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Deadline: 15 May 2012

To foster the study and appreciation of Jane Austen, JASNA conducts an annual student Essay Contest, with support generously provided by the Sonia Raiziss Giop Charitable Foundation.

Students interested in the life and works of Jane Austen are encouraged to enter. The Essay Contest is open to students world-wide at the high school, college/university, and post-graduate levels of study. Entrants do not need to be members of JASNA. Students must be enrolled full-time or part-time in coursework during one or more semesters/quarters of the contest year. Home-schooled students at the high school level are also eligible. Part-time is defined for the college/university level as a minimum of six credit hours and for the post-graduate level as a minimum of three credit hours.

2012 Essay Contest

The 2012 Essay Contest topic aligns with the JASNA Annual General Meeting theme, “Sex, Money and Power in Jane Austen’s Fiction”:

How do sex, money, and power enable characters in Austen's novels to manipulate each other, and what forms of resistance are there to that manipulation? Consider no more than two of Austen’s novels or other major works and analyze the modes of manipulation, whether successful or unsuccessful.

Essay Contest Awards

JASNA awards scholarships to the winners in each of three categories: High School, College/University, and Post-Graduate.

First Place

• One year’s membership in JASNA for both the winner and his or her mentor
• $1000 scholarship
• Free registration and two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in New York [Note: Transportation to New York is not provided.]
• Recognition at the AGM and on the JASNA web site
• Publication of the essay on JASNA’s web site
• One of Jane Austen’s novels

• One year’s membership in JASNA for both the winner and his or her mentor
• $500 scholarship
• Free registration and two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in New York [Note: Transportation to New York is not provided.]
• Recognition at the AGM and on the JASNA web site
• Publication of the essay on JASNA’s web site
• One of Jane Austen’s novels

• One year’s membership in JASNA for both the winner and his or her mentor
• $250 scholarship
• Free registration and two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in New York [Note: Transportation to New York is not provided.]
• Recognition at the AGM and on the JASNA web site
• Publication of the essay on JASNA’s web site
• One of Jane Austen’s novels

The judges value original insights and clear, correct writing. Essays should be directed to a well-informed general audience of JASNA members rather than to a strictly academic audience. Essays should be based primarily on the students’ own observations, with adequate support from the Jane Austen work(s) under discussion. Since JASNA members are very familiar with Jane Austen’s works, plot summary is unnecessary.

Essays written for coursework may be submitted. If research is used as support, students should rely on no more than five sources and should avoid academic terminology unless terms are clearly defined in the body of the essay.

Reading previous winning essays will give entrants a very good idea of the sort of essay JASNA is seeking. Answers to frequently-asked questions are also available on this site.

Contest Rules

• Entries must be submitted with the official Essay Contest entry form. Click on this link to view the form in Microsoft Word and save it to your computer to fill out.
• The student must complete the above entry form, which includes a stipulation that the essay is the student’s original work and has not been published elsewhere.
• Entries may include a statement about the student’s mentor; however, a mentor statement is not required.
• Entries must be e-mailed on or before May 15, 2012.
• Contest judging is conducted anonymously. Personal information about the student, school, and mentor must appear ONLY on the entry form and not in the essay.

• The essay must be written in English.
• The essay must be 6-8 pages in length, not including the Works Cited page.
• The title of the essay should appear at the top of page one; further pages should be numbered on the top right; the student’s name must not appear on the essay.
• The essay must be in MLA format (double-spaced and in 12 point type throughout, with one-inch margins on all sides of each page).
• The essay must use MLA documentation, including a Works Cited page and parenthetical end notes. Note that source material which is directly quoted as well as that which is paraphrased or summarized must be cited. Note also that quotes from the Jane Austen work under discussion should be cited.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: Please review the Essay Contest FAQs. If you still have questions, contact Eric Nye at eric.nye@jasna.org. You must use “JASNA Essay Contest” in your subject line.

For submissions: Your essay must be submitted via e-mail. Submissions must be sent as attachments to an e-mail message labeled “JASNA Essay Contest Entry.” Send the following attachments as separate documents in Microsoft Word format: (1) the completed entry form and (2) the essay. Send the entry to essay-contest@jasna.org. (Note: this e-mail address is solely for essay contest administration and may not be used for questions or other correspondence with JASNA.)

Website: http://www.jasna.org/

Deadline: 15 May 2012

To foster the study and appreciation of Jane Austen, JASNA conducts an annual student Essay Contest, with support generously provided by the Sonia Raiziss Giop Charitable Foundation.

Students interested in the life and works of Jane Austen are encouraged to enter. The Essay Contest is open to students world-wide at the high school, college/university, and post-graduate levels of study. Entrants do not need to be members of JASNA. Students must be enrolled full-time or part-time in coursework during one or more semesters/quarters of the contest year. Home-schooled students at the high school level are also eligible. Part-time is defined for the college/university level as a minimum of six credit hours and for the post-graduate level as a minimum of three credit hours.

2012 Essay Contest

The 2012 Essay Contest topic aligns with the JASNA Annual General Meeting theme, “Sex, Money and Power in Jane Austen’s Fiction”:

How do sex, money, and power enable characters in Austen's novels to manipulate each other, and what forms of resistance are there to that manipulation? Consider no more than two of Austen’s novels or other major works and analyze the modes of manipulation, whether successful or unsuccessful.

Essay Contest Awards

JASNA awards scholarships to the winners in each of three categories: High School, College/University, and Post-Graduate.

First Place

• One year’s membership in JASNA for both the winner and his or her mentor
• $1000 scholarship
• Free registration and two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in New York [Note: Transportation to New York is not provided.]
• Recognition at the AGM and on the JASNA web site
• Publication of the essay on JASNA’s web site
• One of Jane Austen’s novels

• One year’s membership in JASNA for both the winner and his or her mentor
• $500 scholarship
• Free registration and two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in New York [Note: Transportation to New York is not provided.]
• Recognition at the AGM and on the JASNA web site
• Publication of the essay on JASNA’s web site
• One of Jane Austen’s novels

• One year’s membership in JASNA for both the winner and his or her mentor
• $250 scholarship
• Free registration and two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in New York [Note: Transportation to New York is not provided.]
• Recognition at the AGM and on the JASNA web site
• Publication of the essay on JASNA’s web site
• One of Jane Austen’s novels

The judges value original insights and clear, correct writing. Essays should be directed to a well-informed general audience of JASNA members rather than to a strictly academic audience. Essays should be based primarily on the students’ own observations, with adequate support from the Jane Austen work(s) under discussion. Since JASNA members are very familiar with Jane Austen’s works, plot summary is unnecessary.

Essays written for coursework may be submitted. If research is used as support, students should rely on no more than five sources and should avoid academic terminology unless terms are clearly defined in the body of the essay.

Reading previous winning essays will give entrants a very good idea of the sort of essay JASNA is seeking. Answers to frequently-asked questions are also available on this site.

Contest Rules

• Entries must be submitted with the official Essay Contest entry form. Click on this link to view the form in Microsoft Word and save it to your computer to fill out.
• The student must complete the above entry form, which includes a stipulation that the essay is the student’s original work and has not been published elsewhere.
• Entries may include a statement about the student’s mentor; however, a mentor statement is not required.
• Entries must be e-mailed on or before May 15, 2012.
• Contest judging is conducted anonymously. Personal information about the student, school, and mentor must appear ONLY on the entry form and not in the essay.

• The essay must be written in English.
• The essay must be 6-8 pages in length, not including the Works Cited page.
• The title of the essay should appear at the top of page one; further pages should be numbered on the top right; the student’s name must not appear on the essay.
• The essay must be in MLA format (double-spaced and in 12 point type throughout, with one-inch margins on all sides of each page).
• The essay must use MLA documentation, including a Works Cited page and parenthetical end notes. Note that source material which is directly quoted as well as that which is paraphrased or summarized must be cited. Note also that quotes from the Jane Austen work under discussion should be cited.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: Please review the Essay Contest FAQs. If you still have questions, contact Eric Nye at eric.nye@jasna.org. You must use “JASNA Essay Contest” in your subject line.

For submissions: Your essay must be submitted via e-mail. Submissions must be sent as attachments to an e-mail message labeled “JASNA Essay Contest Entry.” Send the following attachments as separate documents in Microsoft Word format: (1) the completed entry form and (2) the essay. Send the entry to essay-contest@jasna.org. (Note: this e-mail address is solely for essay contest administration and may not be used for questions or other correspondence with JASNA.)

Website: http://www.jasna.org/

Deadline: 31 May 2012

Afruca Foundation Nigeria invites JSS and SSS students in Ogun state to participate in its second essay writing competition in the three categories described below as part of its activities to promote the rights of children in Nigeria. The theme for this year’s competition is “prevention of child s3xual abuse”.

Competition start date: Tuesday 1 May 2012

Closing date for submission: 5pm Thursday 31st May 2012 (essays submitted after this date will not be considered)

CATEGORY ONE: ESSAY COMPETITION FOR JSS STUDENTS

Title: It is the Duty of Parents to Ensure their Children are Protected from Sexual Abuse. What Must They Do?

800 word essay competition opened to JSS1 to JSS3 students

Prizes:

• Best Essay –a brand new laptop and 10,000 naira cash prize
• Second Best Essay –25,000 naira cash prize and a collection of books
• Third Best Essay - 20,000 naira cash prize and a collection of books

Title: The Growing Problem of Sexual Abuse in Nigeria is an infringement of the Rights of Children. What is the Role of Government in Addressing it?

800 word essay competition opened to SSS1 to SSS3 students

Prizes

• Best Essay –A brand new laptop and 15,000 naira cash prize
• Second Best Essay - 35,000 naira cash prize and a collection of books
• Third Best Essay - 30,000 naira cash prize and a collection of books

This category is being sponsored by the NigerianWomen In Diaspora Leadership Forum, a UK based NGO to encourage young girls who are interested in leadership positions. The two SSS and JSS winners in this category will receive the following prizes as well as opportunities to undergo work experience with highly placed women leaders to serve as their mentors. Candidates can submit an Essay in Category Three as well as in each of Category One or Two.

Title: The Growing Problem of the Rape of Women in Nigeria is Alarming: What Must Society Do To Address It?

Prizes

• Best SSS essay: 25,000 naira cash prize
• Best JSS essay: 20,000 naira cash prize

ELIGIBILITY

You are eligible to enter the Competition if you are a JSS or SSS student studying in OGUN STATE ONLY. a)You must have the permission of a parent or legal guardian to enter the Competition. b)

You are NOT eligible to participate if you are (i)a family member (siblings, children, and grandchildren) of one of AFRUCA's Employees, Members or Sponsors and Judges of this Competition; (ii) an individual living in the same household as one of AFRUCA's Employees, Members or Sponsors and Judges involved in the Competition.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

You must be the only author of your Essay, and your Essay must be no longer than Eight hundred (800) words. Any Essay submitted as an Entry written by two or more authors or longer than 800 words will not be eligible. Your Essay must: (a) be your original creation; (b) be in the English language

You may only submit one Entry per category. If you submit more than one Entry, the first Entry that we receive will be the judged Entry, and any subsequent Entries you submit will be void and disregarded.

Candidates may submit Entries in each of Category One OR Two AND Category Three.

DEADLINE

All entries must reach us at AFRUCA by 5pm on 31st May 2012. Please ensure your essay is clearly marked with your full name, school, email address and phone number. You must submit your essay to us by EMAIL ONLY at info@afrucanigeria.org. Entries received after 5pm on 31st MAY 2012 will not be considered.

REQUIREMENTS FOR WINNERS.

