1999-2000 ESSAY
CONTEST
and
SINGER ACTIVITY
OPEN TO HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS
EVERY SCHOOL ENTERING TEN OR MORE QUALIFYING PAPERS BECOMES AN AUTOMATIC WINNER
SUBJECT:
THE ROLE OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE
IN OUR COMMUNITIES TODAY.
First Prize =
$100
Second
Prize = $ 7 5
Third Prize = $ 25
Consider
How we might decrease current divorce rates.
How we might arrange our communities so that one-parent can assume the role of a full time home-maker if he or she desires to do so.
How we might get members of the community to trade the antagonism they often feel towards government at all levels into a feeling of cooperation and appreciation.
How we might realistically reduce taxes.
How we might help non-profits target their resources to the real needs in a community.
How we might help non-profits attract new resources and maximize existing resources.
How we might help contributors of time and money maximize their contributions.
How we might help volunteers find jobs that are worthy of their efforts and abilities.
How we might help get non-profits to collaborate rather than compete with one another to stop wasteful duplications.
How we might encourage members of the youngest and the oldest generations to participate in efforts to improve the quality of life in their communities.
How we might relieve the heavy economic burden of the middle generation who are carrying the government as well as the younger and older generations on their backs.
How we might equalize economic opportunities in a society where the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.
How we might infuse character and values in our communities.
How we might provide employers and institutions of higher learning with employees and students who do not need thousands of dollars worth of remedial education.
How we might prepare students for the work place and help them to make good career choices.
How we might remove the fear and disdain that many members of the oldest and youngest generation feel towards one another.
How we might give the unemployed, and those now employed in low-skill jobs, more opportunities to advance in the work place.
Should government provide social services? Why or why not? Can you think of an alternative?
The prizes will be awarded to at least three essays at every school that enters ten or more qualifying papers.
The prizes will be awarded at the discretion of the Singer Foundation. The judging will be based on how well the rules were followed, thoughtfulness and a zeal for pursuing the subject as evidenced by the work submitted. Schools entering fewer than ten students, or papers that are too short or do not abide by other rules, will not qualify for prizes. Please consult the rules.
All participants will receive certificates. Excerpts from qualifying essays, will be published in a book and offered to the 535 members of congress, the press and other officials around the country.
Papers may be emailed to contest@singerfoundation.org anytime before February 15, 2000 to be assured the school is represented in the book which will be published in the spring of 2000. Later entries will be accepted, but without that assurance.
Please follow the links to the Required Reading and the Questions that must be answered before beginning your essay.
Rules
Submittals should have a cover page with the title of the essay, school name, student's name, date, grade, age, class, teacher, school phone and fax numbers.
Papers must be accompanied by answers to the questions relevant to the required reading.
All quotations used in essays must be noted and cited at the end of the work. The only notation in the body of the paper should be quotation marks. No quote should exceed four sentences.
All essays must be typed into a computer (English only) double spaced, checked for grammatical and spelling errors and be no less than 750 words nor more than 1,000 words in length. Do not send print copies.
Excerpts from the essays will be posted on the Foundation web site as they are read. Entries will not be returned, and upon submittal become the property of The Harry Singer Foundation.
If you have
questions: email staff@singerfoundation.org.
phone (831) 625-4223, fax 624-7994