$3,000 in prizes! - The Humanist Essay Contest for young women and men of North America

Humanist, May-June, 2002

Eligibility

If you are under age twenty-five and have thoughts on humanity and the future, you are invited to share your perception and vision by entering an essay in our annual contest.

Prizes

Each year essays are judged in two age categories: thirteen through seventeen and eighteen through twenty-four (age determined as of the entry deadline). First-, second-, and third-place winners are encouraged to use their prizes to further their education.

First Prize: $1,000

Second Prize: $400

Third Prize: $100

Honorable mention recipients will each be sent a special certificate.

If you cite a teacher, librarian, dean, or other adviser (with marling address and other contact information) as instrumental to your having entered an essay, and if you are a winner, that adviser will be recognized with a special award of $50.

Procedures

Essays should be under 2,500 words in length and written on any subject from a humanistic perspective. They must be word-processed or typed (for easy readability) and written in English by a student or potential student residing in North America. Only hard copy will be accepted--no e-mail or computer diskettes. Only one essay may be submitted by each entrant.

Provide your name, age, date of birth, permanent address (no post office boxes), telephone number, and other contact information on the title page of your essay (so we can easily determine your age category and contact you after the winners are decided). All essays are acknowledged when received, and a list of the winners will be published in the Humanist and posted on our website, www. thehumanist.org. It is your responsibility to inform the Humanist if your contact information changes, or you may not receive your prize.

Entries must be postmarked before December 1 of a given contest year and mailed to the address below. No essays are returned.

The Humanist reserves the option of first publication of all entries until the contest winners are announced in the spring or early summer. Winning essays then become the sole property of the American Humanist Association, publisher of the Humanist, while all rights to non-winning essays revert back to their authors.

Criteria

Quality and freshness of content and approach are among the elements being sought in winning essays, and all decisions by the panel of judges are final. The definition of humanism used to judge essays appears on the inside front cover of each Humanist.

Possible Topics

Those who desire topic ideas may find the Humanist a useful source. A free sample copy is available upon request; a one-year discounted subscription is $19.95. Recent winning essays can be found in the May/June 2000 and September/October 2001 issues. Additional information can be found on the website of the Humanist at www.thehumanist.org.

The Humanist welcomes your participation in this contest and encourages you to share this announcement with others and to post it where others will see it.