Terri

I've been out of the loop for a while, and this nice contest opportunity looked like a good way to get back into the swing of things in the new year... Enjoy!

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High school students in grades nine through 12 are encouraged to submit an entry for the Effectiveness of Nonviolent Civic Action essay contest sponsored by the National Institute of Peace. Essays must be no longer than 1,500 words and consist of three sections which lay out and develop a position in response to the essay contest question. Each student must have a contest coordinator who can review their essay and act as the key contact between the participant and the Institute. One national award totaling $10,000 will be conferred as well as two other national awards worth $2,500 and $5,000 respectively, in addition to 53 state awards each worth $1,000. The deadline for submitting an essay is Feb. 2, 2010.

For more information, including the essay question, comprehensive guidelines and submission requirements visit www.usip.org/npec. A study guide can also be found at www.usip.org/npec/sg10.pdf (PDF).