ABQ Times

The City of Albuquerque’s Department of Senior Affairs is organizing the 43rd Annual “A Senior I Know” essay contest for young writers in grades 1 through 5. This initiative encourages children to celebrate older adults who have positively impacted their lives.

The deadline for submissions is February 12, 2025. Winners will be invited to an award ceremony at Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center in May 2025, and their essays will be featured in a commemorative booklet.

Mayor Tim Keller emphasized the importance of this event, stating, “By encouraging positive connections between kids and older adults, we’re strengthening the bonds that hold our community together.” He urged young writers to participate by sharing their stories.

Jude Garcia, principal at Sandia Base Elementary School, expressed enthusiasm about the contest: “We love hearing students’ voices in their writing as they share information about their senior. The students get to know more about important seniors in their lives and teachers to know their students a little better.”

The contest is open to all students within the APS school district boundaries. Essays must be submitted through the child’s school—whether APS elementary schools, private, charter, or home schools—by 5 p.m. on February 12, 2025. Online submissions are not accepted.

Winning essays are selected by the “A Senior I Know” committee composed of retired educators. For more details on rules and submission locations, visit cabq.gov/seniors/youth-programs.