Hosted by AACI and in partnership with NBC Bay Area, Growing Up in America (GUA) is an annual art, essay and video contest that reaches hundreds of Bay Area students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Founded 25+ years ago by Lance Lew of NBC Bay Area, GUA gives a unique platform for young people to creatively explore and celebrate their cultural identity through the lens of civic engagement. All kindergarten through 12th grade students in any school in the nine Bay Area counties are eligible to participate, regardless of their background or cultural identity.
If you are a previous winner, you can only reapply if you are in a different grade or contest category. The grade categories are K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. The contest categories are: art, essay, and video. Contestants cannot win a prize in more than one category. Children of contest judges or screeners are not eligible to apply.
