***AWARDS CELEBRATION – MONDAY MARCH 23, 2026***
6:30 PM Reception, Student Art Exhibit, Refreshments
7:00 PM Presentation of Awards and Student Reading
All are welcome.
Where? Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Hoffman Health Conference Center
3330 Lomita Blvd. – turn South at Medical Center Drive stoplight. At the third stop sign, turn right for parking in the structure.
Congratulations to the 2025 winners!!!
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Since 2000 the Visions of Unity Contest has encouraged Torrance youth to reflect on their role in resolving critical community issues, to artistically express their unique ideas and ideals in a way that broadens minds and touches hearts, and to take initiative in enhancing unity among diverse groups within society.
Share your vision of unity, to inspire your peers, see your work published, earn a cash award, and receive public honor among leaders, elected officials, and community. Open only to high school students in Torrance, California.
The Visions of Unity contest was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, whose birthday comes on or near the contest’s deadline every year. NOW IN OUR 26th YEAR, the contest continues to engage youth, their families, community leaders, education providers, sponsors and donors in the power of artistic expression to cross cultural boundaries and forge new bonds as members of one human family, to explore ways individuals can work together to cultivate greater healing, harmony, and understanding within their communities.
Contest Categories
Literature: Poetry, Essay, and Short Story
Visual Arts: Drawing, Painting, Photography, Sculpture, and Computer Graphics
Enter the Contest
Read all the contest rules and guidelines to make sure your entry will be accepted. The Visions of Unity contest is open only to students attending the high schools in Torrance, California.
The contest entry form is available at https://visionsofunity.com/enter-the-contest (or click the “Enter the Contest” link at the top of the page).
Literature and art entries must be submitted on or by Monday February 2, 2026.
For painting and drawing submissions, please make sure to take a high-resolution image, free of obstructions. For 3D artwork, like sculptures, please submit pictures from multiple angles. If you need help properly photographing your art, visit How to Photograph Artwork or How to Photograph Your Art. Be sure your photographs are at least 300 dpi.
If your artwork is selected, it will be picked up from your school and displayed at the Visions of Unity event.
Students may submit no more than one entry in Literature and no more than one entry in Art. You can submit no more than one entry in each of those two categories.
Awards Celebration
All Literary contestants who place 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or Honorable Mention normally give verbal presentations of their works at the Visions of Unity Awards Celebration. This celebration is attended by students, parents, local elected officials, TUSD administrators, and community members who support the mission and students of Visions of Unity.
The Visions of Unity Awards Celebration will take place on March 23, 2026 at the Torrance Memorial Medical Center Hoffman Health Center. Attendance is strongly encouraged for winners to receive their prize checks. The reception with refreshments starts at 6:30pm. The ceremony begins promptly at 7:00pm.
Winning art entries will also be displayed in the Katy Geissert Civic Center Library showcase (if they fit on the 2′ high shelves) soon after the gala and will remain on display for a few weeks before they are returned to the artists.
Winners will also receive cash awards, thanks to the generosity of the sponsors below. Over the last 25 years, more than 1,000 students have received awards and over $125,000 in cash prizes.
Partners and Donors
The Human Relations Forum of Torrance, along with community partners, seeks to celebrate diversity, promote education and understanding while cultivating a sense of belonging for the diverse population of Torrance.
Community partners include: Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Volunteer Center South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach, Torrance Unified School District, and Palos Verdes Chapter of the Links, Inc.
Donors include:
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn
Congressman Ted Lieu and TUSD Board Member Betty Lieu
City of Torrance Cultural Arts Commission
Jean Adelsman
Teresa Langness
Ruth Vogel
Shirley E. Starke Wallace
Welch and Company Accountancy Corporation
Patricia Kromka
Palos Verdes Chapter of the Links, Inc.
Torrance Memorial Medical Center
Shirley and Chih-Ming Ho
Bahá’ís of Manhattan Beach
Patrice Lefevre
Kamy Akhavan
Heidi and Dan Ashcraft
Lea Ann King
US Congressman Ted Lieu
CA State Senator Ben Allen
CA Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi
LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn
THE WONDERFUL ALL-VOLUNTEER STAFF INCLUDES:
Torrance Unified School District Liaison: Betty Lieu, Terry Ragins
Special thanks to Torrance Memorial for their generous support in providing, among other things, the use of the Hoffman Health Center, AV services and refreshments.
Questions? Contact us at [email protected]
2025 winners are on display at the Torrance main library
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