German Information Center USA 7th Annual Essay Contest
It's that time of year! The German Information Center USA 7th Annual Essay Contest has begun and students from grades 3-12 are invited to enter. The contest features 1st place prizes ranging from $100 - $200 in Amazon.com gift certifcates. Teachers of the winning students receive $200 Amazon.com gift certificates.
Pick one of the topics and enter today!
ABOUT THE CONTEST
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(© German Information Center USA)
The German Information Center USA fulfills the public diplomacy mission of the German Embassy in Washington, D.C. To encourage American students to get to know modern Germany, the GIC provides classroom materials to educators in the United States.
The purpose of the essay contest is to familiarize students with today’s Germany. In addition, the contest offers students and their teachers an opportunity to discuss traditional and modern German culture, language and society.
Detailed contest information such as rules, deadlines and the essay questions can be found below.
All entries must be submitted electronically by April 15, 2012.
There will be three grade groupings for the contest: Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, and Grades 9-12. Winners will receive prizes and certificates; their essays will appear on this website (
www.Germany.info
), as well as the German Information Center USA’s newsletters.
GUIDELINES
Students must answer one of the following topics:
Topic A: German American Friendship
Germany and the United States have a long history together. Often we hear phrases such as “transatlantic partnership” and “German-American friendship” to describe the relationship between the two countries. This year is the 25th anniversary of German-American Day, which falls every year on October 6th. What does German-American friendship mean to you? Do you see anything around you that reminds you of the ties between Germany and America? What would you do to celebrate the partnership between Germany and America? What should the German-American friendship look like in the future?
Topic B:The Brothers Grimm
200 years ago the first collection of fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm was published. Over the years the stories have been retold all over the world and exist in many different versions. Some of the fairy tales are so well-known that people don't even know they came from Germany. Have the collection of fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm influenced you? Do you see fairy tales in different forms around you? You can write about fairy tales in your life OR you can write your own fairy tale!
ESSAY SUBMISSION
Essay must be in English and in paragraph format.
300 words or fewer for Grades 3-5; 500 words for Grades 6-12. (Note: More does not mean better! Focus on the quality, not quantity.)
Students may submit only one essay per person.
Submit entries as .doc (Microsoft Word), .pdf (Adobe Acrobat), .odt (OpenOffice), scanned-in graphic files (jpg, etc.) or .txt (Simple Text) files only.
Email your essay to Jennifer Clardy Chalmers (dz-12[at]germanembassy.us).
Entry must include the author’s name, grade level, school name and school address at the beginning.
RULES
All students enrolled in 3rd through 12th grade in the U.S. are eligible. Seniors graduating in 2012 are eligible. Students enrolled in DoDDS schools or schools in American overseas territories with APO mailing addresses are eligible. Homeschooled students are also eligible.
Each essay must be the sole work of the author.
Entries may be submitted by individual writers or by their teachers.
Entries must include the name of the student & teacher/advisor, the grade level of student, the email address of student & teacher, and a postal address for the student & teacher. This information enables the GIC USA to quickly award prizes and prize packages. No personal or contact information will be handed over to a third party.
Only electronically submitted essays will be accepted.
Entries must be 300 words or fewer for elementary students; 500 words or less for middle and high school students.
Submitted entries will become the property of the German Information Center USA; they may appear in GIC USA or associated publications.
The decision of the panel of judges from the German Information Center USA and German Embassy Washington is final.
Students are encouraged to review spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Receipt of essays will be confirmed by email. Please contact us if you do not receive a confirmation within a week.
DEADLINE for entries is April 15, 2012. Winners will be notified by May 31, 2012.
CRITERIA FOR JUDGING
Winners will be determined by a panel of judges from the German Information Center USA and the German Embassy Washington. Entries will be judged based on their content, style and grammar.
Successful entries will:
Follow the guidelines.
Show that student has done research on her/his subject
Include the author’s own opinions
Demonstrate superb critical and creative thinking
PRIZES
Amazon.com gift certificates will be awarded to first place winners in each age group.
1st place - grades 3 - 5: $100 bookstore gift certificate
1st place - grades 6 - 8: $150 bookstore gift certificate
1st place - grades 9 - 12: $200 bookstore gift certificate
For Teachers or Advisors of 1st place winners:
$200 bookstore gift certificate for classroom resources
In addition, 10 runners-up will receive a package from the German Information Center USA.
Good luck!
