The Teaching of Discipline in the Digital Age: Discuss how different cultures teach discipline, consistency and perseverance.
Highlight how it affects the world we live in today, regarding instant gratification, shorter attention spans, and hurry. Discipline is taught differently in each culture. This can be seen in our habits and everyday life.
There are factors that have affected our discipline greatly. Shorter attention spans, more impatience are just some of the effects. This brings the question: is our discipline being affected by modern-day inventions such as social media and generative AI? How does our culture have influence on our discipline?
There are some complex questions brought up when discussing this topic: how does culture shape perseverance among individuals? Is discipline affected by cultural differences?
In this competition, you can explore these themes and share your own perspectives on how discipline has shaped culture and has redefined your own cultural identity. Join now, reflect and let your voice be heard in this constant, evolving conversation!
Fast Facts
Dates:
March 5: Competition opens.
April 15: Competition closes.
Late April - Early May: Review all responses & select winners.
Age range: 10-13 & 14-18
Location: Virtual (Google Drive)
Cost: Free (We are able to keep our programs free thanks to financial support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Cultural and Educational Affairs.)
Word Limit: 3,000 words per piece (Each individual may submit no more than 2 pieces total, regardless of writing category.)
Announcement of Results: Winners and Honorable Mentions will be announced between late April and early May. Selected applicants will be contacted individually.
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Awards
1st Place: $100
2nd Place: $50
3rd Place: $25
Honorable Mentions
Youth Spotlight Recognition Awards
Writing Categories
Creative writing: Creative writing’s primary purpose is telling a story. This category includes all poetry and narrative-style prose (e.g., short stories, flash fiction, personal essays/memoirs, etc.).
Potential questions your piece may explore include, but are certainly not limited to, the following:
Your culture has a tradition, practice, or ritual built around patience and discipline, like a craft, a coming-of-age rite, or a form of training. Imagine it being introduced to a generation raised on instant results. What happens?
Think of a figure from your culture's history or folklore known for extraordinary perseverance. Write about a day in their life, but make it a 21st-century version: what do they experience that may break their spirit, and what doesn't?
Write about a moment of failure — yours, a character's, or an ancestor's — and how your culture's values around perseverance shaped what came next.
Critical writing: Critical writing’s primary purpose is informing or convincing a reader about something. This category includes art or media reviews, persuasive essays, opinion essays, and journalistic writing.
Potential questions your piece may explore include, but are certainly not limited to, the following:
The Japanese phrase, "Nana korobi ya oki" or "fall down seven times, get up eight," symbolizes resilience and the importance of perseverance in the face of life's challenges. However, some other cultures normalize the association of failure with shame or stigma, which shows how cultures differ enormously in how they treat failure as part of life. Are there any unique perceptions of failure in cultures you have come across?
Discipline often comes as a learnt way of life, especially through religious institutions, family or peers. Explore the different ways through which discipline is instilled, both consciously and unconsciously, in your culture or another culture you have encountered.
What does perseverance look like to you?
Program Structure
Over the course of the month, participants will explore how discipline has been affected in the fast-paced digital age. They will write about how discipline taught in their culture and how it impacts their life on a daily basis. Through this process, they will develop a deeper understanding of the relationship between discipline, perseverance and culture, how it impacts the youth today in the evolving technological age.
Eligibility & Requirements
Location & Attendance: Students from anywhere in the world can join!
Ages: Students must be 10-18 years old to participate in the program.
Previous Experience: No previous cultural, language-learning, or travel experience required! Students need only to come in with a curious mind open to new perspectives, cultures, and possibilities.
Internet Access: We will use email and students will upload writing pieces on Google Drive. Students will need access to and familiarity with these platforms.