The deadline for high school students and their teachers to submit essays for the Bill of Rights Institute’s national Being an American Essay Contest is fast approaching. The contest asks students to share their thoughts on American citizenship by answering the question, “What civic value do you believe is most essential to being an American?”
The essay contest calls upon students to think about the greatest civic values in America. By encouraging students to consider and weigh American values, the essay contest serves as a key part of the Bill of Rights Institute’s mission to educate young people about the words and ideas of America’s founders, the liberties guaranteed in our founding documents, and how our founding principles continue to affect and shape a free society.
Essay entries are due by 11:59 p.m. EST on Dec. 1, 2010. Teachers must submit essays online at www.BeingAnAmerican.org for a chance to win cash prizes from a pool totaling $115,000 and one of 54 all-expenses paid trips to the nation’s capital (awarded both to teachers and their students). Supporting contest materials, including lesson plans meeting national academic standards, are provided at no cost to teachers who want to incorporate the essay topic into the classroom.
Visit the Being an American web site at www.BeingAnAmerican.org for complete rules and materials, including submission details, lesson plans and background information on the Constitution, Bill of Rights, founders, and other Americans who have contributed to America’s shared civic values.
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