We will notify all Winners by e-mailand telephone ONLY. Please check your emails regularly for this purpose. You will be required to produce a Letter of Identification from your School Principal and any additional documents we believe are necessary to confirm your eligibility as a bonafide student of a Secondary School in Ogun State.

If such documentation is not provided by the specified date you will be disqualified from the Competition and the entrant submitting the Essay with the next highest score may be named as the Winner (“Alternate Winner”) to replace the original Winner. If notification to a Winner or Alternate Winner is returned as undeliverable, we may award the Prize to the next Alternate Winner.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries/ submissions: info@afrucanigeria.org

Website: http://www.afrucanigeria.org/

Deadline: 31 May 2012

Afruca Foundation Nigeria invites JSS and SSS students in Ogun state to participate in its second essay writing competition in the three categories described below as part of its activities to promote the rights of children in Nigeria. The theme for this year’s competition is “prevention of child s3xual abuse”.

Competition start date: Tuesday 1 May 2012

Closing date for submission: 5pm Thursday 31st May 2012 (essays submitted after this date will not be considered)

CATEGORY ONE: ESSAY COMPETITION FOR JSS STUDENTS

Title: It is the Duty of Parents to Ensure their Children are Protected from Sexual Abuse. What Must They Do?

800 word essay competition opened to JSS1 to JSS3 students

Prizes:

• Best Essay –a brand new laptop and 10,000 naira cash prize
• Second Best Essay –25,000 naira cash prize and a collection of books
• Third Best Essay - 20,000 naira cash prize and a collection of books

Title: The Growing Problem of Sexual Abuse in Nigeria is an infringement of the Rights of Children. What is the Role of Government in Addressing it?

800 word essay competition opened to SSS1 to SSS3 students

Prizes

• Best Essay –A brand new laptop and 15,000 naira cash prize
• Second Best Essay - 35,000 naira cash prize and a collection of books
• Third Best Essay - 30,000 naira cash prize and a collection of books

This category is being sponsored by the NigerianWomen In Diaspora Leadership Forum, a UK based NGO to encourage young girls who are interested in leadership positions. The two SSS and JSS winners in this category will receive the following prizes as well as opportunities to undergo work experience with highly placed women leaders to serve as their mentors. Candidates can submit an Essay in Category Three as well as in each of Category One or Two.

Title: The Growing Problem of the Rape of Women in Nigeria is Alarming: What Must Society Do To Address It?

Prizes

• Best SSS essay: 25,000 naira cash prize
• Best JSS essay: 20,000 naira cash prize

ELIGIBILITY

You are eligible to enter the Competition if you are a JSS or SSS student studying in OGUN STATE ONLY. a)You must have the permission of a parent or legal guardian to enter the Competition. b)

You are NOT eligible to participate if you are (i)a family member (siblings, children, and grandchildren) of one of AFRUCA's Employees, Members or Sponsors and Judges of this Competition; (ii) an individual living in the same household as one of AFRUCA's Employees, Members or Sponsors and Judges involved in the Competition.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

You must be the only author of your Essay, and your Essay must be no longer than Eight hundred (800) words. Any Essay submitted as an Entry written by two or more authors or longer than 800 words will not be eligible. Your Essay must: (a) be your original creation; (b) be in the English language

You may only submit one Entry per category. If you submit more than one Entry, the first Entry that we receive will be the judged Entry, and any subsequent Entries you submit will be void and disregarded.

Candidates may submit Entries in each of Category One OR Two AND Category Three.

DEADLINE

All entries must reach us at AFRUCA by 5pm on 31st May 2012. Please ensure your essay is clearly marked with your full name, school, email address and phone number. You must submit your essay to us by EMAIL ONLY at info@afrucanigeria.org. Entries received after 5pm on 31st MAY 2012 will not be considered.

REQUIREMENTS FOR WINNERS.

We will notify all Winners by e-mailand telephone ONLY. Please check your emails regularly for this purpose. You will be required to produce a Letter of Identification from your School Principal and any additional documents we believe are necessary to confirm your eligibility as a bonafide student of a Secondary School in Ogun State.

If such documentation is not provided by the specified date you will be disqualified from the Competition and the entrant submitting the Essay with the next highest score may be named as the Winner (“Alternate Winner”) to replace the original Winner. If notification to a Winner or Alternate Winner is returned as undeliverable, we may award the Prize to the next Alternate Winner.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For enquiries/ submissions: info@afrucanigeria.org

Website: http://www.afrucanigeria.org/

Deadline: 15 July 2012

World Energy Forum is pleased to announce the 2012 International Energy Essay Contest. As a mission-driven movement, World Energy Forum is dedicated both to educate and campaign for long-term energy solutions by encouraging global conversations on pivotal energy issues.

Since 2012 has been declared by the United Nations General Assembly as "International Year of Sustainable Energy for All" the International Energy Essay Contest calls upon university students from around the world to participate in the movement towards an energy-secure future by presenting their thoughts on how this can be achieved.

Through this contest, World Energy Forum hopes to provide a platform for students from different backgrounds with an opportunity to share and expand their unique understanding of the worldwide urgency that must be recognized for important changes toward a safe, accessible, and sustainable energy future.

The winners of the essay contest will receive a number of prizes, including the opportunity to discuss their creative approaches for solving the world's present energy problems at the World Energy Forum's annual high-level energy conference. This year's conference, entitled World Energy Forum 2012: Safe, Accessible, Sustainable - Energy for All, will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, October 22-24, 2012.

ESSAY TOPIC

All eligible students can participate in the contest by writing a letter in the form of an essay to the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and share their views on the topic: "Sustainable Energy for All - Vision, Reality and Solutions."

Essays should be written and submitted according to the guidelines below.

ESSAY GUIDELINES:

• The essay should be written in English
• The essay should contain between 1500 and 2000 words (not including bibliography and citations). Please cite your word count at the end of the essay.
• The essay should be typed and double-spaced.
• The essay should include a coversheet including: first and last name, telephone number, email address and university name
• Students must produce their own work, using information from other sources where appropriate.
• All references should appear as endnotes. Do not use footnotes.
• Information used for research that is not cited in the essay should be listed in a bibliography page at the end.

• Participants must be currently enrolled as a student working towards any degree program (eg. B.A., B.S., M.A., M.S., M.B.A., M.Ed., Ph.D.)
• Participants' applications must receive a recommendation from a current professor in their field of study
• We encourage students of all backgrounds and ability to participate.

Submit your essay, either:

• Online at www.worldenergyforum2012.org in Word or PDF format, or
• As an email attachment, along with a completed entry form to the following address: essaycontest@worldenergyforum2012.org. The subject line of the email should read: "International Energy Essay Contest 2012"
• Please save your essay as follows:
• First & Last Name_ University (eg. John Smith _University of Richmond)
• All entries must be received by July 15th, 2012.
• Under no circumstances will late submissions be accepted.

All eligible essay submissions received by June 15th, 2012 will be reviewed in-house. 10 finalists will be selected for review by a qualified panel including energy experts from:

• The United Nations
• The World Bank
• Academia
• Leading energy companies

• The student's understanding of the issue
• The student's analysis and reasoning
• Quality and use of research
• Originality and creativity in treatment of the topic
• Clarity and effectiveness of writing and organization

PRIZES:

• First Place: $5,000 cash prize (Essay will be sent to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon)
• Second Place: $3,000 cash prize
• Third Place: $2,000 cash prize

• Airfare and accommodation to Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Waived registration fee ($800) to attend The World Energy Forum 2012
• Opportunity to be a speaker in The World Energy Forum 2012 session titled: Students for Sustainable Energy
• Publication of essay

DISCLAIMER:

By participating, applicants accept and understand the essay guidelines and agree to the decisions made by the judges; and to release, discharge and hold harmless World Energy Forum and its officers and directors from all claims arising from their participation in the contest.

Download: application form

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For submissions: via the online submissions form here or send the application form and your essay to essaycontest@worldenergyforum2012.org

Website: http://worldenergyforum2012.org

Deadline: 1 May 2012

Oakseed Ministries International is proud to announce their seventh annual international essay contest for youth on the topic: Compassion and the Illiterate Child. Students are invited to explore the issues facing child illiteracy and to offer innovative ideas to help these children.

2012 Contest Topic is "Compassion and the Illiterate Child". The deadline for the essay contest is May 1, 2012. First place, second place, and honorable mention prizes will be awarded for the amounts of $1,000, $500, and $250. The two age categories are 17 & under and 18-22. The winner will be notified in June 2012 and winning essays will be posted on our website. Submissions will be accepted starting December 1, 2011.

GUIDELINES

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

To be eligible to submit an essay, students must meet the age requirements as of May 2, 2012. You may submit only ONE essay.

Age Categories

• 17 & under: 5,000 characters or less ( 1000 words in length).
• 18 – 22: 7,500 characters or less ( 1500 words in length).

• The essay must be an original, unpublished work.
• Essays may be written in the formal or informal voice, but most importantly, an individual perspective should be present within the essay.
• Sources are to be cited in the text. Do not use footnotes or endnotes. You do not need to provide a bibliography.

Essays may be written in the formal or informal voice, but most importantly, an individual perspective should be present within the essay.

Sources are to be cited in the text. Do not use footnotes or endnotes. You do not need to provide a bibliography.

Essays should be typed in 12-point font, double-spaced with 1″ margins. On the lower right corner of your last page enter your word count. Your name must not appear on the essay pages, only on the cover sheet.

Entries that do not meet these submission guidelines will be automatically disqualified. Entries will not be returned. All entries must be postmarked by May 1, 2012.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

$1,000 will be awarded to the author of the best essay in each age category. Second place essays will receive a $500 award and Honorable mention will receive a $250 award. The winners will be notified in June 2012 and the winning essays posted on the Internet at http://essay.oakseed.org.

ESSAY EVALUATION CRITERIA

Each essay should:

• Demonstrate a clear understanding of the issues surrounding child illiteracy and its implications on society.
• Show the author has personally wrestled with the nature and character of compassion.
• Demonstrate the student’s own serious reflection on the current and future problems of child illiteracy.
• Be focused and well-reasoned.
• Use correct spelling and grammar.

• Awareness of the problem (1/3 total score): Demonstrate knowledge and depth of understanding about the issue from your research.
• Quality of analysis (1/3 total score): Develop your own perspective on the issue. This perspective should be reflected in your analysis of and your personal response to the issue.
• Style and mechanics (1/3 total score): Use proper spelling and grammar. Your response to the topic should be clear and original.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE SUBMISSIONS

Essays may also be submitted in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Korean, Swahili, Japanese, and Chinese. See www.oakseed.org/essay for submission guidelines and information on other languages.

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR ESSAY ONLINE

To submit your essay online, visit http://essay.oakseed.org for more information and the submission form. All submitted essays must be either in a .pdf or .doc format.

Privacy: Personal Information Form provided by entrants will be used by Oakseed Ministries for contest purposes only and will not be shared or used for solicitation purposes.

RECEIPT DEADLINE

Essays must be submitted by 11:59pm EST on May 1, 2012.

ESSAY CONTEST TOPICS

Choose one topic and write an essay exploring the specific area, keeping in mind the backdrop of compassion.

• Survey the problem of illiteracy among poor children. Which countries have the highest children’s illiteracy rates and why? What countries are effectively dealing with this issue and how?
• What is the most effective way to teach children to read? Compare and contrast the “look and say” method and the “intensive, systematic phonics first” method. Is either effective, or is there a better method for teaching children to read?
• Many disorders hamper development of reading skills. Discuss the different learning disabilities. What are the causes of these disabilities; biological factors or the learning environment? What methods help each disability most effectively?
• Illiteracy and crime. Select 2-3 countries or American cities and compare the illiteracy and crime rates. Discuss efforts to promote literacy in high-crime areas and what involvement you could have with them.
• Illiteracy, culture, and the internet/mass media. How do both cultural norms and modern day technology contribute to the pandemic of illiteracy? What are solutions to this problem?
• Economic impact of illiteracy for the family, the community, and nations. Is there a relationship between illiteracy and poverty? Is literacy a basic human right of a child? Discuss how children’s literacy should be included in the economic plan of a nation.
• What are outstanding examples of literacy development among children? Choose three individuals, organizations, or government agencies that have focused on this area. Describe their methods and list the major results. Is there a way for you to exercise compassion by helping one of these?

