Award of Excellence | Primary Division | Lang Ranch PTA, California

Each wave is different in the ocean. Some are strong and some are soft. But deep within, each wave is the same. They are all water. Some water travels into the air, forms into clouds, turns into rains and snows, joins the river and then travels back to the sea. Some water sinks into the sands and rejoins the ocean deep down. This is a song I wrote for the water in the ocean. They are different in their appearances and have different journeys, but looking within, we will find that they have the same essence and the same origin.

Award of Merit | Intermediate Division | Sacajawea Elementary PTA, Montana

When I look within my mom, I see someone kind, strong, brave and amazing. I love her so much. This fall she was diagnosed with cancer. My family was really sad about it. My look within project is about all the doctors who helped her get well. I hope this inspires other cancer victims. Enjoy!!!

Jacob Hemphill, Bobby Jefferson, Ryan Berty, Patrick O'shea. Soldiers of Jah Army

Award of Merit | Middle School Division | Walkertown Middle School, North Carolina

My dance portrays the struggle every dancer and every person faces; which is finding the balance of inner and outer beauty. As a dancer, I understand how it feels to face a mirror for hours on end. It is easy to dwell on the outward appearance. In reality, a person needs to focus on the inner self. The mirror represents how easy it is to become fixated on outer looks. The blindfold represents finding an inward perspective. The window view of the dancer represents how artistry is always a balance of inward and outward vision.

Silo and friends checking the pool pipeline at "El Mirador", a place used as Center of Studies that year.

I lost all the negatives from this retreat. Thes picture was scanned from a portion of a contact proof.

Silo y amigos revisando las cañerias de la pileta en "El Mirador", un lugar usado como Centro de Estudios durante ese año. yo perdí todos los negativos tomados en ese retiro. Esta foto fue digitalizada de un pedazo de una tira de contacto.

Silo escucha exposiciones de mensajeros en una reunion en 2006

Silo conversa con el cineasta Danny Zuckerbrot en un café en Chacras de Coria, durante la filmacion de el Sabio de los Andes. octubre 2007.

Talking to filmmaker Danny Zuckerbrot at a coffee shop in Chacras de Coria, during the filming of "The Sage of the Andes". October 2007

Award of Excellence | Primary Division | SKA Academy PTSA, Georgia

The first time I heard the Chinese Zither, I was deeply touched by the amazing sound. It broke the silence with its gentle dings and filled my mind with fantastical images and feelings. Since then, I decided to learn the Chinese Zither. Chinese Zither is a very magical and traditional musical instrument because it has allowed me to look within myself and my Chinese culture. I imagine the wonderful sound swaying from my fingertips and my ancestors that have allowed people to look within their hearts, minds and souls in a way that only music can do.

Award of Excellence | Primary Division | Galileo PTA, Idaho

My poem talks about how I feel inside. I chose a rainbow to describe my feelings inside. Doing adventures is when I feel that rainbow inside.

Award of Merit | Primary Division | Kennedy School PTA, New Jersey

My story relates to the theme because the new girl was nervous the other kids would make fun of her. The boy decided to see if she was kind or mean and found out she was kind.

Award of Excellence | High School Division | Clear Springs High School PTA, Texas

The idea for "Physik der Ente" came one early morning, driving past a retention pond. I glanced out the window and saw something unusual - a duck, sitting on top of a powerline. I was baffled. How could a creature, so clearly the antithesis of physical logic with its webbed feet, be able to defy the laws of its nature like this? I looked within this mind-boggling concept and channeled its ambiguity into my creative process. "Physik der Ente" is German for "Physics of the Duck," and it is an exploration of unsolved mysteries to which we must discover the answers.

Award of Excellence | High School Division | Eastside High School PTSA, South Carolina

"Daunted" is a film that follows a young boy as he deals with the things that frighten him in his day-today life. He encounters his fear of the deep water when he goes swimming, his fear of the scary dark when he walks through a haunted house, and his fear of height when he climbs into a tree house. Throughout the film, he looks inside of a box; a metaphor for him looking within himself, to find his courage and make it through the daunting day.

