Essay Contest Rules

Please note: Be sure to read all of the rules. You may have to use the scroll ba
r beside the rules.
Eligibility
You must currently be attending high school or be home schooled, residing in the
United States and under 19 years of age on the date the contest opens for entri
es. No exceptions.
Subject Matter
Your essay must:
include:
a brief description of the AIDS pandemic and what it has done to change life in
Sub Saharan Africa;
specifics concerning what you would do to help remedy this problem, and who you
would try to help (street children, children in orphanages, or children living i
n extended families).
the diverse needs of different age groups. However, do not try to cover all age
groups. Be specific about which age group you are targeting and why;
how your plan will make a difference;
the moral implications regarding the suffering of others; e.g. what responsibili
ties do you have or not have to help people in distant regions such as these vul
nerable children in southern Africa?
summarize at the end:
what most influenced you to choose the group of children you ve decided to help;
what resources might make your plan a success;
what obstacles might complicate the implementation of your plan;
ways you individually, or as part of a group of students in the US, could help c
hildren today, even if your effort will help only a few children in one small lo
cation
be the original work of the author and not previously published;
be well-structured with good word choice and fluid writing. Check spelling, gram
mar and punctuation. The essay must be free of blatant errors;
researched and with quality references references from Wikipedia do not carry mu
ch weight. Essays without citations will be disqualified.
Format
Your essay must be no less than 1400 words and no more than 1500 words excluding
citations, page headers and footers. Shorter or longer essays will be disqualif
ied.
Your essay must be written in English.
All citations must appear at the end of the essay.
You must include your name and essay title at the top of each page. Do not inclu
de any contact information (e.g. e-mail address or telephone number) in your ess
ay.
The pages of your essay must be numbered.
Your essay must be double-spaced.
We will only accept essays in the following electronic formats:
Microsoft Word (".doc", ".docx")
Microsoft Works (".wps")
Microsoft XML Paper Specification (".xps")
OpenDocument Text (".odt")
Portable Document Format (".pdf")
Rich Text Format (".rtf")
Plain text (".txt")
Your essay must be submitted online using the form on this page. (Essays submitt
ed any other way will not be accepted. e.g. submitted via e-mail or the postal s
ervice.)
Judging
Judges decisions are final. (Please read the Advice for Authors to see what the j
udges will be looking for.)

Essay Contest Advice for Authors

Please note: You may have to use the scroll bar to see all of the advices.
The judges offer the following advice:
Read the rules! We will disqualify entries that do not obey the rules.
Find an original subject.
The judges will be looking for:
Personal initiative;
Original ideas in the topic, the presentation, or the suggested responses to the
problem;
Suggested responses to the suffering of children in Africa;
An examination of the subject that is both broad and deep;
How well the topic is organized and presented;
Effective opening and closing paragraphs;
Appropriate examples, facts, descriptions, and/or quotes;
The proper use of the English language.
The judges will give extra credit for:
Research into the problem.
The judges will take an especially harsh view of plagiarism. Don't do it! Cite a
ll your sources.
No credit is given for pictures in your essay. Do not waste your time including
them!
Make sure the font you choose is legible. Decorative or script fonts are hard to
read for more than a sentence or two.
Make sure the file you upload is your actual essay! Due to the number of essays
submitted we are unlikely to have time to contact you about your mistake.

1st OneChild Africa Essay Contest is Open for Entries!

Ninety percent of all children orphaned because of AIDS live in Sub Saharan Afri
ca and many of these young people grow up in an environment where chronic malnut
rition, alcoholism, violence, sexual abuse and parental neglect are common exper
iences. In addition, some must also deal with the grief and stigma associated wi
th having a parent who has AIDS or has died from AIDS. Such circumstances bring
unimaginable challenges for these children.
Currently hundreds of millions of dollars are spent in Sub Saharan Africa by gov
ernments, faith-based organizations, community based organizations, and internat
ional nonprofit organizations to improve the well being of these at-risk childre
n. The impact of these programs is unclear and at the present time the most effe
ctive strategy to help these children is unknown.
It s projected that the number of children orphaned will grow to over 20 million b
y 2010, and how to best meet the needs for the largest number of children has be
come a crucial issue that is yet to be resolved.
The purpose of our essay contest is to have you think about the challenges faced
by these children and what you would do to alleviate their suffering.
The following prizes will be awarded to high school students whose essays provid
e the best analysis of, and solutions to, the challenges faced by these children
:
1st Prize $1000
2nd Prize $500
3rd Prize iPod Touch 8Gb
How do I enter the contest?
Read the official rules before writing your essay!
Read the advice from the judges about what they will be looking for in your essa
y.
Write your essay only after reading the rules and advice!
Use the online entry form to submit your essay only when the contest is open for
entries.
Deadlines
Entry deadline: Friday, April 30th 2010 (11:59pm PDT)
Results announced: Wednesday, June 30th 2010

Essay Contest Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is this a scholarship?
2. When can I send in my essay?
3. Where do I send my essay?
4. I have a question about the contest. Who do I ask?

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1. Is this a scholarship?
No. This is an essay contest with a set of rules and cash prizes. We advertise t
he contest on scholarship web sites to reach the largest number of eligible high
school students.

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2. When can I send in my essay?
Essays are accepted only between the contest opening and closing dates. The onli
ne form for submitting essays does not appear on this web site until the contest
opens.

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3. Where do I send my essay?
Your essay must be submitted online using a form which is available only while t
he contest is open for entries. Essays sent to us in any other way (e.g. e-mail
or via the postal service) will simply be discarded.

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4. I have a question about the contest. Who do I ask?
Questions about the essay contest may be sent to contest@onechildafrica.org. E-m
ail to any other address will not necessarily receive a response.

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