For submissions: use the essay contest submission form here

Website: http://oakseed.org

Deadline: 30 September 2012

All high school students and international equivalents are invited to participate in the first annual International Science Essay Competition sponsored by the Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science. Students may submit an essay about the recent effects and future promises of science in our society. Write about particular discoveries, events, or persons from science in current events or present a more general account of the changes and developments

The author of the winning essay will receive a $150 monetary award and have their winning essay published in the Fall 2012 print issue of Journal. In addition, three runner-ups will be selected. The winning and runner-up essays will be featured on the Journal website at http://dujs.dartmouth.edu/. The winner and the runner-ups will receive a certificate and a print copy of the Fall 2012 issue of the Journal.

Students must submit their essays and entry forms electronically on or before the contest deadline of September 30th, 2012. Please send any and all questions to dujs@dartmouth.edu with the subject line “DUJS ISEC QUESTION.”

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

All high school students and international equivalents are invited to submit an essay about the recent effects and future promises of science in our society.

Write about particular discoveries, events, or persons from science in current events or present a more general account of the changes and developments.

Each essay must be accompanied by a statement of acknowledged validity by a teacher in the field of the sciences, technology, engineering or mathematics.

Students must submit their essays and entry forms electronically on or before the contest deadline of September 30th, 2012.

Students who have family members affiliated with the Journal, or serving as contest judges are not eligible to participate.

AWARDS

The author of the winning essay will receive a $150 monetary award in addition to having their winning essay published in the Fall 2012 print issue of Journal. In addition, three runner-ups will be selected. The winning and runner-up essayswill be featured on the Journal website at http://dujs.dartmouth.edu/. The winner and the runner-ups will receive a certificate and a print copy of the Fall 2012 issue of the Journal.

CONTEST REGULATIONS

All essays must comply with the following contest rules before submission:

• No literary form other than an essay will be accepted.

• Each essay must reflect the contestant's own research, writing and original thinking.

• Each contestant may submit only one (1) essay.

• Each contestant must complete, scan, and attach a student entry form

• Teachers must verify and sign the verification of authenticity on the student entry form.

• The essay is limited to 1500 – 2000 words, 12-point font, doublespaced, Times New Roman, numbered pages with one-inch margins. The title page and works cited sections are not included in the word count.

• Each essay must include a title page, not counted towards the 1500-2000 word limit, with the following information:

• Essay title
• Author's name
• Author’s grade
• Author’s email
• Name of school
• School address
• School telephone number
• Total number of pages of essay (excluding references and title)
• Name of supervising teacher
• Email of supervising teacher

• References should be included and clearly identified.

• Any references and citations used must follow the Science Guidelines, which can be found at http://www.sciencemag.org/site/feature/contribinfo/prep/res/refs.xhtml

• If you have chemical structures in your article, please take note of the American Chemical Society (ACS)’s specifications of the diagrams.

• Name submission in the following format: ISEC_LastName_Topic.docx (Example: ISEC_Johnson_ScienceandSociety.docx)

• The essay must be sent via e-mail to dujs@dartmouth.edu with the subject line “DUJS ISEC SUBMISSION.”

• The Student Entry Form should be scanned and saved as a .pdf, .jpeg, or .png file. It must be attached to the email in conjunction with the essay.

• Entries must be received on or before September 30th, 2012.

• The authors retain all rights to their original work, with the exception that they grant the Journal the exclusive right to publish their work in print and online. Articles may not be reproduced elsewhere without the permission of the Journal.

• The Journal will not consider work that has been previously published or is under review for publication by another publication. In addition, work submitted to the Journal for consideration may not be concurrently submitted to another publication.

JUDGING

The Journal editorial staff will judge the essays using five criteria, including comprehension, organization, conclusions, creativity, and writing. All winners and their sponsoring teachers will be notified by email on or before October 31st, 2012.

Download: submission form

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries: send any and all questions to dujs@dartmouth.edu with the subject line
“DUJS ISEC QUESTION”

For submissions: send entries to dujs@dartmouth.edu with the subject line “DUJS ISEC SUBMISSION"

Website: http://dujs.dartmouth.edu/

Deadline: 30 June 2012

This competition is organized by SM Sains Alam Shah (Alam Shah Science School), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (ASiS) and aims to encourage young writers to express their thoughts and views on a given theme in both prose and poetry.

THE ORGANISER: SM Sains Alam Shah (Alam Shah Science School), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (ASiS).

THEME: Patriotism: A Global Perspective

Topic for the Essay Writing Section: John F. Kennedy said Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. Discuss this statement in the light of your own country. See format, rules, and regulations below.

Topic for the Poetry Writing Section: There is no specific topic for this section but candidates are required to write a poem on the theme of patriotism. See format, rules, and regulations below.

CALENDAR 2012

• 09 March 2012 – Launch of the Essay and Poetry Writing Competition
• 30 June 2012 – Deadline for submissions.
• 01 July – 31 August 2012 – Processing of all entries
• 15 September 2012 – The 30 shortlisted participants from both sections will be announced on the website
• 15 September – 15 October 2012 – Judging the final entries
• 15 October 2012 – The top three award winning entries and the next seven best entries (consolation) for both the essay and poetry writing sections will be announced on the website
• 24 October 2012 – Closing and Prize Giving.

The feeling of patriotism or love for one’s country is the duty of every citizen of a nation. A nation’s progress or failure rests to a great extent on its citizens. Besides being law abiding, citizens can contribute in many ways to his or her nation. For example if a citizen is honest and free from corrupt practices, then he or she is a patriot. Patriotism is one valuable asset any country can benefit from.

The ASiS International Essay and Poetry Writing Competition 2012 (AIWC) would like to hear the views of school students worldwide on the efforts undertaken to promote patriotism and love for one’s country. In this respect, prospective participants of the essay writing section are required to:

• Give a clear cut definition of the issue at hand.
• Give your perceptions of the situation in your respective countries.
• Outline the roles of the government, non-governmental organizations, and the people in efforts to instil love for the country.
• Focus on one or more programmes designed to instil patriotic values among the citizens of your country.

• How have current efforts in your country to instil love for the country helped in preserving peace and harmony?
• How do you perceive the long term benefits of patriotic values to your country and the world at large?
• What concrete actions would you recommend to ensure the continued love for your country by her citizens?

We encourage you to draw on your personal experiences when possible and focus on providing your own creative solutions to ensure the inculcation of patriotic values among the citizens of your country and its long term benefits, both in prose and poetry forms.

PRIZES

ESSAY WRITING SECTION

• First Prize – US$300.00 and a certificate of participation.
• Second Prize – US$200.00 and a certificate of participation.
• Third Prize – US$100.00 and a certificate of participation.
• Seven consolation prizes of US$50.00 and certificates of participation.

• First Prize – US$300.00 and a certificate of participation.
• Second Prize – US$200.00 and a certificate of participation.
• Third Prize – US$100.00 and a certificate of participation.
• Seven consolation prizes of US$50.00 and certificates of participation

A. General

1. All work must be submitted by individuals, group work is not allowed.

2. One participant may submit only one work.

3. All submissions must be submitted together with the official entry form which is available online.

B. Format, rules and regulations.

(i) Essay Writing Section

1. Your essay must be not longer than 3,000 words.

2. Essays are accepted only on MS Word Document, using Arial, font size 12.

3. Submissions will be accepted until 30 June 2012.

4. This essay writing competition is open for school students only from ALL countries of the world. Participants must be between the ages of 15-18 on 30 June 2012.

5. All essays must be in English.

6. Submissions must be sent via email to aiwc2012@asiskl.org and must be together with the official entry form (AIWC2012 – PARTICIPATION). Please also include your postal / mailing address.

7. Please fill in your name in the official entry form only. Do not include your name in the body of the essay.

8. Participants must provide the names of their respective schools as well as websites when submitting their entries.

9. Each essay must be accompanied by a short summary (maximum 200 words). The summary will be used by the jury to make a pre-selection.

10. Quotes and references must be clearly marked throughout the essay and properly cited.

11. All submissions must be original. No previously published material will be accepted. Any form of plagiarism will result in automatic disqualification.

12. The Organizer reserves the right to publish and / to make available to the public the winning submissions.

13. The decision of the jury is final and is not subject to an appeal.

A Note on Submissions

Please name your files appropriately so that the organiser can retrieve them easily. When submitting an essay entry, you may send it as follows: “AIWC 2012 (essay) – John Brown”. When you submit the official entry form, it is better to name it “AIWC-2012-PARTICIPATION- (essay) – John Brown”. Do not use different names or codes as these can be confusing. When naming poem entries, the procedure is the same, except the word “poetry” should be stated in brackets.

(ii) Poetry Writing Section

1. Your poem can be in any form but must have a minimum of 20 lines.

2. Poems are accepted only on MS Word Document, using Arial, font size 12.

3. Submissions will be accepted until 30 June 2012.

4. This essay and poetry writing competition is open for school students only from ALL countries of the world. Participants must be between the ages of 15-18 on 30 June 2012.

5. All poems must be in English.

6. Submissions must be sent via email to aiwc2012@asiskl.org and must be together with the official entry form (AIWC2012 – PARTICIPATION). Please also include your postal / mailing address.

7. Please fill in your name in the official entry form only. Do not include your name in the body of the poem.

8. Participants must provide the names of their respective schools as well as websites when submitting their entries.

9. All submissions must be original. No previously published material will be accepted. Any form of plagiarism will result in automatic disqualification.

10. The Organizer reserves the right to publish and / to make available to the public the winning submissions.

11. The decision of the jury is final and is not subject to an appeal.

FAQ – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. What is the deadline for submissions? The deadline for submissions for both sections is 30 June 2012. Work submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

2. How do I submit? The submission process is very simple. Essays and poems are submitted on MS Word (Arial, font size 12) via email. No other format is allowed.

3. Who is eligible to participate? This essay and poetry writing competition is open to school students of all countries. College and university students are not eligible to participate.

4. I am just under 15 or just over 18 – can I still participate? This competition is intended only for school students between 15 – 18 years of age. If you are between these ages on 30 June 2012, you are eligible. No exceptions will be granted. If you are 18 years and 1 day on that date, you are still eligible, so long as you don’t reach 19 years. Those who are 14 years and 11 months will not be considered as you have not reached 15.

5. In what language shall I submit my work? This essay can only be written in English.

6. Am I allowed to include graphs, tables, or diagrams in my essay? Yes, you are welcome (but not obliged to) to include the mentioned. The content will not count into the total number of words in your essay. Please make sure you explain what each graph, table, or diagram represents.

7. What is the summary of the essay? You are asked to write a summary to go with your essay, which cannot exceed 200 words. The summary should explain the aim, the methodology, the reasoning and main conclusion of your essay. The summary is important, as pre-selection of the essays will be based on the assessment of these only. This means that a good essay without a summary or a poorly written summary will not be graded highly.

8. What are the evaluation criteria for the essay submissions? Essays will be graded for their structure and coherence, originality and creativity and the use of thoughtful and concrete proposals / examples.

9. Do I need to address all questions? Yes, you need to address all questions in your essay.

10. Can my poem be less than 20 lines? The minimum number of lines for the poetry section is 20 lines and no exceptions will be made.