Award of Excellence | Primary Division | Bernice Young PTA, Arkansas

I have cerebral palsy and rely on a wheelchair for mobility. Due to my disability, I have a unique view of the world.

Award of Excellence | Primary Division | Dutch Neck PTA, New Jersey

In my school my friends come from different places. Some of my friends are from India, Poland, China, Spain, and Korea. Even though we look different we are all the same deep down inside. We have the same feelings like happiness, sadness, excitement, and being scared. Even though we are different we are friends and like to play together. I picked this song because I like the music and words. It's in my favorite Disney World ride. I am the nesting doll and I am in the center of the faces. I have nesting dolls at home and collect flags.

still a work-in-progress..

"You dread the depths; it should horrify you, since the way of what is to

come leads through it. You must endure the temptation of fear and doubt,

and at the same time acknowledge to the bone that your fear is justified and

your doubt is reasonable. How otherwise could it be a true temptation and a

true overcoming!"

Carl Jung, The Red Book

Award of Merit | Intermediate Division | Hedgcoxe PTA, Texas

With so many mobile phones, busy schedules, and even violence in the world, I see that people are more disconnected than ever. I want to inspire the world to meet there neighbors, put there phones down, and "Look Within" the hearts of those around them so they can help them out when they see they are hurting.

Award of Merit | Middle School Division | Sarah Banks Middle PTSA, Michigan

The thing about this song is that it's actually true! The verse explains the problems I had, which represented me a few years ago; the chorus represents me reassuring myself that everything was ok, and the drop was a representation of me when I finally realized that I could just be me. I made the song feel dark, moody, and energetic at the same time, which I feel was an accurate representation of my personality.

Outstanding Interpretation | Special Artist Division | Will Rogers Elementary PTA, Oklahoma

I am dyslexic so reading and school are hard. Dance makes me happy. When school is hard, I can dance. Dance gives me hope. It is hope that's always there even when dyslexia makes stuff hard.

Award of Excellence | Intermediate Division | Hackberry Hill Elementary PTA, Colorado

Atman means a person's soul. Atman inquiry means seeking the information about one's soul and this can be achieved through meditation. My 6 instrument orchestral composition reflects the journey of meditation that leads to happiness in the end.

Award of Excellence | Middle School Division | Miller South VPA PTA, Ohio

I wanted the song to beautiful and that is why I chose the key A major. It is supposed to be as soft song to bring a calm feel to concentrate or look within like mediation. It also changes key multiple times. The soft tone, in the beginning is supposed to relate to the title "Memories". As the song plays you can think about your happiest memories.

Award of Merit | Middle School Division | Reading Elementary PTA, Utah

Multifaceted mirrors have many glass pieces that reflect at different angles. When I look within myself, I see many different traits that make up my personality. I am mysterious, always discovering new things about myself. I am adventurous, seeking new life experiences. I am disciplined, focusing hard on things that are important. I am divine, possessing a heavenly spark as a child of God. In my composition, I have tried to portray the multi-faceted mirror concept through a theme and variations that explores different traits I see within myself.

Award of Merit | Primary Division | Mount Pleasant Elementary School PTA, New York

"The bad bee finds out about the good inside of him."

Award of Excellence | High School Division | Timpview High PTSA, Utah

Music is not merely another form of self-expression; it is how we make sense of the world and come to realize our dreams and ambitions. It is how we look within ourselves and discover who we are. This is the case with my composition. Lullaby in Silver and Blue reflects my personal search for identity. Throughout the course of the piece, there are contrasting elements of both uncertainty and triumph, representing the difficult--though worthwhile-challenges that all of us will face as we search for our own identity

Award of Excellence | Middle School Division | Jay M. Robinson Middle School PTA, North Carolina

I saw a surfeit of dew on the plants and grass in my backyard. As I looked more closely, I noticed a reflection in a particular droplet. I saw a landscape with a light blue sky and fresh grass inside the droplet. This inspired me to see the big picture and to observe the little things more, not just in nature, but in life and in people, too.

