The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced 11-year-old Taneiya Culp, a fifth grader at Boyd-Buchanan School, as the winner of the state’s 2013 Missing Children’s Poster Contest. Taneiya’s entry has already been submitted to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) poster contest representing of the State of Tennessee.
The judges chose Taneiya’s artwork because of how she clearly and creatively demonstrated the theme “Bring Our Missing Children Home.” Like so many who participated, Taneiya recognizes there are missing children around the world, not just in the United States. The fifth grader – who likes to draw, read, write stories, ride her bike, and play on her iPad – cited gymnastics as her favorite sport and shopping as her favorite hobby.
The U.S. Department of Justice, through its Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s Child Protection Division, sponsors the annual poster contest for fifth grade students to develop artwork to represent America’s united goal to bring missing children home safely. As the clearinghouse for missing children in the State of Tennessee, TBI sponsored the contest at the state level.
Each year, more than 1.3 million children are reported missing in the country. The U.S. Department of Justice takes time to commemorate the valiant and unselfish acts of the many organizations and individuals who bring our missing children home. The winning artwork in the national competition will be unveiled at the National Missing Children’s Day ceremony, to be held on Wednesday, May 21. The national winner will win a trip to travel with his or her parents to Washington, D.C. to participate in the ceremony, as well as a certificate and a U.S. savings bond.