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Official Rules and
Guidelines
Theme
2012 – 2013 School Year
The Meaning of Liberty Today
RULES
The President Gerald R.
Ford Essay Challenge is open to all 9th through 12th
grade students in Michigan. To enter, write a 500 – 750 word essay on
this year’s theme, The Meaning of Liberty
Today. Limit one entry per student, per contest.
- All essays must be submitted on white, 8 1/2” x 11” paper with
one-inch margins on each side. Essays must be single-sided and double-spaced,
using black or dark blue ink. Judges
will determine legibility of fonts and hand written entries.
- A
title page is required
for each entry. It must include student
name, address, phone, e-mail, grade, school, teacher, school address and school
phone.
- The sponsors reserve the right to interpret the contest rules and to
make decisions concerning the awards in situations not covered by these rules.
- Participation in the contest constitutes entrant’s full and
unconditional agreement to and acceptance of all official rules and guidelines,
including eligibility requirements.
PROCESS
- Drop off, or mail, completed entry to the Gerald R. Ford
Presidential Museum, Attn: Barbara McGregor, 303 Pearl St., NW, Grand Rapids,
MI 49504-5353. All entries must be hand delivered or postmarked no later than March 8,
2013. No late entries
will be accepted.
- Essays will be reviewed by judges comprised of civic, education,
and/or business leaders.
- Finalists will be notified no later than April 1, 2013.
- Participating sponsors are not responsible for lost, late,
misdirected, illegible, or incomplete essays, or essays that do not follow all rules
and guidelines.
- Essays will not be returned.
JUDGING CRITERIA
- Winners will be selected based on adherence to the theme, quality
of narrative, originality of the essay, as well as on proper use of grammar,
spelling, and punctuation.
- Plagiarism will result in disqualification.
- Judges will select the top three entries. Judges also reserve the
right to select up to six honorable mention recipients. Decisions of the judges
are final.
ELIGIBILITY
-
Employees of the sponsors, and members of their
households, are not eligible.
-
By participating, each contestant agrees to
comply with these rules and further agrees to accept the decision of the judges
as final and binding.
-
Parents or guardians of the finalists will be
required to sign and submit a publicity consent form as a condition of a student’s
participation in this contest.
PRIZES
- The first place winner will receive $1,000.00, second place $750.00,
and third place $500.00.
- Honorable mention recipients will each receive $250.00.
The
President Gerald R. Ford Essay Challenge is co-sponsored by the
Gerald
R. Ford Presidential Museum and Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation.
