More about the W.O.R.D.S. Writing Competition

The Reasons for the W.O.R.D.S. Program

As Indonesia is the fourth most populous and largest Muslim-majority nation in the world, one would assume the country garners a fairly large amount of international attention. But beyond the 2005 Bali bombings, the 2004 tsunami that devastated northern Sumatra, and the occasional article denigrating the clear cutting of rainforests in Kalimantan, Indonesia has continued to hover below the radar of the global news circuit. However, upon a slightly deeper evaluation of goings on here, it is apparent that, confronted with both globalization and its own evolution, the country is in the midst of very edifying changes. A democratic government was instituted in 1998, and the first free presidential elections in over 40 years were held in 1999. There are virulent anti-corruption campaigns being conducted at local and national levels of government, and the reformasi movement is decentralizing many administrative aspects of the government, increasing the strength of the provinces.

Still, Indonesia's road to progress is a long one, and this is especially apparent in the education system. The educational system in Indonesia is the product of a divided country that has been adversely affected by political and economic crisis. Enrollment and completion rates are low: typically only half of the students that finish primary school will advance to junior secondary education, and even fewer to senior secondary schools or beyond - only 40% of the school aged population advances to the equivalent of high school in the United States. Limited funding leads to outdated facilities and materials, as well as underpaid and under-trained teachers. Only in 2007 was a law passed requiring teacher certification. Perhaps most inhibiting to a healthy learning environment are authoritarian teaching methods that do not require creativity or independent thinking from students.

Because of this, the thirty 2007-2008 Fulbright English Teaching Assistants (ETAs) in Indonesia are holding a national English creative writing competition titled WORDS, which will give our students an opportunity to voice their thoughts and opinions in ways many have never been able to. This competition will allow the best applicants from every high school affiliated with an ETA to compete nationally in Jakarta, partake in a weekend of workshops, listen to speakers from the US Embassy, as well as the arts community in Jakarta. More than a competition, WORDS is an opportunity for senior high school students to share their culture in an international setting and use the power of the English language in a practical and creative manner.

Details of the WORDS Competition

WORDS is a national creative writing competition that helps to voice the ideas of Indonesian high school students, organized by the 2007-2008 Fulbright ETAÕs. This competition urges students to use the English language in a creative and practical manner within our international community. Students from the 10th and 11th grade, in high schools affiliated with a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, are encouraged to submit one entry related to the topic: ÒWhat does it mean to be an Indonesian?Ó

Each student can write about the topic using a poem, song, story, narrative, monologue, or speech. The ETA will select three finalists from their school, who will then be judged by a regional committee. The regional committee will pick one finalist from every school. The finalists will go to Jakarta to compete in a spoken competition, which will also include workshops surrounding US and Indonesian cultures, as well as speakers from the US Embassy and creative arts professionals.

This final round of the competition will provide every finalist with an all expenses paid trip to Jakarta for one weekend in mid-April, accompanied by their respective ETAs. The top finalists will be competing for the following prizes:

1st place 1.500.000 rp scholarship
2nd place 1.000.000 rp scholarship
3rd place 500.000 rp scholarship

The competition also provides a unique experience for the ETA's students to interact with other gifted Indonesian high school students from extremely diverse backgrounds and schools.

Overview of the Fulbright ETA Program

In its fourth year, the ETA program is meant to provide a platform for meaningful cultural exchange between Indonesian and US citizens. The thirty ETAs are teaching in varying types of senior secondary schools in both rural and urban areas across five of IndonesiaÕs islands: Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Bali. ETAÕs are placed in either an SMA (Sekolah Menengah Atas, government sponsored public schools), an SMK Muhammadiyah (Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan, run by the Muslim religious organization Muhammadiyah), or a Pesantren (traditional Muslim boarding school).

ETAs collaborate with AMINEF, the Indonesian affiliate of the US Fulbright program, and teachers in their schools to improve English teaching methods, lead conversation groups, and help students become more comfortable with English in an informal setting. Many are also involved in various community building projects within their towns or cities.

SEO Involvement in the WORDS Project

Summit Educational Outreach (SEO) is working together with the Fulbright ETAs as a liaison in the United States to the Indonesian based AMINEF, raising funding and awareness for the WORDS competition. All donations made through SEO to the WORDS competition are tax deductible.

Your contribution to this competition will help fund an endeavor fostering an exchange of ideas between the United States and Indonesia, as well as gifted high school students around the country. The WORDS competition will be held in mid-April, and we must cement a large portion of the logistics for the competition by mid-February. Because of this, SEO and the ETAs would appreciate any donations to be made in an expedited fashion. We ask that you assist us in providing our students with this unique educational experience, and an opportunity to display their creativity on an international platform in Jakarta.