Every year, from July through August, three judges from the Tian Hong Foundation—including myself—devote time to independently review and score each submission. We later meet to discuss and finalize the list of award winners. Our evaluation focuses on how well the works align with the theme, their originality, and their technical maturity. Of these, creativity and the personal imprint left by each piece are among the most important.
This year, we received over 150 entries, including English poems, drawings, photographs, and a variety of handcrafted artworks. All were inspired by the 2024 theme: “When Dreams Take Flight.”
Participants ranged in age from just 5 years old to 21, and came from richly diverse cultural backgrounds: American-born youth, as well as children of Chinese, Indian, African, Mexican, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese heritage. We even received submissions from as far as the Philippines and Sri Lanka. Many entries carried distinct cultural touches, often surprising and inspiring us with new perspectives.
This small-scale cross-cultural contest has now been held for seven years. Several participants return year after year, and watching their growth and transformation over time brings us deep joy.
With no entry fee, the Tian Hong contest aims to lower all barriers and create space for young artists and writers to express themselves freely—through poetry, painting, and craft. We hope they share their life experiences and cultural influences, embrace the creative process, and find beauty not only in their own cultures, but also in the common humanity that threads through them all.
Each year, the imagination of young people astonishes us. Their submissions are diverse and vivid—like a garden in full bloom, like birds in joyful chorus.
Children ages 4 to 12 brought us a feast of bold colors, imaginative compositions, playful lines, and light-shadow expressions that often broke through conventional forms. Their poems, too, were fresh, delightful, and full of spark. Among the 13–21 age group, which had the most submissions this year, we witnessed deep reflection on society, identity, and emotion. Some pieces conveyed exuberance, others carried the weight of uncertainty.
Several participants shared with us their struggles in communicating with parents, the friction between their dreams and the dreams their parents hold for them. Perhaps they wouldn’t say these things directly at home, but chose instead to share them with us—through their poems and art. For that trust, we’re truly grateful.
Many also let us into their worlds of personal passion—whether it be baseball, distance running, music, or other dreams. These hobbies became a bridge between their current reality and a vision for the future. Some even shared what they hope to become one day, showing us how they imagine their place in society.
One 17-year-old wrote that his biggest dream is to make true friends. Another, the same age, said she and her dream are still searching for each other on their journey. 😊
Though we’ve never met them, through their work we’ve clearly felt their thoughts and emotions—shared milestones of growing up that resonate universally. For these young creators, the contest is more than a competition—it’s a safe and soulful space to express, to connect, and to be heard. That is what Tian Hong strives to offer.
The winners of this year’s contest have been announced at www.tianhongfoundation.org, where you can see selected entries and celebrate their achievements. In addition to the usual First, Second, Third Place and Honorable Mention awards, we’ve introduced new categories such as: Most Joyful Creative Process Award, Most Noticeable Progress Since Last Year Award, Judge’s Favorite Award, and the Tian Hong Founder’s Award. Winners receive either cash via PayPal or Amazon gift cards.
Awards are limited—but every young person who submitted is a luminous and singular presence. Each left a deep impression through their work—growing souls with real feelings, thoughts, joys, pain, and conflict. If there were an award for “Love,” each and every one of them should receive it—because they all truly deserve it.
Here’s to all young lovers of poetry and art, from every cultural background. May you continue to explore, to create, and to discover joy, beauty, and the heartbeat of your own growth.
