2020 Fair Housing Poster Contest

The Board of Trustees and

staff of Silver State Fair

Housing Council (SSFHC)

are excited to announce

our 24th annual Fair

Housing Poster Contest.

We invite you to participate

in this opportunity to use art

as a learning experience

for your students. At a time

when our children are often

exposed to more polarized

public discourse, we

believe that a focus on the

inclusive aspects of fair

housing laws can help

create a better sense of

understanding, acceptance,

and appreciation for the

diversity in our

neighborhoods and

throughout our community.

Under federal and state fair

housing laws, all residents

of Nevada are entitled to

equal access to housing

regardless of race, color,

religion, sex, national origin,

family status, disability,

ancestry, sexual orientation,

and gender identity/

expression. The contest

incorporates themes of civil

rights and equal opportunity

particularly appropriate for

existing Martin Luther King,

Jr. Day and Black History

Month observations.

Whether you choose to

incorporate the poster

contest as an in-class

activity, or simply provide

students with the

opportunity to participate

outside of class, we hope

you will join with us to

promote awareness of fair

housing rights!

“ FAIR HOUSING CREATES COMMUNI TY”

When our staff decided 24

years ago to launch a fair

housing poster contest, we

had no idea what we were

in for! Based on strong

participation by teachers

throughout Washoe

County, this one-time

effort has become an

annual event we all

anticipate with excitement.

We began the poster

contest to raise

consciousness about fair

housing. It has become so

much more.

Over the years I’ve had

many people tell me how

“cute” these posters are. I

can’t disagree. But more

importantly, they represent

the hope that our children

have a better, more

inclusive vision of our

community and a

willingness relate to each

other as neighbors. Please

participate in 2020!

775.324.0990

888.585.8634 toll-free

Relay Nevada 711

www.ssfhc.org

JANUARY, 2020

2020 Fair Housing Poster Contest

2020 Fair Housing

Poster Contest

Poster contest

benefits and

opportunities

• Coordinate contest

with Martin Luther

King, Jr. Day, Black

History Month, and

core curriculum

activities

• Incorporate art into

teaching moments

• Work with students to

envision a community

relating to each other

as neighbors

• Community

recognition of student

achievements

What’s Inside?

Coordinate Poster

Contest Activities

with Common

Core Goals

Resources! 2

Poster Contest

Recognitions

Contest Guidelines 3

Poster Contest

Awards

History of the

federal Fair

Housing Act

About SSFHC 4

2020 CONTEST DATES:

Wednesday, January 1

through

Friday, February 28

WHY PARTICIPATE? Kate Zook, Executive Director

Past contest winners

Poster Contest Recognitions and Prizes

The SSFHC fair housing

poster contest runs from

January 1, 2020, through

February 28, 2020. These

dates include the Martin

Luther King, Jr., holiday

and Black History Month.

Discussion of civil rights,

diversity, and fairness to

others supports core

curriculum standards for

multiple grades. Teachers

of grades 1 through 6 will

find numerous resources

for social studies lessons

incorporating those

standards from both the

state and Washoe County

School District.

Using the knowledge

gained in classroom

discussion, students can

use their imaginations to

create their visions of a

community where all are

welcome. For younger

students, this might also

be a lesson in color,

composition, and shapes.

Knowledge of fair housing

rights can also help to

empower students,

especially those whose

families may face housing

discrimination. The impact

of this knowledge extends

far beyond the classroom

to the community as a

whole.

receive a framed copy of

the poster created using

his/her artwork; a framed

copy will also be

presented to the winner’s

school. To encourage

classroom participation,

the school or organization

with the most contest

participants will receive a

recognition plaque.

Our Board of Trustees will

host an awards reception

in April, 2020. Contest

The SSFHC Board of

Trustees is pleased to

recognize each student

participating in the poster

contest with a certificate

of participation,

distributed through the

classroom. Qualifying

artwork will be on public

display at locations in

Reno and Sparks during

April, 2020, national Fair

Housing Month. Our

grand prize winner will

winners will receive their

prizes and will be

recognized by

Congressional

representatives. Families,

teachers, and school

administrators are

encouraged to join us for a

celebration of the diversity

of our community.

Coordinate Poster Contest Activities with Common Core Goals

Use our Resources!

to come and speak to

your class with age-

appropriate information

about fair housing, civil

rights, and inclusion. We

have a historic photos of

Dr. King’s open housing

movement in Chicago,

posters promoting equal

housing opportunity, fair

housing stories that

include class

participation, and a new

library of children’s books

addressing diversity,

housing, and cultural

acceptance. We're happy

to lend materials or bring

them with us as part of a

presentation. Call our

office at 775.324.0990 to

schedule a presentation

or arrange for materials to

be dropped off.

Silver State Fair Housing

Council (SSFHC) believes

that education and

outreach about fair

housing rights and

responsibilities is an

integral component of any

fair housing advocacy

program. SSFHC offers a

variety of educational

opportunities for teachers

and students. We are

happy to schedule a time

Our staff is

available to talk

with teachers and

their classes about

the Fair Housing

Act and housing

discrimination

issues in our

community. Please

contact SSFHC to

discuss the

possibilities.

