Brampton - Student-operated organization ACCESS Charity has launched a new initiative for local elementary school students.

ACCESS Charity Student Contests are focused on the value of education. The purpose of the contest is to help ACCESS Charity raise awareness about the importance of education in the developing world, to improve ACCESS Charity's connection to local schools, and to educate Canadian youth about issues children face around the world as well as helping them to value school.

The Student Contests are available to students at select elementary schools in Peel.

Students are asked to express the importance of education by creating a painting, drawing, or collage, or by writing a paragraph or poem.

The current categories are grades 3-5 and 6-8, however upon approval younger students are also welcome to participate.

There will be a first-place winner selected in each of the two age categories, and multiple runner-ups will also be selected. All winning and selected entries will be published on TheBramptonNews.com, Brampton.com, and on the ACCESS Charity website (www.accesscharity.ca/).

There are nearly 20 prizes available, including an iPod Nano and Pizza Lunch for the winning student's class.

The deadline for the ACCESS Charity Student Contest is May 15, 2008.

If your elementary school would like to participate in the current Student Contest, please contact ACCESS Charity by emailing contests@accesscharity.ca as soon as possible. Full details are available on the website, www.accesscharity.ca/contests.htm.

In addition to raising awareness and educating Canadian youth, the goal of ACCESS Charity is to provide needy children in the developing world with school uniforms and necessary supplies, so that they have the opportunity to obtain the education required to find decent employment and support their families. The Student Contest, supporting the overall approach of ACCESS Charity, promotes the fact that education is of utmost importance around the world and its valued should be appreciated.