Download: official entry form

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: aiwc2012@asiskl.org

Website: http://www.asiskl.org/

Deadline: 30 July 2011

The US Embassy cultural affairs section is pleased to announce an Arabic language essay contest for young Egyptian people beginning July 8th.

This I Believe, is an international organization engaging people in writing and sharing essays describing the core values that guide their daily lives. More than 90.000 of these essays, written by people from all walks of life, are archived on this link, heard on public radio, chronicled through books, and featured in weekly podcasts. The project is based on the popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow.

Beyond reflecting on and developing one’s own beliefs, This I Believe encourages “people to begin the . . . difficult task of developing respect for beliefs different from their own.” Example essays include: “I Believe in the Power to Forget”, “I Believe in Laughter”, and “I Believe in Being Cool to the Pizza Delivery Dude”.

We invite you to write you own "This I Believe" essay in Arabic. We will be holding a contest for the This I Believe essays. We hope you will consider writing your own personal belief statement!

Overview:

Are you interested in participating?

The contest will begin July 8th and end July 30th.

Write a short essay in Arabic (350-500 words). Reflect on the values and beliefs that drive you in your daily life. We encourage you to avoiding an opinion piece on a public issue and look beyond religion and politics in writing your essays. The essay should tell a story that ties to the forming of you core beliefs and the guiding principles by which you live.

Submission: Please submit your essay to this address on our webpage thisIbelieve@state.gov

All contest entries must be in written form and must adhere to the essay-writing guidelines. Please include your date of birth, education and profession.

Examples: For examples of essays, please see "This I Believe" examples page here.

Contest Winners: Contest winners will be invited to present their essays at a This I Believe event night at three different places:

- Diwan Heliopolis on August 7 No age limit

- Sawy Cultural Wheel on August 8 No age limit

- Maadi Public Library from 13:00 to 15:00 on August 9 for writers aged 13-18

The Embassy will contact the winners to notify them with the details of the event.

Essay Guidelines

We invite you to contribute to this project by writing and submitting your own statement of personal belief. We understand how challenging this is—it requires such intimacy that no one else can do it for you. To guide you through this process, we offer these suggestions:

Tell a story: Be specific. Take your belief out of the ether and ground it in the events of your life. Consider moments when belief was formed or tested or changed. Think of your own experience, work, and family, and tell of the things you know that no one else does. Your story need not be heart-warming or gut-wrenching—it can even be funny—but it should be real. Make sure your story ties to the essence of your daily life philosophy and the shaping of your beliefs.

Be brief: Your statement should be between 350 and 500 words. That’s about three minutes when read aloud at your natural pace.

Name your belief: If you can’t name it in a sentence or two, your essay might not be about belief. Also, rather than writing a list, consider focusing on one core belief, because three minutes is a very short time.

Be positive: Please avoid preaching or editorializing. Tell us what you do believe, not what you don’t believe. Make your essay about you; speak in the first person.

Be personal: Write in words and phrases that are comfortable for you to speak. We recommend you read your essay aloud to yourself several times, and each time edit it and simplify it until you find the words, tone, and story that truly echo your belief and the way you speak.”

All contest entries must be in written form and must adhere to the following guidelines:

· Limit your essay to approximately 500 words.

· Tell a story that illustrates how your personal belief was shaped.

· Refrain from writing a political/religious opinion piece or an editorial on a current event.

· Please no hate speech or discriminatory language in your essay.

· Tell us what you do believe, not what you don’t believe.

· Read and follow our essay-writing guidelines (link to the Essay Guidelines page).

· Proofread your essay carefully before submitting it.

By submitting an essay you affirm that this essay is original to you and that the essay does not violate the rights, copyrights, or privacy of any third party.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: lindsay.anglin@provost.gatech.edu or dana.hartley@carnegie.gatech.edu

For submissions: click here (submissions to open July 8th)

Website: http://www.thisibelieve.gatech.edu

Deadline: 15 October 2011

Timeline 2011

August 1, 2011: Launch of the Essay Contest

October 15, 2011: Deadline for submissions

Week of December 5, 2011: Finalists announced

January 5 – 6, 2012: Final Jury in Washington, DC

January 6, 2012: Award Ceremony during the Symposium on Morocco and the Morocco-Western Sahara (SMWS) in Washington, DC

Jury

The Essay Contest is designed and implemented by the American Task Force on the Western Sahara in partnership with outstanding academic institutions who form the Selection Committee

The role of the Selection Committee is to determine the topic and format of the contest and to ensure a fair and transparent process of selecting winners.

Selection Criteria

Essays will be assessed for their structure, coherence, creativity, level of documentation, and relevance to the topic. We realize that English might be a foreign language to some participants, and so language mistakes will not penalized, as long as the content is comprehensible. Selection process: the Jury will complete their selections of 8 finalists by the week of December 5. Submissions will be blind-reviewed

Essay finalists will be invited to present their essays to a panel of experts during the Final Jury. The winner(s) will present their work to the participants of SMWS 2012 in Washington, DC.

Topic

The issue of the Western Sahara requires more careful examination, and ATFWS is dedicated to promoting more awareness towards the issue. The ATFWS Essay Contest gives you the chance to express your views on the issue of the Moroccan/Western Sahara, whether the Moroccan Autonomy Plan is a viable solution, and what the ramifications of the conflict’s resolution would be. Make sure your essay has a clear and concise thesis statement.

Here are some guiding questions to address:

1) Would the resolution of the Western Sahara conflict make a difference in the North Africa and Middle East region?

2) Discuss the Moroccan Autonomy Plan. How will it help solve the dispute?

3) In what ways would the conflict matter for the United States, the African Union, the European Union, or NATO?

In writing this essay, we encourage you to draw on historical fact, documentation, and personal experience and emphasize your own solutions for a fair and lasting resolution of the conflict.

Who can participate?

The ATFWS Essay Contest is open to all students, as well as non-students from all countries of the world

Length: Essays may not be longer than 3500 words. Essays are accepted in .pdf and .doc formats only.

Abstract Summary: An Abstract Summary of not more than 300 words is required; the jury will use the summary to make a pre-selection.

How do you submit?

The submission process for the Essay Contest is internet-based.

Please fill in a submission form to admin@atfws.org with your essay attached

Cash Prizes: First Place $500 – Second Place $300 – Third Place $200

Rules

- Submissions will be accepted until October 15, 2011.

- The Essay Contest is open for nationals of all countries of the world, students and non-students alike.

- Essays may not be longer than 4000 words.

- Essays can only be in English and submitted online. Essays are submitted to the Essay Contest website of the ATFWS website. Each participant must fill in a submission form with the essay

- Throughout the essay, quotes and references must be clearly marked and properly cited.

- All essays must be original. No previously published material will be accepted. Any plagiarism will result in automatic disqualification.

- Essays are accepted in .doc and .pdf format only.

- ATFWS reserves the right to publish and/or make available to the public all winning submissions.

- The decision of the Jury is final and not subject to any appeal.

- Active and paid staff (between the time of the essay submission and the Final Jury in December 2011) of the 2011 Essay Contest are not eligible to participate.

- It is preferred that all work be submitted individually, but a pair collaboration will be accepted.

- One participant may submit only one work per category.

- All submissions must be made online through the Essay Contest page on the ATFWS website.

Submissions can be made in English only.

Please direct any questions you may have about the ATFWS Essay Contest to admin@atfws.org

Contact Information:

For inquiries: admin@atfws.org

For submissions: admin@atfws.org

Website: http://www.atfws.org/

Deadline: 15 November 2012

Lions clubs around the world are encouraged to sponsor students in the Lions International Essay Contest. This contest was created to offer an opportunity to visually impaired young people to express their feelings of peace.

The theme of the 2012-13 Lions International Essay Contest is "Imagine Peace." Students who are visually impaired and who are ages 11, 12 or 13 on November 15, are eligible to participate.

Work with your fellow Lions, local schools and area families to identify young people who are interested in participating and who could benefit from this program. One grand prize winner will receive an award and US$5,000.

ESSAY CONTEST GUIDELINES

Essays are to be no longer than 500 words in length, submitted in English, type-written in black ink and double-spaced. Each essay is to be submitted with a completed entry form, through your local Lions Club.

The contest is open to students who are considered visually impaired according to their national guidelines and will be 11, 12 or 13 years of age on November 15, 2012. One grand prize winner will receive an award and US$5,000.

THE CONTEST THEME IS “IMAGINE PEACE.”

• Only a Lions club can sponsor the contest. The contest may be sponsored in a local school(s) or organized, sponsored youth group(s), or individuals may be sponsored as well. A Lioness club can sponsor the contest through its sponsoring Lions club.

• Essays must be no longer than 500 words in length, submitted in English, type-written in black ink and double-spaced.

• Each essay must be submitted with a completed entry form. Essays submitted without completed entry forms will be automatically disqualified.

• Only one entry per student per year, and each entry must be the work of only one student.

• Essay entries cannot have already been published.

• Any essays found to be plagiarized will be automatically disqualified and the student will be prohibited from entering any future Lions competitions.

DEADLINES

November 15 Postmark deadline for a club to send one winning essay to the district governor. Note: A participating club should notify its district governor in advance of sending an entry.

December 1 Postmark deadline for a club not belonging to a district to send one winning entry directly to the Public Relations Department at Lions Clubs International.

December 1 Postmark deadline for a district to send one winning essay to the multiple district council chairperson is December 1. A district not belonging to a multiple district must send its entries directly to the Public Relations Department at Lions Clubs International (postmarked by
December 1).

December 15 Postmark deadline for a multiple district to send one winning essay to the Public Relations Department at Lions Clubs International.

February 1 International grand prize winner will be notified on or before this date.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Participants accept all responsibility for late, lost, misdirected or illegible entries. Entries sent with insufficient postage will be disqualified. Entries cannot be acknowledged or returned;
they become property of Lions Clubs International upon receipt. Essays cannot be published without written permission from Lions Clubs International. However, sponsoring clubs, districts and multiple districts have permission to publish their sponsored essays. In consideration for the opportunity to enter the Lions International Essay Contest, participants agree to allow
Lions Clubs International to use their names, photographs and essays for promotional and publicity purposes. An international grand-prize winner is not eligible to receive subsequent prizes in future Lions International Essay Contests. By entering, participants agree to be bound by these rules and the decisions of the judges and Lions Clubs International. Lions Clubs International may cancel the contest without notice at any time. The contest is void where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law.

Download the entry form here.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: pr@lionsclubs.org

For submissions: essays should be sent to Essay Contest, Public Relations Department, Lions Clubs International, 300 W. 22nd Street, Oak Brook, IL 60523-8842; fax at 630-571-1685; or e-mail to pr@lionsclubs.org (the words “Lions Essay Contest” must appear in the Subject Line of the e-mail)

Website: http://www.lionsclubs.org

Deadline: 27 May 2012

This annual contest comes from a 1951 Langston Hughes poem: What Happens to a Dream Deferred?. Just as the poem helped propel the civil rights movement in the U.S., today it can inspire your dream deferred for the Middle East. The contest has two parts: one for Middle Eastern youth and one for American youth. Please answer one of the questions below - but first make sure to read the rules & guidelines. Winning essays - selected by a panel of celebrity judges - receive $10,000 in prizes.

$10,000 IN PRIZES:

• $2,000 for 1 grand prize winner each in Mideast & U.S.
• $1,500 for 1 second place winner in each region
• $500 for 3 runners-up in each region
• 50 book prizes for additional outstanding essays.

Your Story: How does civil rights abuse in your local community impact you? Share a defining moment where you experienced civil rights restrictions (censorship, discrimination, etc.). How did this incident change you? Will your children's generation still face such repression?