Page 2 2020 Fair Housing Poster Contest

Page 3 2020 Fair Housing Poster Contest

Thank you to our 2020 poster contest sponsors:

City of Sparks - City of Reno - Washoe County

Thank you to all supporters and participants!

WORDS & IMAGERY

• Entries must contain the written theme:“Fair Housing Creates Community”

• Entries must include interpretations of the contest theme, including representation of members of protected

classes (race, color, religion, sex, national origin, family status, disability, sexual orientation, and gender

identity/expression) interacting in a housing-related situation.

• Entries must be on construction-type paper and range in size from 8 1/2 x 11” to no larger than 12 x 18.”

Please do not place wording closer than 3/4” to edge of paper.

MEDIA

• Bold colors and a variety of artistic media (collages!/paintings!/wallpaper!/fabric!/etc.???) are encouraged.

• 3-Dimensional and computer-generated artwork will not be eligible for judging. PLEASE, no corporate logos or

brand names in the artwork.

• Artwork will be judged on originality, visual impact, artistic merit, and overall adherence to the contest theme.

REGISTRATION

• Open to all Washoe County students in 1st - 8th grades.

• Each entry MUST be accompanied by a Contest Registration slip signed by a parent/guardian.

• Registration forms are available in Spanish.

• ONLY ONE STUDENT NAME PER ENTRY FORM

• Registrations should be taped, not stapled, to the back of the entry.

• Entries without signed registration forms will not be eligible for judging and prizes.

• Per the registration form, artwork becomes property of SSFHC and cannot be returned.

DEADLINE

• Contest deadline is Friday, February 28, 2020, at 5:00pm.

• All entries must be received at the office of Silver State Fair Housing Council: 110 West Arroyo Street, Suite A,

Reno, NV 89509, by the contest deadline. You may call our office at 775.324.0990 to schedule a drop-off OR

to make arrangements for poster entries to be picked up at your school or organization.

Contest Guidelines

Poster Contest Awards

Grand Prize Winner

 Grand prize winner will receive a one year family membership to the Nevada Museum of Art

 Artwork developed into SSFHC’s 2020 Fair Housing Poster and 2021 Calendar

 Two framed posters, one for the winner and a second for his/her school/organization

1st PLACE Winners (Grades 1-3, Grades 4-6, Grades 7-8)

 Each winner will receive 4 guest passes for admission to the Nevada Museum of Art

 Artwork included in SSFHC’s 2021 Fair Housing Calendar

Nine Additional Winners

 Each winner will receive 2 guest passes for admission to the Nevada Museum of Art

 Artwork included in SSFHC’s 2021 Fair Housing Calendar

Registration forms are

available @

www.ssfhc.org

referrals; and assesses

barriers to fair housing in

Nevada. SSFHC works to

guarantee the right of all

people to freely choose

where they want and can

afford to live.

meeting utilizing remote

technologies, and

community partnerships.

SSFHC strives to break

down barriers to equal

housing opportunity and

build opportunities for

community members to

relate to each other as

neighbors by addressing

the needs of all members

of the community. SSFHC

provides education and

outreach about fair

housing rights; processes

discrimination complaints,

investigations, and

About SSFHC

Silver State Fair Housing

Council (SSFHC) is a non-

profit agency advocating

for equal access to

housing in Nevada since

1989. SSFHC has office

locations in Reno and Las

Vegas to better address

inquiries about housing

discrimination for

consumers, housing

providers, and local

jurisdictions. SSFHC also

provides services in rural

communities through

personal interactions,

Fair Housing Act of 1968

prohibited housing

discrimination based on

race, color, religion, and

national origin. It also

included provisions for

enforcement of the law.

Housing discrimination

cases can be pursued

through the U.S.

Department of Housing

and Urban Development

(HUD), a private court

action, a suit by the U.S.

Department of Justice, or

any combination of these.

Sex (gender) was added

as a fair housing protection

in 1974. On September 13,

1988, President Ronald

Reagan signed the Fair

Housing Amendments Act.

Additional protections now

include family status

(having children under the

age of 18) and protections

for persons with

disabilities, including

accessibility standards for

new multi-family housing.

Attorney and author

strident voices calling for

violent responses to those

injustices.

On April 4, 1968, Martin

Luther King, Jr. was

assassinated. It was a time

of great upheaval and

Congress worked quickly

to pass legislation which

would help settle the

unrest following King’s

assassination. One week

after King’s assassination,

on April 11, 1968,

President Lyndon B.

Johnson signed the Civil

Rights Act into law. The

The Fair Housing Act, also

known as the Title VIII of

the Civil Rights Act of

1968, is the result of three

years of congressional

consideration of housing

discrimination and how

housing discrimination

should be addressed. This

debate occurred at the

time our country was

experiencing the rise of the

civil rights movement

under the leadership of Dr.

Martin Luther King, Jr.,

increasing public

awareness of social

injustices, and more

History of the federal Fair Housing Act

Robert G. Schwemm

likens the passage of the

Fair Housing Amendments

Act of 1988 to passage of

the original Fair Housing

Act in 1968, when societal

changes forced Congress

to address civil rights

issues for additional

groups in our society.

Nevada state law offers

additional protections

against discrimination

based on ancestry, sexual

orientation and gender

identity/expression. Silver

State Fair Housing Council

works with Nevada

residents to pursue their

fair housing rights under

both federal and state law.