EHS Counselor Blog: MATTERS OF LIFE & DEATH SCHOLARSHIP WRITING CONTEST GUIDELINES 2012-2013

Deadline: May 15, 2013.

WRITING CONTEST OBJECTIVES

The goals of the Matters of Life & Death Scholarship Writing Contest are to help California students develop awareness of the issues surrounding end-of-life decision-making and to financially assist college-bound scholars.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

To participate in the Matters of Life & Death Scholarship Writing Contest you must meet the following requirements:

Currently attending a California high school (or home-school),
Currently a high school junior or senior,
Planning to pursue a degree at an accredited college in the United States, and
United States citizen or Permanent Resident of the United States.

AWARDS

$1,000 for First Place,

$500 for Second Place, and

$250 for Third Place

DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS

Each applicant must answer the question:

Why do I need an advance directive when I turn 18?

Use the “Useful Links” (below) to familiarize yourself with what an advance directive is, how it benefits you to have one, and how it might be detrimental if you do not have one. Be creative in your essays, well organized, concise and clear, and show familiarity with the issue.

Please follow these guidelines when submitting your entry:

1. Submit a typewritten essay, no more than 1,000 words, in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF. The essay must be in 12-point Times New Roman font and single-spaced.

2. In the same document, provide a cover page with the following information:

Your name, address, phone number, email address, school’s name, your grade level, and number of words in your essay (word count should not include the cover page, title, or bibliography).

NOTE: Do not send the cover page and essay as two documents. They should be submitted as one single document.

3. When saving the document, name the file as “your last name, your first name” (for example, “Washington, George.doc”).

4. All entries must be submitted by email no later than May 15, 2013. Email your entries toadmin@compassionandchoicesnca.org and in the email subject line, write: “your last name, your first name”.

When writing your essay, keep in mind:

Essays are judged on creativity, quality, organization, clarity, and familiarity with the issue;
Do not plagiarize. If you quote from a source, cite the source (either in a bibliography or footnote);
As you write your essay, show us your understanding of the essay prompt;
Remember: this is not a term paper—your creativity counts, and
Re-read your essay to see if every sentence adds strength to your essay.

AWARD NOTIFICATION

Winners will be selected and notified by May 31, 2013. Winners will be featured in the Compassion & Choices Northern California newsletter and Web site. The first-place winner may be invited to present the winning essay at a public meeting. All other applicants will receive an email by the same date notifying them of our results.

Copyright: All entries submitted to the Matters of Life & Death Scholarship Writing Contest become the sole property of Compassion & Choices Northern California.

Reservation: Compassion & Choices Northern California reserves the right to not award prizes.

Parental Consent: Your parent/guardian must sign a consent/release form before you can be declared a winner. We will send this form only to those notified of having been selected as a winner.

ABOUT COMPASSION & CHOICES NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Compassion & Choices Northern California seeks to educate terminally-ill individuals and their families about their rights to a dignified, humane, and peaceful death. We provide services appropriate to a diverse community with a focus on comfort care and pain management. Additionally, we strive to increase awareness of, and access to, the full range of end-of-life choice by educating the public at large and by advocating for change to existing laws. For more information please visitwww.compassionandchoicesnca.org.

For more information about the Matters of Life & Death Scholarship Writing Contest, please visitwww.compassionandchoicesnca.org/essay.php.

USEFUL LINKS

Use these links to familiarize yourself with what an advance directive is, how it benefits you to have one, and how it might be detrimental if you do not have one.