The Frederick Douglass Prize Essay Contest

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85 Devonshire Street, 8th Floor Boston, MA 02109-3504

Win $2,500 for Your History Paper!

Pioneer Institute is pleased to announce the first annual Frederick Douglass Prize Essay Contest for Massachusettss high school students. Pioneer Institute is a private, non-partisan public policy think tank with a longstanding reputation for innovative education reform. We believe that Massachusettss students are capable of excellence in history. We need your essays to prove us right. Deadline Extended March 31, 2014 2013 Essay Topic The Frederick Douglass Prize asks students to respond to key questions in history. The 2013 Prize is focused on the origins of citizenship and how this concept has changed in American history: Choose two readings from the list below and compare and contrast the concept of citizenship in the two documents. Declaration of Independence (1776) Preamble to the Constitution (1787) Gettysburg Address (1863) John F. Kennedys Inaugural Address (1961) Letter from Birmingham Jail (1963) Your response should demonstrate an understanding of the documents historical context in addition to a strong argument on how it defines citizenship. Though we ask that you consider two documents from the list below, winning entries will include extensive additional research. Essays should not exceed 2,000 words. Teachers: Take advantage of this opportunity! All students should be familiar with these documents. By assigning your students this essay you guarantee they wont just be familiar with them but also engage critically with their deeper ideas. The Prize is an excellent opportunity for your students to demonstrate their strong research and writing skills before college applications begin and to meet some very remarkable people.

We will recognize the top three essays as follows: st 1 place: $2,500 2nd place: $750 3rd place: $500

Prizes

Criteria Argument (40%) Historical Research (30%) Writing Quality (30%) Visit acommonsense.org for more information.

Should I Enter? Entrants must be in high school during the 2013-2014 academic year and live in the state of Massachusetts. If you are interested in this years question and have strong writing skills, we encourage you to submit your essay. Frederick Douglass Prize Schedule Submission Deadline: Monday, March 31, 2014 Visit www.acommonsense.org.

Questions? Ellen M. Nye Frederick Douglass Prize Coordinator Pioneer Institute enye@pioneerinstitute.org (617)723-2277