Student Essay Contest

Overview

Eligibility: High School Students who attended the 2008 Governor’s High School Conference on the Environment are eligible to submit an essay.

Deadline: All submissions must be received by Friday, December 19, 2008.

Questions: Contact Carrie Ziolkowski at cziolkow@uwsp.edu or 715.346.4651

Judging: A panel of energy and environmental education professionals will review the essays and select a winner.

Awards:
The first place winner of the essay contest will receive a solar powered backpack, portable powerpack, and Sunfast Ultrafast charger. The backpack and accessories can be used to charge your cell phone, IPod, and other electronic devices. Approximate value $250.00. The winner will also receive a $100 US Savings Bond.

The second place winner will receive a Solio Universal Hybrid Charger that can be used to charge portable electronics.

The third place winner will receive a Freeplay Baygen Ranger AM/FM Solar/Crank Radio.



The winners of the contest will be announced by January 12, 2009.

Getting Started

Topic: Identify an energy-related issue in your home or school that is of concern to you and that you feel can be improved. Use the information you gathered at the conference to describe the issue, its importance, who is affected, and some solutions. Pick one solution in particular you’d like to see implemented and explain why you think this is the best approach. Describe how you will convince those involved to implement the changes that you propose. Be sure to cite any sources you reference in your essay.

Requirements: Margins = 1 inch, text size = 12, font = Times New Roman or Arial, double-spaced. The essay should have an opening paragraph, body, closing paragraph, and be no longer than three pages.

Submission: Download this FORM (MS Word). Enter your personal information into the application and save the document. Send the application document along with your essay to energy@uwsp.edu with Essay Contest in the subject line.

Note: Please fill out the application in a professional manner. The application and essay are the only representation of you that the judges have a chance to see. Be very thorough, accurate, and neat. After you have written your essay please have the teacher that brought you to the conference review the essay and make changes based on their feedback. Spelling and grammar will count in the evaluation of your essay.

Printable version of this information

This year’s essay contest is sponsored by the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point’s College of Natural Resources.