Freedom: Given the historic changes in the Mideast over the past year, do you feel more or less free? Reflect on changes in the region and in your local community. Explain, with examples, whether you enjoy greater rights today than a year ago. Do you expect to be more free a year from now?

In the Streets: If you participated in grassroots protests against repression during the past year, why did you join and what did you learn? Describe in vivid detail what you experienced, as well as how your life - and your attitude on individual rights - has changed. What challenges remain now?

Advocacy: How can individual rights be secured in the Mideast’s new reality? Dictators may have fallen, yet individual rights remain fragile. What can you do to protect the rights of vulnerable members in your local community (women, minorities, etc.). Propose a concrete action plan.

Dream: What is your “dream deferred”: a vision of your society with civil rights for all? Share your dream of a civil rights movement in your community. If you like, write a mock newspaper article from the future reporting on the effort.

Film Fest: In 2008, an essay contest winner organized the first-ever Cairo Human Rights Film Festival. When authorities blocked theatres from hosting screening, she held the opening on a Nile River boat. Be inspired and share your vision for a similar festival in your community: What films will you show? How will you overcome obstacles?

Viral Video: You have been given $1,000 to make a short video (1-4 mins) about individual rights in your society. Share the script, which can expose repression, showcase a campaign or dream of a better future. Bonus: Make the film and provide a YouTube link.

RULES FOR THE "DREAM DEFERRED ESSAY CONTEST"

Check out the Guide to Writing a Good Essay, which includes helpful tips for each question.

Who can enter the contest?

Entrants must be 25 years old or younger as of the contest deadline: May 27, 2012. Entrants must reside in Arab League member states, Iran, Afghanistan, or the United States. There is no minimum age requirement, and entrants do not need to be students. Prizes are awarded as cash, not scholarships.

Foreign Students: If you are a foreigner currently studying in the US, you can enter the contest. If you are a Middle Easterner studying in the US, answer one of the questions posed to Middle Easterners. If you are a citizen of the Middle East temporarily living outside the region, you can still enter the contest. If you are an American currently living overseas, you can enter the contest.

Equal Opportunity: All essays are evaluated without regard for race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation of the author, as well as other classifications protected by applicable international US laws.

How long should entries be?

Essays should be at least 600 words, but no longer than 1,500 words. Footnotes, citations, and essay title do not count towards the word limit.

Can an essay entry remain anonymous?

If do not want your name made public in the event your essay is selected as a winner, check the "anonymous" box when submitting your essay. Several past winners have chosen this option.

When will AIC announce the winners?

Winners will be notified (and announced on our web site) by Summer 2012. Judges evaluate each essay for clarity, creativity, and persuasiveness to determine prize winners.

What are common mistakes to avoid when writing an essay?

Do not focus on US government policy and regional geo-politics (the Iraq War debate, the Arab-Israeli-Iranian conflict, Iran's nuclear program, etc.). Essays based on these topics are disqualified. Judges are looking for essays that explore what ordinary citizens can do on the grassroots level to strengthen individual rights within Middle Eastern societies. These civil rights include, but are not limited to, free expression, women's equality, minority rights, religious freedom, economic liberty, and artistic freedom. Check out the Guide to Writing a Good Essay, which includes helpful tips for each question.

How can a brief essay cover the broad topic of civil rights in the Mideast?

There are several ways to address this challenge. Past prize winners have discussed the larger problem of civil rights abuses across the Middle East with a range of examples. Others have focused on one particular country (Middle Eastern participants are strongly encouraged to address their own society). Others have focused on a particular kind of civil rights abuse (e.g., press censorship). There is no one "right" answer to any of the essay questions. Check out the Guide to Writing a Good Essay, which includes helpful tips for each question.

Do essays have to be original and does AIC retain the right to reprint essays?

Yes and yes. Makes sure any quotations or outside intellectual material have citations. All essay submissions become the property of the contest's sponsor: the American Islamic Congress. At the same time, entrants can republish their essay on their own (e.g., on a blog, for a class paper, etc.) and use ideas for other writing.

2012 CELEBRITY JUDGES FOR "DREAM DEFERRED ESSAY CONTEST"

Amber Lyon

Amber Lyon is a three-time Emmy award-winning journalist and correspondent for CNN, where she helps produce investigative reports and documentaries. She covered the Bahraini nonviolent movement on the ground, and was attacked by Bahraini police. Since then she has become one of the most cited American journalists on the struggle for civil rights in Bahrain.

Ahmed Benchemsi

Benchemsi co-founded Morocco's groundbreaking and best-selling weekly magazines TelQuel and Nichane, which made international headlines with taboo-busting cover stories on the salary of Morocco's king, opinion polls, free speech and more. Benchemsi has been recognized for his pioneering journalism with fellowships at the Los Angeles Times and Newsweek. At the same time, he faced on-going legal intimidation and recently left Morocco to serve as a fellow at Stanford University.

Marietje Schaake

Marietje Schaake is a Dutch politician who has served as a member of the European Parliament since July 2009. The Wall Street Journal identified her as “The Most Wired Politician in Europe”. She has introduced numerous resolutions and inquiries to support the civil rights movement in the Mideast and North Africa before and after the Arab uprisings.

Parisa Montazaran

Parisa Montazaran is the first Muslim to appear on the MTV hit show The Real World. A first-generation Iranian-American, this reality TV star is currently lecturing at universities on diversity, Muslim youth in America, cross-cultural and inter-faith understanding, and female/minority empowerment. Parisa hopes to leverage her freedom in the US to promote change back home in Iran.

Jane Novak

Jane Novak is a leading player in the Yemeni struggle for reform, press freedom, and women equality - and she does it all from her New Jersey home. This stay-at-home mother first became interested in Yemen in 2004 when she learned about the imprisonment of journalist Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani. Novak began to publicize his case on her blog and launched a petition calling for al-Khaiwani’s release. The petition soon garnered 1,000 signatures, and Novak was profiled in the New York Times.

Nasser Weddady

The son of an ambassador, Weddady grew up throughout the Middle East and witnessed firsthand the toll of civil rights repression. As an adult he became an outspoken human rights activist and had to flee to the US as a refugee in 2000. A few days after September 11, he was mistakenly detained by the FBI. Today, he organizes workshops for Middle Eastern activists and helps lead campaigns to free dissidents. He is the co-editor of "Arab Spring Dreams," a new anthology featuring outstanding writing from this essay contest.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For submissions: submit your essay online here

Website: http://www.aicongress.org/

Deadline: 27 May 2012

This annual contest comes from a 1951 Langston Hughes poem: What Happens to a Dream Deferred?. Just as the poem helped propel the civil rights movement in the U.S., today it can inspire your dream deferred for the Middle East. The contest has two parts: one for Middle Eastern youth and one for American youth. Please answer one of the questions below - but first make sure to read the rules & guidelines. Winning essays - selected by a panel of celebrity judges - receive $10,000 in prizes.

$10,000 IN PRIZES:

• $2,000 for 1 grand prize winner each in Mideast & U.S.
• $1,500 for 1 second place winner in each region
• $500 for 3 runners-up in each region
• 50 book prizes for additional outstanding essays.

Your Story: How does civil rights abuse in your local community impact you? Share a defining moment where you experienced civil rights restrictions (censorship, discrimination, etc.). How did this incident change you? Will your children's generation still face such repression?

Freedom: Given the historic changes in the Mideast over the past year, do you feel more or less free? Reflect on changes in the region and in your local community. Explain, with examples, whether you enjoy greater rights today than a year ago. Do you expect to be more free a year from now?

In the Streets: If you participated in grassroots protests against repression during the past year, why did you join and what did you learn? Describe in vivid detail what you experienced, as well as how your life - and your attitude on individual rights - has changed. What challenges remain now?

Advocacy: How can individual rights be secured in the Mideast’s new reality? Dictators may have fallen, yet individual rights remain fragile. What can you do to protect the rights of vulnerable members in your local community (women, minorities, etc.). Propose a concrete action plan.

Dream: What is your “dream deferred”: a vision of your society with civil rights for all? Share your dream of a civil rights movement in your community. If you like, write a mock newspaper article from the future reporting on the effort.

Film Fest: In 2008, an essay contest winner organized the first-ever Cairo Human Rights Film Festival. When authorities blocked theatres from hosting screening, she held the opening on a Nile River boat. Be inspired and share your vision for a similar festival in your community: What films will you show? How will you overcome obstacles?

Viral Video: You have been given $1,000 to make a short video (1-4 mins) about individual rights in your society. Share the script, which can expose repression, showcase a campaign or dream of a better future. Bonus: Make the film and provide a YouTube link.

RULES FOR THE "DREAM DEFERRED ESSAY CONTEST"

Check out the Guide to Writing a Good Essay, which includes helpful tips for each question.

Who can enter the contest?

Entrants must be 25 years old or younger as of the contest deadline: May 27, 2012. Entrants must reside in Arab League member states, Iran, Afghanistan, or the United States. There is no minimum age requirement, and entrants do not need to be students. Prizes are awarded as cash, not scholarships.

Foreign Students: If you are a foreigner currently studying in the US, you can enter the contest. If you are a Middle Easterner studying in the US, answer one of the questions posed to Middle Easterners. If you are a citizen of the Middle East temporarily living outside the region, you can still enter the contest. If you are an American currently living overseas, you can enter the contest.

Equal Opportunity: All essays are evaluated without regard for race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation of the author, as well as other classifications protected by applicable international US laws.

How long should entries be?

Essays should be at least 600 words, but no longer than 1,500 words. Footnotes, citations, and essay title do not count towards the word limit.

Can an essay entry remain anonymous?

If do not want your name made public in the event your essay is selected as a winner, check the "anonymous" box when submitting your essay. Several past winners have chosen this option.

When will AIC announce the winners?

Winners will be notified (and announced on our web site) by Summer 2012. Judges evaluate each essay for clarity, creativity, and persuasiveness to determine prize winners.

What are common mistakes to avoid when writing an essay?

Do not focus on US government policy and regional geo-politics (the Iraq War debate, the Arab-Israeli-Iranian conflict, Iran's nuclear program, etc.). Essays based on these topics are disqualified. Judges are looking for essays that explore what ordinary citizens can do on the grassroots level to strengthen individual rights within Middle Eastern societies. These civil rights include, but are not limited to, free expression, women's equality, minority rights, religious freedom, economic liberty, and artistic freedom. Check out the Guide to Writing a Good Essay, which includes helpful tips for each question.

How can a brief essay cover the broad topic of civil rights in the Mideast?

There are several ways to address this challenge. Past prize winners have discussed the larger problem of civil rights abuses across the Middle East with a range of examples. Others have focused on one particular country (Middle Eastern participants are strongly encouraged to address their own society). Others have focused on a particular kind of civil rights abuse (e.g., press censorship). There is no one "right" answer to any of the essay questions. Check out the Guide to Writing a Good Essay, which includes helpful tips for each question.

Do essays have to be original and does AIC retain the right to reprint essays?

Yes and yes. Makes sure any quotations or outside intellectual material have citations. All essay submissions become the property of the contest's sponsor: the American Islamic Congress. At the same time, entrants can republish their essay on their own (e.g., on a blog, for a class paper, etc.) and use ideas for other writing.

2012 CELEBRITY JUDGES FOR "DREAM DEFERRED ESSAY CONTEST"

Amber Lyon

Amber Lyon is a three-time Emmy award-winning journalist and correspondent for CNN, where she helps produce investigative reports and documentaries. She covered the Bahraini nonviolent movement on the ground, and was attacked by Bahraini police. Since then she has become one of the most cited American journalists on the struggle for civil rights in Bahrain.

