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Accueil > Le Prix Chronos en Anglais |
| THE
CHRONOS PRIZE FOR YOUTH LITERATURE |
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on
the theme
"Growing up means growing older - Growing older means growing
up"
or
How to link culture, reading and intergeneration relations |
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THE
CHRONOS PRIZE AND THE REVOLUTION IN LONGEVITY
In 1996 the National Gerontology Foundation broke new ground by setting
up a literary prize : the Chronos Prize for Youth Literature.
This action is targeted at what for gerontologists is a new public
- children. Its purpose is to change the way society looks at senior
citizens and aging by raising awareness, starting in childhood, of
what it means to go through life and grow older. This will thus promote
better relations among different generations as children discover
that : "Growing up means growing older - growing older means growing
up"
It is apparent that over the coming decades there will be an unprecedented
increase in life expectancy and in the number of senior citizens.
Every year life expectancy is increasing by three months, with the
result that a number of children born today will become centenarians |
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 THE
CHRONOS PRIZE IS UNIQUE:
A jury of 41,000 children and an original theme
The
jury is composed exclusively of children, from nursery schools,
primary schools and middle schools. These young people choose a
publication from among a selection of illustrated books and novels,
all of which focus on subjects like grandparents, aging, life pathways,
the handing down of knowledge, and the end of life.
The children vote by secret ballot.
An increasing number of children have taken part in the Chronos
Prize over the last five years.
These children
have come from throughout France as well as from several foreign
countries, including Germany, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Spain, Ireland,
Israel, Italy, Portugal, Romania, the United States...
Chronos Prize is also organised in Switzerland.
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| CULTURE,
READING AND INTERGENERATION RELATIONS |
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The
Chronos Prize is also aimed at encouraging reading. A
thirst for reading and an interest in books are cornerstones
for access to culture. These are formed at a very early age.
The data on illiteracy in France is shocking, and, as many teachers
have witnessed, by involving young people in a literary prize
jury, the Chronos Prize has a dynamic, positive impact on reading. |
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The
Chronos Prize promotes creating, writing, and publishing works
on the theme of "Growing Up and Growing Older". Once publishers
see the massive votes of the young people and the impact on
sales, they will be less hesitant to publish works on this theme. |
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The
Chronos Prize is a starting point for numerous encounters between
generations in retirement homes and geriatric hospitals. Senior
citizens also become readers and Chronos Prize jurors. In 2000,
about 1000 seniors took part as readers. |
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The
Chronos Prize also leads to discovering citizenship. In order
to develop and promote a sense of citizenship among the young
jurors, many reading centers provide the children with a polling
place complete with ballot boxes and voting booths, registration
forms and voting cards, with senior citizens acting as poll
watchers. |
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