21st Annual Lancaster County Peace Essay Contest : Building Bridges to Peace in the 21st Century

Administered in 2005 by Highland Presbyterian Church with the support of Lancaster Interchurch Peace Witness

Contest Overview

2005 Topic: “Building Bridges to Peace in the 21st Century”
Eligibility: Lancaster County high school students attending public and private school or being home schooled
Divisions: Division I – Grades 9 and 10
                  Division II – Grades 11 and 12
Awards: First place in each division - $250
                Second place in each division - $125
                Third place in each division - $75

Contest Rules

1. Essays must be between 500 and 1000 words long.
2. Essays must address the contest theme.
3. The essay must be submitted typewritten and double spaced, printed on only one side of 8.5” x 11” paper.
4. The title must appear on the first page of the essay. Pages should be consecutively numbered. DO NOT write your name on the essay. Instead, on a 3 x 5 index card, write your name, address, telephone number, school, grade, and teacher’s name. Also include your word count. Attach the card to your essay with a paper clip.
5. You are encouraged to shape the topic to your own idea. You may choose to write a personal statement or a process, analytical or persuasive essay. Your focus may be local, national, or global.
6. You must do your own work. However, you may ask a teacher, parent, or friend for constructive criticism. Acknowledge all quotations, borrowed ideas, and sources of facts that are not general knowledge.
7. All submitted essays become the property of the Lancaster County Peace Essay Contest and will not be returned to contestants.
8. All entries must be postmarked no later than March 31, 2005.
9. Entries should be submitted to:

Lancaster County Peace Essay Contest
c/o Highland Presbyterian Church
1801 Oregon Pike
Lancaster, PA 17601-6401

Judging

A distinguished panel of local educators, writers and members of the community interested in peacemaking will judge the essays on originality, thoughtfulness, and clarity of expression. The decisions of these judges are final.

Notification of Winners

In late April, the winners of the contest will be notified by telephone. The winners will also be announced in the Lancaster newspapers.

Awards Ceremony

Prizes will be presented at an awards ceremony in the afternoon of May 15, 2005, at Highland Presbyterian Church. All participants, sponsoring teachers, parents, friends, and community members are invited to attend. First prize winners will be invited to read their essays aloud at this ceremony.

Contest History

The Lancaster County Peace Essay Contest was started in 1981 by the Lancaster Friends Meeting (Quakers) to encourage young people to think about peace and peacemaking. Over the years, many congregations have taken responsibility for organizing and running this nonsectarian contest. This year, the responsibility for the contest has been assumed by the Peace, Justice & Reconciliation Committee of the Highland Presbyterian Church. Since 1984, Highland has been a Committed Peace Church within the Presbyterian Church (USA) denomination. Highland is honored to be able to join with the Friends and the Lancaster Interchurch Peace Witness to offer Lancaster County high school students a way to explore how they can become agents of peace in today’s world. We wish to acknowledge the role generous community businesses and individuals have played in making this contest possible. A list of donors will be printed in the Awards Ceremony program.