Ahmed Benchemsi

Benchemsi co-founded Morocco's groundbreaking and best-selling weekly magazines TelQuel and Nichane, which made international headlines with taboo-busting cover stories on the salary of Morocco's king, opinion polls, free speech and more. Benchemsi has been recognized for his pioneering journalism with fellowships at the Los Angeles Times and Newsweek. At the same time, he faced on-going legal intimidation and recently left Morocco to serve as a fellow at Stanford University.

Marietje Schaake

Marietje Schaake is a Dutch politician who has served as a member of the European Parliament since July 2009. The Wall Street Journal identified her as “The Most Wired Politician in Europe”. She has introduced numerous resolutions and inquiries to support the civil rights movement in the Mideast and North Africa before and after the Arab uprisings.

Parisa Montazaran

Parisa Montazaran is the first Muslim to appear on the MTV hit show The Real World. A first-generation Iranian-American, this reality TV star is currently lecturing at universities on diversity, Muslim youth in America, cross-cultural and inter-faith understanding, and female/minority empowerment. Parisa hopes to leverage her freedom in the US to promote change back home in Iran.

Jane Novak

Jane Novak is a leading player in the Yemeni struggle for reform, press freedom, and women equality - and she does it all from her New Jersey home. This stay-at-home mother first became interested in Yemen in 2004 when she learned about the imprisonment of journalist Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani. Novak began to publicize his case on her blog and launched a petition calling for al-Khaiwani’s release. The petition soon garnered 1,000 signatures, and Novak was profiled in the New York Times.

Nasser Weddady

The son of an ambassador, Weddady grew up throughout the Middle East and witnessed firsthand the toll of civil rights repression. As an adult he became an outspoken human rights activist and had to flee to the US as a refugee in 2000. A few days after September 11, he was mistakenly detained by the FBI. Today, he organizes workshops for Middle Eastern activists and helps lead campaigns to free dissidents. He is the co-editor of "Arab Spring Dreams," a new anthology featuring outstanding writing from this essay contest.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For submissions: submit your essay online here

Website: http://www.aicongress.org/

Deadline: 15 November 2011

Lions clubs around the world are encouraged to sponsor students in the Lions International Essay Contest. This contest was created to offer an opportunity to visually impaired young people to express their feelings of peace. The theme of the 2011-12 Lions International Essay Contest is “Children Know Peace.” Students who are visually impaired and who are ages 11, 12 or 13 on November 15, are eligible to participate.

Work with your fellow Lions, local schools and area families to identify young people who are interested in participating and who could benefit from this program. One grand prize winner will receive an award and US$5,000.

Contest Guidelines

Contest is open to students who are considered visually impaired according to their national guidelines and will be 11, 12 or 13 years of age on November 15, 2011.

Only a Lions club can sponsor the contest. The contest may be sponsored in a local school(s) or organized, sponsored youth group(s), or individuals may be sponsored as well. A Lioness club can sponsor the contest through its sponsoring Lions club.

The contest theme is “Children Know Peace.”

Essays must be no longer than 500 words in length, submitted in English, type-written in black ink and double-spaced.

Each essay must be submitted with a completed entry form. Essays submitted without completed entry forms will be automatically disqualified.

Only one entry per student per year, and each entry must be the work of only one student.

Essay entries cannot have already been published.

Any essays found to be plagiarized will be automatically disqualified and the student will be prohibited from entering any future Lions competitions.

One grand prize winner will receive an award and US$5,000. The winner will be notified by February 1.

The postmark deadline for a club to send one winning essay to the district governor is November 15.

Note: A participating club should notify its district governor in advance of sending an entry.

A club not belonging to a district must send its entry directly to the Public Relations Department at Lions

Clubs International (to be postmarked by December 1).

The postmark deadline for a district to send one winning essay to the multiple district council chairperson is December 1. A district not belonging to a multiple district must send its entries directly to the Public Relations Department at Lions Clubs International (to be postmarked by December 1).

The postmark deadline for a multiple district to send one winning essay to the Public Relations

Department at Lions Clubs International is December 15.

Multiple districts (and clubs not belonging to districts and districts not belonging to multiple districts) may send their essay entries and forms to: Essay Contest, Public Relations Department, Lions Clubs International, 300 W. 22nd Street, Oak Brook, IL 60523-8842. Entries and forms may also be sent to Lions Clubs International Headquarters by fax at 630-571-1685 or e-mail to pr@lionsclubs.org (the words “Lions Essay Contest” must appear in the Subject Line of the e-mail).

Participants accept all responsibility for late, lost, misdirected or illegible entries. Entries sent with insufficient postage will be disqualified. Entries cannot be acknowledged or returned; they become property of Lions Clubs International upon receipt. Essays cannot be published without written permission from Lions Clubs International. However, sponsoring clubs, districts and multiple districts have permission to publish their sponsored essays.

In consideration for the opportunity to enter the Lions International Essay Contest, participants agree to allow Lions Clubs International to use their names, photographs and essays for promotional and publicity purposes. An international grand-prize winner is not eligible to receive subsequent prizes in future Lions International Essay Contests. By entering, participants agree to be bound by these rules and the decisions of the judges and Lions Clubs International.

Lions Clubs International may cancel the contest without notice at any time. The contest is void where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law.

Download entry form >>

Contact Information:

For inquiries: pr@lionsclubs.org

For submissions: pr@lionsclubs.org

Website: http://www.lionsclubs.org/

Deadline: 26 August 2011

Applications are invited from across the Federal Republic of Nigeria to participate in a national essay competition organized by the above NGO.

Primary

1. Full scholarships (see details) to tertiary level of study at any Federal or State institution within Nigeria for the top 15 essay writers.
2. Day trip (by air) with parent/guardian to the Federal Capital Territory and visits to places of interest for 1st prize winner.
3. Desktop computers to 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winners.
4. Books, educational materials and cash gifts to best 50 essay writers.

Secondary

1. Full scholarships (see details) to tertiary level of study at any Federal or State institution within Nigeria for top 15 essay writers.
2. Trip to the United Kingdom and places of interest e.g. House of Parliament, Buckingham Palace etc. for 1st prize winner.
3. Desktop or laptop computers to 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winners.
4. Books, educational materials and cash gifts to best 50 essay writers.
5. Other consolatory prizes include mobile telephones and call units.

Tertiary

1. Full scholarships (see details) to tertiary level of study at any Federal or State institution within Nigeria for top 10 essay writers.
2. Trip to the United Kingdom and places of interest e.g. House of Parliament, Buckingham Palace etc. for 1st prize winner
3. 6-12 month internships in organizations/companies within Nigeria for top 10 essay writers
3. Laptop computers to top 10 essay writers.
4. Books, educational materials and cash gifts to best 50 essay writers.
5. Other consolatory prizes include mobile telephones and call units. ts.

How to Apply

Please observe the following four steps to apply

1. Applicants MUST prepare a ‘personal information sheet’ detailing the applicant’s

• Surname
• First name and other names
• Full address
• Date of birth and age
• Sex
• State of origin (and Local government area)
• School or Institution of learning
• Contact telephone number
• Next of kin

For applicants in tertiary institutions please also include:

• Course of study
• Department and faculty
• Present year/level of study
• Name of your course representative and HOD

2. Write an essay (this must be handwritten) on the topic (relevant to your level of study) listed on the right pane.

3. Each applicant MUST pay an application fee

The competition application fees are as follows:

• Primary Pupils N500
• Secondary Students N500
• Tertiary Undergraduates N500

• Guaranty Trust Bank Acc name: EC2011 Acc no: 421-420-753-6114
• United Bank of Africa Acc name: Basic Trust (EC2011) Acc no: 101-555-9459
• Intercontinental Bank Acc name: Basic Trust (EC2011) Acc no: 010-494-4146

1. Your personal information sheet (please type the personal information)
2. Your essay (scanned and must NOT exceed 2MB)
3. Bank name and Teller number (include in the personal information sheet) .

You can either post the above to EC2011, P O Box 1689, Sapon, Abeokuta, Ogun State
or email copies to EC2011@basictrust.org.ng Please do not do both.

Competition Rules & Regulations

1. Applicants must be studying in primary, secondary or tertiary institutions within Nigeria

2. This competition is not open to persons studying outside the Federal Republic of Nigeria

3. Applicants must be legally resident in the Federal Republic of Nigeria

4. Individuals that have previously won a national essay competition scholarship are not eligible to compete at any level in EC2011

5. Applicants must not be over the age of 30 years on August 31, 2011

6. Applicants can only make one application each. Multiple applications will disqualify applicants

7. Applicants must follow the EC2011 application procedure closely or their application will be invalidated

8. Applicants cannot be related to EC2011 judges or BASIC Trust International directors/Trustees

9. Applicants cannot be in the employment of BASIC Trust International or official EC2011 sponsors

10. Applicants should not have been barred from travel into the nations listed in the winning prizes

11. Applicants understand and accept that their identities, photographic images and other personal information may be used by BASIC Trust International [West Africa] and/or EC2011 for publicity purposes

12. W12. Where applicants are below sixteen years old [16 years], their parents/guardians must give their consent to their application and the competition rules and regulations

13. Falsification of any details on an application will nullify it

14. All entries for EC2011 must be received by the set closing date to be valid

15. EC2011 does not accept responsibility for any applications that go missing in the post or otherwise

16. Applicants confirm that they actually conceived and wrote the essay submitted, that it has not been previously published in any form and that they are not violating any copyrights

17. Any quotations or copyrighted material used in essays must be identified properly. Failure to acknowledge such material will result in a disqualification

18. All essays must be hand written, very legible and be signed off by the applicant

19. All essays must be written on A4 sized white paper

20. Essays must be written in English (and not in any other language) to be accepted as valid for
the purpose of EC2011

Essay Topics

Primary Level: ‘Why I think my village should be the capital city of my country.’ (150-200 words)

Secondary Level: ‘The advice I would give my President if I had a half hour private audience with him.’ (300-450 words)

Tertiary Level: ‘What will be the greatest challenge facing your generation over the next decade’ (500-750 words)

Closing Date

All applications MUST be received by the close of business on 26th of August, 2011

For Enquiries

The EC2011 Competition Coordinator - 07063107961 / (39) 770323 or EC2011@basictrust.org.ng

The BTI Liaison Officer - 08033285592 or liaison@basictrust.org.ng

Contact Information:

For inquiries: EC2011@basictrust.org.ng or liaison@basictrust.org.ng

For submissions: EC2011@basictrust.org.ng

Website: http://www.basictrust.org.ng

Deadline: 31 August 2012

CiS is an international network of those concerned with the relationship between science and Christian faith, open to scientists, teachers, students and all those with an interest in this dialogue.

The subject up for discussion is Science and Faith and essays can address any topic which falls under this general heading.

The author of the winning essay will receive a £200 Amazon gift voucher and will have their essay published on the CiS website and in our newsletter PréCiS. The author of the 2nd place essay will receive a £100 Amazon gift voucher and will have their essay published on the CiS website.

To be eligible the author must have been enrolled on a course at a higher education institution for the 2011 – 2012 academic year and essays must not exceed 1000 words (excluding title, bibliography and references).

Submissions should be sent to the Development Officer at becky@cis.org.uk by midnight on the 31st August 2012.

RULES AND GUIDELINES

1. Entrants must be enrolled on a course at a Higher Education institution for the academic year 2011 / 2012.

2. Your essay must be no more than 1000 words long (excluding title, bibliography and references) and must be written in English. Entries exceeding this word limit will not be accepted.

3. Your entry must be submitted electronically as a .doc or .docx file to the CiS Development Officer at becky@cis.org.uk by midnight on the 31st August 2012, with ‘CiS Essay Competition’ in the subject field.