Award of Merit | Middle School Division | Nautilus Middle School PTSA, Florida

There's always a light side and a dark side. My dark side is that I was diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis when I was 2 years old. My light side is that I have no serious problems and I can live a normal life which I am grateful for. When I look within, I see a girl full of kindness, caring for others and trying not to look into the dark side. I am hopeful that one day I will be cured. I am thankful for having such loving and supporting family.

Award of Excellence | Intermediate Division | Pine Tree Elementary PTA, New York

This poem was written to honor my grandfather who has Alzheimer's disease. I want everyone to realize that my love for him will never change and even though he is not acting like the same person, he will always have that heart of gold that he always had. All I have to do is to remember to Look within... and it is there inside.

Award of Excellence | High School Division | North Farmington High School, Michigan

One of my worst qualities is taking things for granted. I know I am so lucky to be living the life I am living, and I wanted Meditations to explore the power of being content. As I looked deep within myself to write this piece, I discovered that the more I gave to the music, the more it gave back to me. The music allowed me to teach myself a valuable lesson, and I hope it inspires you to look within yourself while you listen.

Award of Merit | High School Division | Issaquah High School PTSA, Washington

Only a fraction of this photograph portrays the real woman as most of it is her reflection. All sides of her are present yet a complete image of her is absent. She is submerged so deep within her own reality it is impossible for her to see outside of it. Sometimes we look too deeply within ourselves as we block out the big picture because excessive introspection prohibits us from looking at the situation as a whole and, it turn, worsens it. The image melts reality and fiction together, preventing one from distinguishing the real imagery from the reflection.

Award of Excellence | Intermediate Division | James Foster Elementary PTA, California

The girl in this dance by Sara Bareilles "She Used to Be Mine" is looking within to find the good in her instead of imperfections. As I choreographed this dance, I thought about the small movements being her imperfections and the big movements being the good parts.

Award of Excellence | Middle School Division | Laguna Road Elementary PTA, California

For pre-teens/teens like me, there are so many pressures on beauty and how you look. Looking through magazines and social media can be overwhelming. You just have to be confident, fearless, and look within and find the beauty within yourself. Music: Idontwannabeyou by: Eillie Eilish; MeToo by: Megan Trainor.

Award of Excellence | Middle School Division | Windy Ridge PTA, Florida

The topic "Look Within", inspired me to use my five senses to write about my interests and the daily influences that nourish my individuality.

Award of Merit | Middle School Division | Farmington STEAM Academy, Michigan

This is the dance of a girl who is not herself. She is trapped because of who she is, so in order to escape, she has to take out a part of herself. Over the course of the dance, she finds herself again, accepting herself as who she is. This relates to the theme because once she looks within and finds herself, she realizes that she has freed herself.

Award of Merit | High School Division | Rutherford HS PTA, New Jersey

"Mindfulness" is meant to represent a person's mind through thoughts and emotions. It starts with a calm opening, imitating a singletary thought one would have about looking back and reminiscing. The flurry of runs coming after representing multiple thoughts being conceived at once and creativity. The dep section following shows the darker and negative thoughts one would have and the stress/anxiety people deal with in life. That is then resolved with a more positive thought and hope. This piece is meant to spread the message that when we look within ourselves, we should be mindful of our mental health.

Award of Merit | Middle School Division | Charles B. Pearson Middle School PTA, Texas

I wrote about layers that piled up, and how we must try to search and look deeper, for a lot of times we just judge surface-level features, such as clothes, appearances, gender, and culture. We should actually try to find everyone's talents and qualities, and appreciate them for it.

Award of Excellence | Intermediate Division | Challenger PTA 2.6.6, Washington

In this poem, someone is upset and trying to hide it, but when her friend looks within, she can see, and is trying to help.

Award of Excellence | High School Division | WRBMS PTSA, New Hampshire

There are a lot of different metaphors and meanings in my piece, but it simply boils down to how a boy and a girl find the courage within to be better. The boy (blue), finds it in himself to see that the girl is hurting. (pink), while she finds the courage to tell the boy that he was hurting her. It takes a lot to admit that we are wrong, or to tell someone you care about that they are hurting you. But we all can find a spark of courage within, even when it is hard to be brave.