Susan Shi
Co-founder, Tian Hong Foundation
Organizer, Tian Hong Cross-Cultural Youth Poem & Art Contest
有感于2024天鸿跨文化青少年诗歌绘画比赛 “当梦想起飞时”
每年七到八月，包括我在内的三位天鸿基金会评委，会各自安排好自己的时间，用来审阅参赛者
提交的作品，然后开会讨论，决定最后的获奖名单。评选围绕主题的契合度，作品的创造性，和
技术的成熟度展开，其中作品的创造性和作品中传达的个人特色是非常关键的因素。
今年我们共收到了150多件作品，其中包括英语诗，绘画，摄影，还有一些手工艺作品，都围绕着我们今年的主题 “当梦想起飞时”而展开。
参赛者中年龄最小的只有5岁，最大的21岁，他们来自不同的文化背景，有土生土长的美国孩子，也有华裔，印度裔，非裔，墨西哥裔，日本裔，韩裔，越南裔，等等，还有几个孩子的作品发自大洋彼岸的菲律宾和斯里兰卡。他们的作品中大多都带着他们各自文化的特色，经常让我们眼前一亮，觉得开了眼界。
天鸿基金会这个小规模的跨文化艺术比赛办了也有七年了，不少孩子跟随我们的比赛多年，看着他们每年的改变和进步，对我们来说也是十分愉悦的事情。
天鸿比赛没有参赛费，我们把门槛降到最低，主要目的是鼓励年轻的艺术爱好者们，通过诗歌和绘画这样的媒介来充分表达自己，分享各自的生活经历和文化元素，享受艺术创作和实践的过程，同时也欣赏到了不同文化的特色，并在同一个主题下，感受到不同文化之间的共通。
每年，我们都会发现惊喜，青少年群体的创造力是无限的。他们提交的作品，风格各异，五彩缤纷，如百花竞放，百鸟争鸣。
4-12岁年龄组的孩子们给我们带来了极其丰富的色彩，有些稚嫩的线条，构图和光影，和常常打破框界的构思，他们的诗歌也是清新可人，可圈可点。而在今年收到最多的13-21岁年龄组的作品中，我们看到了参赛者对社会，对生活的观察和思考，对自我的追寻，感受到他们强烈的快乐或是迷茫。
有些参赛者对我们诉说了和父母相处的挑战，他们在父母的梦想和自己的梦想之间所经历的冲突和协调，想来也许这个年龄段的孩子不一定和父母说的话，却能通过作品的提交，和我们分享，想想真是感谢他们所给予的信任。
有很多的参赛者，和我们分享了生活中最热衷的爱好，有棒球，有长跑，有音乐，等等，这些爱好中寄托了他们的梦想，可以看出，参与这些事情，帮助他们在现实和梦想之间搭建了桥梁。也有不少参赛者分享了自己的梦想职业，这里我们看到了他们绘就的，将来自己和社会之间的关系。
有一位17岁的参赛者在他的诗里面说，他最重要的梦想是交到好朋友，同样一位17岁的参赛者说她和她的梦想还在寻找彼此的道路上。😊
这些参赛者和我们素昧平生，但我们从他们的作品中，清晰地感受到了他们各自所经历的情感和思想，这些每个人成长过程中都有过的经历。我想，他们的参赛，不仅仅是争取奖项，更是寻找能够倾听的耳朵，共鸣的心灵，和能够放心和自由地通过诗歌和绘画来表达自己的渠道。我们希望天鸿这样一个平台，能够给他们提供这样一个渠道。
今年的获奖名单已经在天鸿网站上发表 www.tianhongfoundation.org，在那里，有兴趣的朋友们可以看到一部分得奖的作品，分享得奖者的骄傲和快乐。今年，除了和以往同样的一，二，三等奖和鼓励奖之外，我们还设立了“最明显有乐趣的创作过程奖“，”比去年最大明显进步奖“，和”评委特殊奖“，以及”天鸿创办人奖“。得奖者会收获现金或是亚马逊现金卡。
奖项是有限的，而每个年轻人都是独一无二的生命存在，他们都从不同角度给我们留下了深刻的印象，一个个在成长着的，有血有肉，有灵魂，有思想，有欢乐，也有痛苦和矛盾的年轻人。如果有一项奖是“爱”的话，那么他们每个人都应该得到这个奖，因为他们值得！
在此，祝福所有年轻的诗歌绘画爱好者们，无论他们来自什么文化背景，祝愿他们在诗歌和艺术的领域中继续探索和练习，感受到乐趣，感受到美好，感受和记录自己一路走来成长的脉搏！
雨程
天鸿基金会联合创办人
天鸿年度跨文化青少年诗歌绘画比赛组织者
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