4. The first page of your entry must clearly state the following:

- Your name
- Your university
- Your course
- Your year of study
- Your email address
- Your telephone number (landline or mobile)
- A statement indicating that the essay is your own original work

None of these details should appear on subsequent pages.

5. Your essay must be an original piece of work which has not been submitted to a previous CiS competition. No part of the material you submit may be previously published, nor can it be the winner or finalist of any previous writing contest.

6. Judging will be by a panel of CiS committee members and trustees, whose decision will be final.

7. The author of the winning entry will receive a prize of a £200 Amazon voucher and will have their essay published in the CiS newsletter, PréCiS and on the CiS website. The author of the second place essay will receive a prize of a £100 Amazon voucher and will have their essay published on the CiS website. No alternative prizes are available. The winning and second place essays may also be published in God and Nature Magazine (godandnature.asa3.org/).

8. You retain the copyright to your work, but CiS reserves the right to print, reprint, and distribute all submitted entries at any point in time, regardless of whether or not they are prize-winning pieces.

All entries will be published in booklet form and made available at the CiS student conference unless the author requests to be excluded from this at the time of entry.

Download: reference formatting guidelines

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: becky@cis.org.uk

Website: http://www.cis.org.uk

Deadline: 25 September 2011 (from 15 August 2011) for North Africa only

ESSAY COMPETITION: Looking at ICTs and agriculture in Africa through the eyes of women and the youth. Enter the competition to win EUR 1000 and join NEPAD’s 10th Anniversary!

The New Partnership for Africa‟s Development (NEPAD) Agency and the Technical Centre
for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) have joined forces in celebrating
NEPAD‟s 10th Anniversary. It is within this context of reflecting over the advancement of the African development agenda, that the two institutions are jointly organising an essay competition under the theme; “Looking at ICTs and entrepreneurship in agriculture and rural development through the eyes of women and the youth”. This contest also falls in the framework of CTA activities on Youth, Women and ICTs. In line with these objectives, CTA and the NEPAD Agency are searching for enthusiastic African young people (writers, journalists and other youth), who want to demonstrate their abilities by examining these issues.

The Awards recognize excellence across a number of categories centred on the attraction, retention and progression of youth, women‟s and African talents to further the African development agenda.

1. Who can participate

The competition is open to young people, men and women between 18 and 35 years of
African nationality. Students, journalists and young entrepreneurs (from the civil society or private sector), men or women, are particularly encouraged to participate. Entries will be submitted in English or French.

A. 1st category: Women and ICT in agriculture

This category is open to both young men and women. Candidate must write a story, in the format of an essay, on an African woman working in the agricultural sector, who has used ICTs in her professional businesses (for example: use of mobile phones for the marketing of horticultural products, use of mobile applications for the access to/or the dissemination of strategic information, innovative use of computer for the traceability of livestock, mixed use of internet and radio for extension, etc.).

The text submitted must provide clear information on:

- The profile of the woman whose story is told (background, studies if any, expertise in agriculture and if applicable in ICTs, etc.);
- The kind of business she is involved in;
- Description of the use of ICT implemented: what ICT tool(s) have been used; for what purpose; how it has/they have been used; costs incurred; service provider of the tool(s) (if applicable); difficulties met; results achieved; how far has/have the tool(s) used contributed to increased yields or revenues of the business or stakeholders targeted (if it‟s the case)? How far have the tooI(s) used contributed to an increase of access to strategic? Lessons learned; etc.
- Analysis by the entrant of the use of the tool(s) by the woman whose story is told: how far is it/are they appropriate to the problem(s) being addressed; are there alternate tools that can be used to better address the problem faced or to reach the aim targeted, limits of the use of the tool(s); how far is this use replicable, etc;
- References or documents (web links, articles, publications, etc.) illustrating the work of the woman or supporting the arguments developed by the entrant in his/her essay.

B. 2nd category: Youth and ICT in agriculture

This category is open to both young men and women. Candidate must write a story, in the format of an essay, on a young African professional working in the agricultural sector, a man or a woman, who has used ICTs in his/her professional businesses (for example: use of mobile phones for the marketing of horticultural products, use of mobile applications for the access to or the dissemination of strategic information, innovative use of computer for the traceability of livestock, mixed use of internet and radio for extension, etc.).

The text submitted must provide clear information on:

- The profile of the youth whose story is told (background, studies if any, expertise in agriculture and if applicable in ICTs, etc.);
- The kind of business he/she is involved in (it can activities in civil society organizations or in private businesses);
- Description of the ICT use implemented: what ICT tool(s) have been used; for what purpose; how it has/they have been used; costs incurred; service provider of the tool(s) (if applicable); difficulties met; results achieved; how far has/have the tool(s) used contributed to increased yields or revenues of the business or stakeholders targeted (if it‟s the case)? How far have the tooI(s) used contributed to an increase of access to strategic? Lessons learned by the youth; etc.
- Analysis by the entrant of the use of the tool(s) by the youth: how far is it/are they appropriate to the problem(s) being addressed; are there alternate tools to better address the problem faced or reach the aim targeted, limits of the use of the tool(s) by the young entrepreneur; how far is this use replicable, etc;
- References or documents (web links, articles, publications, etc.) illustrating the work of the young person or supporting the arguments developed by the entrant in his/her essay.

In this category, the person whose activities are presented must also be a young person, a man or a woman.

For both categories, the length of the essay submitted must be comprised between 1,200 and 1,500 words (without the references or bibliography). Applicants must submit their entry in French or English.

What do we mean by ICTs? UNESCO defines ICTs as the ”new or advanced technologies that enhance the dissemination or creation of information and communication”. In the same line of thought, ICTs include, within the framework of this contest, all “new” information and communication technologies (Internet, mobile phones, computers, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), etc.), associated or not with “traditional” communication technologies (such as radio, television, written press, video, etc.). Entries submitted should not deal exclusively with the use of traditional information technologies (traditional radio, video, etc.).

2. Selection process

An international panel of judges, made up of experts in ICT and in agriculture will be set up to review entries and select winners. Pre-selected candidates may be interviewed remotely prior to the final selection.

3. Prizes

For each African Region (Central Africa, East Africa, North Africa, Southern Africa, West Africa) the best essay of each category will receive a prize of EUR 1000.

The winners will be informed by mid-September 2011. They will be invited to attend the NEPAD‟s 10th Anniversary award ceremony in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to receive their prizes.

Apart from winning entries, other best essays will also be promoted by the organizers, through various online and off-line channels, and also during the meeting organized by the NEPAD Agency in October 2011.

4. Deadlines

- Applications should be sent to CTA by email (see addresses in section 7 below)
- Winners will receive their prize in October 2011 during a NEPAD Agency event.

5. Selection criteria

The main selection criteria for the written essays are:

- Originality of the use;
- Relevance of the usage to development challenges;
- Personal vision of the entrant in his/her arguments;
- Potential for replicability of the experience or solutions;
- Quality of language (engaging writing style, good spelling and grammar, etc.);
- Presence of bibliography and/or other relevant references;
- Respect of the prescribed format (number of words: between 1,200 and 1,500 words (without the references or bibliography);
- Respect of the requirements of the category in which the essay is submitted.

6. Documents to be submitted

All applications should include the following documents:

- The essay in Word format; a cover page will be included and on this page, the category for which the essay is submitted must be clearly indicated;
- A short biographical note (to introduce the applicant), including his/her full contact details (email address, telephone number(s), postal address, town, country, etc.) - no more than 1 page;
- A scanned photocopy of the applicant‟s identification card (a card on which the date of birth is mentioned).

Only one entry will be submitted per category; the same entry cannot be submitted for both categories.

7. Contact details

- To submit entries:

All applications should be sent simultaneously to the following two addresses:
essay-contest2011@cta.int and ictprogramme@gmail.com. While sending the applications, the subject of the e-mail should be “Entry for the essay competition”.

- General information on the competition

Email : essay-contest2011@cta.int ;
Tel : +31 (0)317 467 102 (CTA – Netherlands)

8. Other rules for participation

a) A essay which received an award during another competition cannot be submitted;
b) The NEPAD Agency and the CTA reserve the right to disqualify any entry if it does not meet the contest criteria and present regulations;
c) By entering, participants warrant that their entry materials are original and do not infringe on any third party's rights;
d) Entry to the contest constitutes an agreement to allow the NEPAD Agency and CTA to make, if necessary, articles, name, occupation and state of residence of applicants, public. In addition it constitutes an agreement to allow CTA and the NEPAD Agency to use submitted texts in its publications and in the framework of promotional activities. Applicants will retain ownership and all other rights to future use of their texts;
e) The NEPAD Agency and CTA will not return submitted articles to their authors;
f) CTA and the NEPAD Agency„s staff and their immediate family members are excluded from the contest.
g) All local taxes and fees on prizes are the sole responsibility of the winner;
h) If, for any reason, the competition is not completed as planned, the NEPAD Agency and CTA reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend it;
i) The decisions made by the panel of judges, the NEPAD Agency and CTA are final and beyond dispute;
j) All participants in this contest implicitly accept the rules presented in this document.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: essay-contest2011@cta.int

For submissions: essay-contest2011@cta.int and ictprogramme@gmail.com

Website: http://www.nepad.org

Deadline: 15 August 2011

ESSAY COMPETITION: Looking at ICTs and agriculture in Africa through the eyes of women and the youth. Enter the competition to win EUR 1000 and join NEPAD’s 10th Anniversary!

The New Partnership for Africa‟s Development (NEPAD) Agency and the Technical Centre
for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) have joined forces in celebrating
NEPAD‟s 10th Anniversary. It is within this context of reflecting over the advancement of the African development agenda, that the two institutions are jointly organising an essay competition under the theme; “Looking at ICTs and entrepreneurship in agriculture and rural development through the eyes of women and the youth”. This contest also falls in the framework of CTA activities on Youth, Women and ICTs. In line with these objectives, CTA and the NEPAD Agency are searching for enthusiastic African young people (writers, journalists and other youth), who want to demonstrate their abilities by examining these issues.

The Awards recognize excellence across a number of categories centred on the attraction, retention and progression of youth, women‟s and African talents to further the African development agenda.

1. Who can participate

The competition is open to young people, men and women between 18 and 35 years of
African nationality. Students, journalists and young entrepreneurs (from the civil society or private sector), men or women, are particularly encouraged to participate. Entries will be submitted in English or French.

A. 1st category: Women and ICT in agriculture

This category is open to both young men and women. Candidate must write a story, in the format of an essay, on an African woman working in the agricultural sector, who has used ICTs in her professional businesses (for example: use of mobile phones for the marketing of horticultural products, use of mobile applications for the access to/or the dissemination of strategic information, innovative use of computer for the traceability of livestock, mixed use of internet and radio for extension, etc.).

The text submitted must provide clear information on:

- The profile of the woman whose story is told (background, studies if any, expertise in agriculture and if applicable in ICTs, etc.);
- The kind of business she is involved in;
- Description of the use of ICT implemented: what ICT tool(s) have been used; for what purpose; how it has/they have been used; costs incurred; service provider of the tool(s) (if applicable); difficulties met; results achieved; how far has/have the tool(s) used contributed to increased yields or revenues of the business or stakeholders targeted (if it‟s the case)? How far have the tooI(s) used contributed to an increase of access to strategic? Lessons learned; etc.
- Analysis by the entrant of the use of the tool(s) by the woman whose story is told: how far is it/are they appropriate to the problem(s) being addressed; are there alternate tools that can be used to better address the problem faced or to reach the aim targeted, limits of the use of the tool(s); how far is this use replicable, etc;
- References or documents (web links, articles, publications, etc.) illustrating the work of the woman or supporting the arguments developed by the entrant in his/her essay.

