(PRWEB) November 24, 2015
San Francisco Asian Youth Talent Competition has just launched. Sandong Association and Shin Shin Educational Foundation have joined forces to launch this first Confucius Cup Talent Competition. The competition will include vocal, instrumental, and dance performance. It is open to all Asian American students from 6th grade through 12th grade.
The mission of the competition is to provide the contestants with positive experiences, build a lifelong value system, and discover talent. The competition also raises funds to build schools in China and set up a scholarship fund in the San Francisco Bay area. The competition aims to bring Asian communities together, increase cultural exchange, and inspire positive values in younger generations.
Sean Peng, President of Sandong Association, saw his team’s collaboration with Shin Shin Educational Foundation as an opportunity to discover new talent and contribute to education. “Shin Shin is the proven leader in the Asian community when it comes to providing educational support to China's rural areas,” says Mr. Peng. “Its team of volunteers have built 340 schools since 1997. They are a great model for many organizations to make an impact on our society.”
“Under the leadership of Steven Ting, Shin Shin further expanded its educational program in China and was approved as one of the 30 non-government agency offices in Beijing,” says Wen Yuan, who became the President of Shin Shin Educational Foundation earlier this year. “Over the years, Shin Shin has gone beyond just building schools. We’ve expanded to teacher and principal trainings. We are excited to launch this Asian Youth Talent Competition with Sandong Association. It is a great program to showcase our Asian Americans’ talent and raise funds to reward talented young artists and encourage them to grow.”
The internationally renowned pianist and American Fine Arts Festival judge Sandra Wright Shen will serve as the lead judge for the competition. In a statement, Shen described how music can remove invisible lines between strangers from different backgrounds, and added: “It is encouraging to hear the noble vision of the Asian Youth Talent Competition to bring hope to underprivileged villages with new schools and care for their needs. I look forward to hearing young aspiring talents who will carry on the legacy of great composers whose art made this world a better place!”
Selected winners of the competition will participate in a Grand Prix performance at Carnegie Hall. This performance, a partnership with the American Fine Arts Festival, will provide these contestants with an additional opportunity to display their talents. Brevard Music Festival, based in North Carolina with 79 years of history, also joins as a partner by providing scholarships for the instrumental winners.
Joining the competition committee are Myriad Music School and Dance Academy and Tianmu Education Foundation. Both are leaders in developing positive values among youth, through music education and through educational information and support, respectively. “This competition is a perfect opportunity for our young artists to have their talents exposed to an international community and be discovered,” says Wayne Cheng, President of Tianmu Education Foundation. “We also see a greater meaning, as the funds raised will form a scholarship fund in San Francisco.”
To join or sponsor the competition, please visit: http://www.sfyouthtalent.org.
About Sandong Association
Established in 1981, Sandong Association has served its members in northern California for 34 years. The Association and its board members have provided scholarships to more than 1,000 underprivileged students in China. The Association has held the Confucius Memorial Ceremony for 34 years, to promote culture and educate younger generations about our roots and cultural heritage. The Association includes members from places such as China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Korea, and plays a key role in uniting people with different cultural backgrounds.
About Shin Shin Educational Foundation
Established in 1997, Shin Shin Educational Foundation aims to provide resources, long-term care, love, and services to primary schools in remote and impoverished regions of China. In nearly 18 years, the Foundation has built 340 Shin Shin schools in 25 provinces in China, and has continuously helped these schools with facility improvements. In addition, the Foundation has sponsored educational initiatives to improve the quality of teaching in these schools. In 2013, the Foundation received approval from the Chinese government to set up a Representative Office in Beijing. Today, it is a major driving force in bridging educational gaps in rural areas of China.
