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Click here to download the Contest poster so that you can print it for display. And click here to download the Contest Theme and Rules in a Word document.
23rd ANNUAL LANCASTER COUNTY PEACE ESSAY CONTEST Administered in 2007 by East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church With the support of Lancaster Interchurch Peace Witness 2007 Topic: “Strategies for Peace in the School Environment” Eligibility: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, high school students attending public and private school Divisions: Division I – Grades 9 and 10 Division II – Grades 11 and 12 Awards: First Place in each Division - $250 Second Place in each Division - $125 Third Place in each Division - $75 Contest Rules: 1. Essays must be between 700 and 1200 words long. 2. Students are encouraged to include stories and personal experiences as well as strategies of conflict prevention and conflict resolution. While the theme emphasizes strategies for peacemaking in the school environment, the essays should apply the strategies to specific situations with which the students are familiar. Please refer to “Context for the 2007 Theme” below for further details about the contest theme. 3. The essay must be submitted typewritten and double-spaced, printed only on one side of 8.5” x 11” paper. 4. The title must appear in bold letters on the first page of the essay and in the header of all subsequent pages. Pages should be consecutively numbered. 5. Do not write your name on the essay. Instead, on a 3x5 index card, write your name, address, telephone number, school, grade, and the name of the teacher or other person who advised you for this contest. Also include your word count. Attach the card to your essay with a paper clip. 6. You must do original work. However, you may ask a teacher, parent or friend for constructive criticism. Acknowledge in footnotes/endnotes all quotations, borrowed ideas, and sources of facts that are not general knowledge. Footnotes/endnotes are not to be counted as part of the length of the essay. 7. All submitted essays become the property of the Lancaster County Peace Essay Contest and will not be returned to the contestants. 8. All entries must be postmarked no later than April 30, 2007. 9. Essays must be submitted in English. Essays written in any other language may be translated into English by someone other than the author. The name of the translator should be listed on the 3x5 index card accompanying the essay. 10. Winners of the contest agree to give East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church the right to publish their essays. 11. Entries should be submitted to:
Lancaster County Peace Essay Contest c/o East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church 432-34 East Chestnut Street Lancaster, PA 17602 A distinguished panel of local educators, writers and members of the community interested in peacemaking will judge the essays on originality, thoughtfulness, and clarity of expression. The decisions of these judges are final. Awards will be made without regard to the race, color, gender, national or ethnic origin, or religious affiliation of the contest entrants. In mid May, 2007, the winners of the contest will be notified by telephone. The winners will also be announced in the Lancaster newspapers. Prizes will be presented at an awards ceremony, the date of which will be announced. All participants, sponsoring teachers, parents, friends and community members are invited to attend. First-prize winners will be invited to read their essays aloud to the audience at this ceremony. The Lancaster County Peace Essay Contest was started in 1981 by the Lancaster Friends Meeting (Quakers) to encourage young people to think about peace and peacemaking. Over the years, many congregations have taken responsibility for organizing and running this nonsectarian contest. This year, the responsibility for the contest has been assumed by East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church. The church is honored to join with the Friends and Lancaster Interchurch Peace Witness to offer Lancaster County high school students a way to explore how they can become agents of peace in today’s world. East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church wishes to acknowledge the role generous community businesses and individuals have played in making this contest possible. A list of donors will be printed in the Awards Ceremony program. Context for 2007 Theme The school shootings widely publicized in 2006 increased concerns about safety in our schools. Aside from these dramatic incidents of violence, there are many daily, more routine opportunities for youth to think about peace, security, and respect in our schools. This year's Peace Essay Contest invites high school students to offer creative strategies to build a culture of peace in the school environment, and to consider their own role in resolving the potentially violent situations they may encounter. We encourage essayists to consider the broad range of activities that surround their school experience, including the classroom, the cafeteria, the sports field, band events, field trips, special interest clubs, as well as after school activities with school friends. What are the types of violence (physical/verbal/emotional) and unhealthy conflict that youth experience in these settings? What are the root causes of this violence? What do youth see as potential pathways or strategies towards peace in these situations? We encourage youth to think both in terms of pro-active policies and activities that create healthy relationships within the school community, as well as processes for intervention and restoration when conflict turns violent or causes harm. |
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