2012 National Kick Butts Day Writing Contest
The Chester County Tobacco-Free Coalition invites all Chester County students, grades 7-8, to participate in the 2012 National Kick Butts Day Writing Contest.
Interested students can:
STAND OUT…
SPEAK UP …
and SEIZE CONTROL
AGAINST BIG TOBACCO
Submit essays to cctfc@chesco.org by February 15, 2012
Public Reading and Award Ceremony on March 21, 2012
Chester County Book & Music Company
Theme
Write a personal essay or true story on any of the following topics:
- My thoughts on the importance of tobacco-free environments: Write about why it’s important to not allow smoking at playgrounds, athletic fields, and parks where youth play.
- How tobacco has directly impacted me: Write about how tobacco negatively affected a family member, a friend, or yourself.
- My concerns about the health effects of tobacco: Write about your fears and/or concerns regarding secondhand smoke and/or tobacco-related illnesses and diseases.
- My thoughts about big tobacco: Express your thoughts about the tobacco industry and how the industry targets youth to start smoking.
- How I want to be protected from tobacco: Write about how your elected officials can protect you from the health risks of tobacco and/or from being targeted by Big Tobacco. What can you do to inform your elected officials about how tobacco impacts your life?
Entry Rules
- Essays should be typed, double-spaced in Times or Times New Roman font, size 12.
- Essays should be no more than two pages long.
- Include at the top of the first page:
- Title of your essay
- Your name
- Your grade and school
- Address, phone number, and e-mail address*
- Essays should be submitted electronically by February 15, 2012 as Microsoft Word documents to cctfc@chesco.org. Students unable to submit electronically should contact the CCTFC at 610-344-6490.
* Personal information will be removed from the essay before it is forwarded to the judging panel. This information is confidential and will not be shared or used in any way other than to notify the students who have been selected for the 2011 awards.
Judging Criteria
- Spelling/Grammar/Mechanics – Did the student have errors that made the essay hard to read? Did they follow the standard professional letter format?
- Relevance – Was the content relevant to the theme? Did the essay contain relevant facts to back up their point?
- Creativity – Was the essay creative, unique, centered on a strong message?
- Impact/Persuasion – Did the essay leave an impact on the reader, was it persuasive?
Deadline for Submissions
The deadline for submitting essay entries for the 2012 Essay Competition is February 15, 2012. The judging panel will notify winners by February 29, 2012.
Public Reading and Awards
Selected participants following the above guidelines will be invited to read their essay on March 21, 2012 during a Kick Butts Day Public Reading at the Chester County Book & Music Company in West Chester. Participants’ families, the community and local legislators are also invited to attend. The awards will be presented at this time. Three winning entries will be selected; a first place, second place, and third place ~ awards to be announced in January.
Resources