B. 2nd category: Youth and ICT in agriculture

This category is open to both young men and women. Candidate must write a story, in the format of an essay, on a young African professional working in the agricultural sector, a man or a woman, who has used ICTs in his/her professional businesses (for example: use of mobile phones for the marketing of horticultural products, use of mobile applications for the access to or the dissemination of strategic information, innovative use of computer for the traceability of livestock, mixed use of internet and radio for extension, etc.).

The text submitted must provide clear information on:

- The profile of the youth whose story is told (background, studies if any, expertise in agriculture and if applicable in ICTs, etc.);
- The kind of business he/she is involved in (it can activities in civil society organizations or in private businesses);
- Description of the ICT use implemented: what ICT tool(s) have been used; for what purpose; how it has/they have been used; costs incurred; service provider of the tool(s) (if applicable); difficulties met; results achieved; how far has/have the tool(s) used contributed to increased yields or revenues of the business or stakeholders targeted (if it‟s the case)? How far have the tooI(s) used contributed to an increase of access to strategic? Lessons learned by the youth; etc.
- Analysis by the entrant of the use of the tool(s) by the youth: how far is it/are they appropriate to the problem(s) being addressed; are there alternate tools to better address the problem faced or reach the aim targeted, limits of the use of the tool(s) by the young entrepreneur; how far is this use replicable, etc;
- References or documents (web links, articles, publications, etc.) illustrating the work of the young person or supporting the arguments developed by the entrant in his/her essay.

In this category, the person whose activities are presented must also be a young person, a man or a woman.

For both categories, the length of the essay submitted must be comprised between 1,200 and 1,500 words (without the references or bibliography). Applicants must submit their entry in French or English.

What do we mean by ICTs? UNESCO defines ICTs as the ”new or advanced technologies that enhance the dissemination or creation of information and communication”. In the same line of thought, ICTs include, within the framework of this contest, all “new” information and communication technologies (Internet, mobile phones, computers, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), etc.), associated or not with “traditional” communication technologies (such as radio, television, written press, video, etc.). Entries submitted should not deal exclusively with the use of traditional information technologies (traditional radio, video, etc.).

2. Selection process

An international panel of judges, made up of experts in ICT and in agriculture will be set up to review entries and select winners. Pre-selected candidates may be interviewed remotely prior to the final selection.

3. Prizes

For each African Region (Central Africa, East Africa, North Africa, Southern Africa, West Africa) the best essay of each category will receive a prize of EUR 1000.

The winners will be informed by mid-September 2011. They will be invited to attend the NEPAD‟s 10th Anniversary award ceremony in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to receive their prizes.

Apart from winning entries, other best essays will also be promoted by the organizers, through various online and off-line channels, and also during the meeting organized by the NEPAD Agency in October 2011.

4. Deadlines

- Applications should be sent to CTA by email (see addresses in section 7 below) by 15 August 2011
- The winners will be announced mid September 2011
- Winners will receive their prize in October 2011 during a NEPAD Agency event.

5. Selection criteria

The main selection criteria for the written essays are:

- Originality of the use;
- Relevance of the usage to development challenges;
- Personal vision of the entrant in his/her arguments;
- Potential for replicability of the experience or solutions;
- Quality of language (engaging writing style, good spelling and grammar, etc.);
- Presence of bibliography and/or other relevant references;
- Respect of the prescribed format (number of words: between 1,200 and 1,500 words (without the references or bibliography);
- Respect of the requirements of the category in which the essay is submitted.

6. Documents to be submitted

All applications should include the following documents:

- The essay in Word format; a cover page will be included and on this page, the category for which the essay is submitted must be clearly indicated;
- A short biographical note (to introduce the applicant), including his/her full contact details (email address, telephone number(s), postal address, town, country, etc.) - no more than 1 page;
- A scanned photocopy of the applicant‟s identification card (a card on which the date of birth is mentioned).

Only one entry will be submitted per category; the same entry cannot be submitted for both categories.

7. Contact details

- To submit entries:

All applications should be sent simultaneously to the following two addresses:
essay-contest2011@cta.int and ictprogramme@gmail.com. While sending the applications, the subject of the e-mail should be “Entry for the essay competition”.

- General information on the competition

Email : essay-contest2011@cta.int ;
Tel : +31 (0)317 467 102 (CTA – Netherlands)

8. Other rules for participation

a) A essay which received an award during another competition cannot be submitted;
b) The NEPAD Agency and the CTA reserve the right to disqualify any entry if it does not meet the contest criteria and present regulations;
c) By entering, participants warrant that their entry materials are original and do not infringe on any third party's rights;
d) Entry to the contest constitutes an agreement to allow the NEPAD Agency and CTA to make, if necessary, articles, name, occupation and state of residence of applicants, public. In addition it constitutes an agreement to allow CTA and the NEPAD Agency to use submitted texts in its publications and in the framework of promotional activities. Applicants will retain ownership and all other rights to future use of their texts;
e) The NEPAD Agency and CTA will not return submitted articles to their authors;
f) CTA and the NEPAD Agency„s staff and their immediate family members are excluded from the contest.
g) All local taxes and fees on prizes are the sole responsibility of the winner;
h) If, for any reason, the competition is not completed as planned, the NEPAD Agency and CTA reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend it;
i) The decisions made by the panel of judges, the NEPAD Agency and CTA are final and beyond dispute;
j) All participants in this contest implicitly accept the rules presented in this document.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: essay-contest2011@cta.int

For submissions: essay-contest2011@cta.int and ictprogramme@gmail.com

Website: http://www.nepad.org

Deadline: 15 May 2012

The Society for the History of Discoveries announces its 2012 prize essay contest. Founded in 1960, the purpose of the Society is to stimulate teaching, research and publishing in the history of geographical exploration. We now call for essays on the topics embraced by the Society's name: the history of discoveries. Essays may deal with voyages, travels, biography, history, cartography, techniques and technology, or other aspects of discovery. The primary purpose is to enlighten the reader on some aspect of the exploration of our world.

ELIGIBILITY: A post-secondary (college or university) student from any part of the world who will not have received a doctoral degree before May 15, 2012 is eligible to enter the contest.

THE ESSAY: The essay (research paper) shall be original and unpublished, in the English language and of no more than 6,000 words, including footnotes or endnotes. Papers previously submitted for class assignments are encouraged. A reasonable amount of illustrative and tabular material will be welcome. The essay must be typed using a standard font (Times, Palatino, Century), double-spaced and printed on one side of the paper. Do not place the author's name on the pages of text. Include a cover page that lists the name, mailing address and e-mail address of the student, the college or university, and the student's current status, i.e., sophomore, junior, 1st year MA, etc.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: Essays must be postmarked on or before May 15, 2012.

The award-winning essay will be evaluated by a panel of judges from the Society for the History of Discoveries. The panel's decision will be announced after June 1, 2012.

JUDGING CRITERIA: Primary consideration will be given to the essay's originality and its contribution to new knowledge and insights. Other considerations will be the author's demonstration of the relevance of the subject, the cogency of the presentation and the documentation, and the stylistic quality of the essay. In the case of a tie, two awards may be given at the discretion of the judges. If no submission is judged to be either appropriate or sufficiently meritorious, the Society reserves the right to make no award.

NOTE: Submissions will be disqualified if: a) their subject is not relevant to the history of discoveries as outlined above or to the general history of geographic exploration; b) adequate and appropriate citations (foot/endnotes) are not included c) the author is not currently enrolled as an undergraduate or enrolled in or accepted to a graduate program at the time of submission.

THE AWARD. The winner will receive a prize of $600. The winner will be invited to make an oral presentation about the paper at the annual meeting of the Society for the History of Discoveries. The 2012 meeting will be held at the Huntington Library/Pasadena, California, from September 27-30. Additionally, the winner will be invited to submit the essay for publication in the Society's journal, Terrae Incognitae.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: Contact Professor Urness - E-Mail: curness@msn.com Tel: (612) 788-6570 Fax: (612) 626-9353. Professor Urness and Dr. Ragnow are the prize committee co-chairs. You also may reach Dr. Ragnow at editor@sochistdisc.org or 612/624-6895.

For submissions: By e-mail, send to: Professor Carol Urness, curness@msn.com. By post, send to: Dr. Marguerite Ragnow, SHD Prize Essay Contest, James Ford Bell Library, University of Minnesota, 309 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, U.S.A. E-mail submissions are preferred.

Website: http://www.sochistdisc.org

Deadline: 31 May 2012

Afrika Tikkun is an NGO that is dedicated to investing in education, health and social services for children, youth and their families through its community centres of excellence and strategic partnerships. A major part of our values is family. We believe in supporting families to develop their children into productive citizens.

“WHAT FAMILY MEANS TO ME” COMPETITION 2012

“What family means to me is more
Than mere words can convey
It’s been the basis for my life
And how I’ve faced each day”
- Marilyn R. Barfield

ENTRY RULES AND PROCESS:

• Each participant will have to submit an essay written in English or a piece of art work on an A4 cardboard/paper artwork.
• The essence of the message is the core of this competition, points will not be deducted for poor grammar and spelling in the essay competition, nor for artistic ability in the artwork competition.
• Write an essay/draw a picture or create an artwork on this topic: “What family means to me”
• The essay/picture or artwork must be the original work of the learner.
• Entrants must live in Johannesburg or Cape Town, South Africa.
• Only one entry allowed per person.
• The judges’ decision is final.
• With regards to the written Essay, anything longer/shorter than the word limits stated in the categories below will be disqualified from the essay competition. Any artwork that is not original (no tracing allowed) will be disqualified.
• At the top of each entry, give a word count (is appropriate) as well as your full name and surname, ID number, Age, Grade, School, Address of home or school and contact number.
• Essay entries must be presented in Microsoft Word.
• Send your entries via schools, Afrika Tikkun Centres and online.
• Please send the name and contact details of you and your school to info@afrikatikkun.org (JHB); infoct@afrikatikkun.org (CT) or delivered to a centre or office closest to you (call 011 325 5914 – Amanda; or 021 448 0120 – Catherine)
• Entry into this competition is free to Afrika Tikkun entrants but the public will pay R20 – enter on the events website – www.afrikatikkun-events.org - proceeds will go to our Family Support Services.
• This competition opens on 26 April 2012 and closes on 31 May 2012 at 5pm.

Essay/Art competition

• Grade 3 – 5 (age 8 minimum) – 400 words/artwork
• Grade 6 – 7 – 600 words/artwork
• Grade 8 – 9 – 800 words/artwork
• Grade 10 – 12 (age 19 maximum) – 1000 words/artwork

Our panel of judges will select the top five essays/artworks per category (four) that they think make a significant, unique contribution to understanding what family means to the different children and youth in South Africa. The semi-finalists will be able to interact with children and youth from different backgrounds, and artwork and essays will be on display and will be put into a booklet.

PRIZES AND BENEFITS:

Competition finals will be held in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Each semi-finalist (20 in total – five per category) will be invited to read their essay or display and explain their artwork at the final championship during Youth Month, on Thursday 21 June 2012 from 2:30pm for 3pm until 5pm.

The Johannesburg event will be at Afrika Tikkun’s Wings of Life Centre in Diepsloot; and the Cape Town event will be at the Mfuleni Community Centre inCape Town. Road transport within Johannesburg and Cape Town for each of the finals will be provided on request by Afrika Tikkun. Media will be in attendance. Semi-finalists will each receive a prize. A panel of five judges will select the winners of each category. The four main winners will receive exciting prizes.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: info@afrikatikkun.org

For submissions: enter online here

Website: http://afrikatikkun-events.org/