Following the untimely and tragic passing of Meghna Mahapatra, daughter of Santosh and Lipika Mahapatra, in a road accident on November 5, 2005, the Michigan Chapter of the Orissa Society of the Americas (OSA) established the Meghna Memorial Fund, managed by the Meghna Memorial Trust. This initiative was made possible through the generous contributions of many individuals, including Meghna’s parents.

To honor Meghna’s memory and celebrate her creative spirit, the Meghna Memorial Award for Creative Writing was instituted in 2007.

Article Submission Guidelines:

1. Entries are invited from children of OSA members in the following two age categories:

• Junior Award: For children aged 7 to 12 years
• Senior Award: For children aged 13 to 18 years

2. Criteria for Recognition: Submissions will be judged based on exceptional creativity and quality of writing by an expert panel of judges.
3. The format and style are open-ended. Entries may include poems, short stories, letters, travelogues, or personal reflections.
4. Submissions are welcome in both Odia and English.

• English articles must be submitted in Word document format using Arial font, font size 12, single-spaced, with 1-inch margins on all sides. Maximum length: 4 pages. No page numbers.
• Odia articles should be typed using Odiphon, Aprant, or the Google Unicode Input Tool at https://www.google.com/inputtools/try/ (select “Oriya"). If using other Odia software, convert to Unicode using https://goo.gl/KzQFaW. Compose the final version in MS Word and upload. Please review spelling and grammar before submission.

5. Eligibility: All children of Odia origin residing in North America (USA and Canada), aged 7 to 18 years, are eligible to participate. OSA membership is not mandatory at the time of nomination.
6. The winner in each category will be recognized during the OSA 56th Convention. Winners will receive a certificate, a check for $150, and a copy of the souvenir issue featuring their article.
7. Nomination Process: Submissions may be sent by children or their parents. All articles submitted by youth members to the souvenir will automatically be considered for the Meghna Memorial Award; a separate submission is not required.
8. Each entry must include the author’s photograph and full postal address. No additional description is needed.
9. File Naming Convention:

   FirstnameLastname_ArticleTitleShort_LanguageType_Meghna_OSA2025.doc

   Example:
   JohnDoe_OdishaTemples_EnglishEssay_Meghna_OSA2025.doc

10. Author Details: Each submission should include the following information:

• Name and School Grade
• Age
• Photograph
• Hobbies, Passions, and Future Goals
• Parent’s Name(s)
• Postal Address – City, State, and Country (only the State will be published for privacy)
• Email ID (will remain confidential, not published)
• Phone Number (will remain confidential, not published)

11. Note for Odia Articles: Please use Odiphon, Aprant, or Google Unicode Input Tool at https://www.google.com/inputtools/try/ (select “Oriya"). If using any other Odia software, convert the text to Unicode using https://goo.gl/KzQFaW. Compose the final article in MS Word and ensure spelling and grammar checks before submitting.
12. Please send your article to souvenir2025@osaconventions.org with the subject as OSA Annual Souvenir Urmi Submission – Meghna Memorial.
13. Last Date for Submission: April 28, 2025 (Monday). This deadline is Final and no extensions will be granted. Please submit your entries well in advance.
14. Important: If you do not receive an acknowledgement within 3 days of submission, kindly contact the editorial team at Souvenir Team Contact Form.