Derived from "Author's Day" 

RULES FOR STUDENTS 

1. To be eligible you must be a full-time student in the __________ grade.

2. Your essay should cover one, any combination, or all of these questions:

• What is freedom?

• Is freedom important?

• Where does freedom come from?

• How free are we?

• What role does government play in our freedom?

• Are there threats to your individual freedom?

• How can we preserve, protect and defend our freedom?

• What are the long range prospects for freedom for your family, for America, and for the planet?

In addition, all essays should include a quotation about freedom, and explain why the quotation is important.

3. Your essay will be judged, "on your understanding of the uniquely American concept of freedom." The judges also take into account:

Originality

Enthusiasm

Quality and depth of research

Style, grammar, spelling, punctuation and composition

Effectiveness of the quotation you use

4. All essays must be typewritten, word processed, or legibly written, on one side of 8-1/2 x 11-inch sheets of paper.

5. Give your essay a title on page one and include your name, grade, school name and teacher's name. Each additional page must have your name, and you should number and staple the pages.

6. Essays must be unpublished and original work, at least 350 words long, and no longer than 1,000 words. The word count should be listed on the last line of the essay.

7. You have 60 days from the time the contest is announced in your class to complete the essay and give it to your teacher. That date will be ______________________. The winners will be determined within 30 days of the due date. Prizes will be given during an awards assembly in your school.

8. Parents and teachers are invited to assist their children in research, finding resources and with encouragement, but the essays must be composed and written solely by the students.

Prizes! Prizes! Prizes!

9. The contest winner gets a check for $100, a parchment photo-reproduction of The Bill of Rights, and a full-color American Freedom Essay "Winner!" T-shirt.

10. Two finalists each get a check for $25, and a parchment photo-reproduction of The Bill of Rights.

11. The school is presented with a parchment photo-reproduction of The Bill of Rights in honor of its winner.

12. The teacher of the winning student's essay gets a framed certificate honoring the student's achievement in The American Freedom Essay Contest.

13. Every student who enters the contest gets a parchment-style copy of The Bill of Rights, suitable for framing.

14. Local newspapers will be encouraged to publish the winning essay.

15. Your school may choose to circulate the winning essays to all students, or prepare a bound edition of all students' entries. Copies of the winning essays can be posted on the Internet.

Good luck to you and your classmates, on the journey of discovery that is
 The American Freedom Essay Contest!


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