Literacy and the mall

As a kid, I tried to convince Mom and Dad that my frequent requests to visit the mall were educational.

But lessons in the value of the American dollar, conversion of European sizes to American ones or multicultural menu offerings at the food court didn’t impress them.

Too bad I didn’t grow up in Merced.

If I had, there would have been one week where I could have really participated in something academic at the mall – the Merced County Writing Festival.

Essays, poems and stories written by students from 44 schools in 20 districts throughout the county are on display this week at the Merced Mall.

The writing festival, established in 1984, features 20 different categories in both prose and poetry that students have entered.
Entries are judged by a panel of teachers from each participating school. Judging takes place over a one-week timeframe, which this year saw more than 3,700 entries.

At the beginning of each school year, teachers are given a handbook that lists some 20 separate categories in both prose and poetry.

Students learn various types of writing and can participate in the Merced County Writing Festival using these guidelines.

A gold medal is given for the best entry in prose and the best entry in poetry at each grade level. In some cases this year, the decision was too difficult at some grade levels to choose just one in each division, so a tie was in order.

About 1,700 awards are being given — 38 of them gold medals.

From 64 entries in 1984 to 24 years later and more than 3700 entries in 2008--the Merced County Writing Festival get more and more young people involved every year.

After all, who wouldn’t want to write something for fellow shopoholics to read?