Award of Excellence | Primary Division | Anaheim Hills Elementary PTA, California

I choreographed a jazz dance called, "Brave." When I was starting to try out for Gym Team I was nervous if I would make the team or not. I asked myself, "Could I handle it?" I knew it was going to be a hard challenge. I had to look within myself to be brave, be strong, and believe in myself. I then knew I could do it! Because I looked within to fight the fear and to be BRAVE, I made the Gym Team!

Award of Excellence | Middle School Division | Dekalb School of the Arts PTA, Georgia

I chose the song "Heart Cry" by Drehz to perform a contemporary dance that brings to life how each day I take a "Look Within" my heart to show kindness, love, respect, compassion, and happiness for myself, my family, my friends, and everyone I meet. Although I experience bad days sometimes, my "heart cries" out and speaks to me with every beat, rhythm, sound, and motion and it tells me to keep pushing and growing no matter what challenges I face. I "Look Within" my heart to share my love and gift of dance to bless the lives of others.

Award of Excellence | High School Division | Northside High School PTA, Arkansas

The photo represents the different dimensions and views a person can have. The reflections of the model also showcase how people see one another when they look within. They are different facets to each person and this image depicts that.

Award of Merit | High School Division | Walton High School PTA, Georgia

From the perspective of a fish, I try to explain the constant subconscious fear and negativity I carry everywhere with me, forgetting the beautiful things life has provided for me. This process helped me realize that a part of looking within is not just looking at the positive and rather is being open about how I truly feel rather than how I am supposed to feel. Acknowledging our personal fears, stopping for a moment to be grateful and looking with positivity by giving ourselves a second chance by letting go of fear is what "looking within" truly means to me.

Award of Merit | Intermediate Division | Arcola Elementary PTA, Virginia

The first paragraph is about my sister who is average and was made fun of at school because of her looks. She is the most funny and spirited person ever. The second paragraph is about Owen who has cerebral palsy. He looked disabled when I first saw him in class but he was friendly and kind. He taught me to always smile and overcome challenges. The last paragraph is about my dad who teaches me nothing in impossible. These three people have taught me not to judge a book by its cover.

Award of Merit | Primary Division | Simpson Elementary PTA, Georgia

You look within this song so that you understand the wonderful world of books. Every book is unique just like us, and every time you stick your nose in a book your brain, your heart, bones, skin, cells, eyes, mouth and hands go in the book. Practically your whole body likes the book so much it wants in on the story. It falls in the book and does not listen or pay attention to anything else. And that's my reflections piece.

Award of Merit | High School Division | ALHS PTSA, Ohio

My free verse poem is about what I think when I look into a mirror. Now, I know it's 4 pages, but I wanted to describe everything in great detail. That poem is what I see in myself, so I thought it would be perfect for the theme. It works because this poem is about what, not only I see, but what my friends see in me. I poured my emotions out on the paper so I hope you enjoy it.

Award of Excellence | Primary Division | Roosevelt PTA, Oklahoma

As kids we all experience hurtful things, like when someone makes fun of you, embarrasses you, or is mean to you. Sometimes we see it happen to someone else and are too scared to stop it. My message with this dance is don't let anyone bring you down. Stand up for yourself and others. Be brave enough to speak up. Look inside your heart and find the courage to be strong and you will be proud of the person you are!

Award of Excellence | Intermediate Division | Congdon Park Elementary PTA, Minnesota

This poem tells about who I am on the inside and the outside. That is what look within means to me. It tells about where I am from, what I like to do, and what is most important to me.

Award of Merit | High School Division | William A. Hough High School PTA, North Carolina

I wrote "Falling" to describe my inner emotions when dealing with fears about the college process. Thinking about leaving my home and making decisions on my own that could impact the rest of my life was very daunting to me. Writing "Falling" allowed me to work through this anxiety and turn it into excitement. I know my family will always be there to support me on my journey. I now cannot wait to see what my future holds, and I know that nothing will stop me from accomplishing my goals. "Just watch me fly!"