cities International, local youth are encouraged to enter pieces that reflect how exchanges of people and ideas facilitate community development and educational opportunities, whether in person, online or through the mail.  Submissions should illustrate the long-term impact that exchanges have had on the participant or his or her community.

One winner will be selected from the categories of artwork, poetry, and essay and will receive a $100 prize each.  These local winning entries will be submitted to Sisters Cities International in Washington D.C. where they will compete with entries from other Sister Cities for the grand prize of $1,000 per category.

Sisters Cities International is a non-profit organization that fosters partnerships among communities around the globe to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation – one individual, one community at a time.  Currently, the City of Santa Clarita has two international Sister Cities in Tena, Ecuador and Sariaya, Philippines.

To qualify, contestants must be between the ages of 13 and 18 by May 1, 2013.   Interested teens may submit only one original work, along with a completed entry form found at scvipsantaclarita.org.  Submissions are due by Friday, April 19, 2013 in Suite 120 in City Hall, located at 23920 Valencia Boulevard.  Judging will take place on Wednesday, April 29, 2013.

For more information on contest rules and entry specifications, please visit scvipsantaclarita.org or facebook.com/scvip, or contact Tess Simgen at (661) 286-4157 or scvip@santa-clarita.com.