After a year off, the D.C. Pro chapter is again taking part in SPJ’s national high school essay contest in 2012.
The topic will be: “Why is it important that we have news media that are independent of the government?” http://www.spj.org/a-hs.asp
SPJ chapters across the country will have local winners. A national winner will be chosen from the local winners and will receive a $1,000 scholarship.
Second place will get a $500 scholarship and third place will get a $300 scholarship.
The winner in the D.C. region will receive two free tickets to the chapter’s annual Hall of Fame dinner in June.
The contest is open to public, private and home-schooled students in grades 9 through 12 in Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, and Maryland.
Essays should be 300 to 500 words, typed or neatly handwritten, double-spaced and must be accompanied by the official contest form.
Mail entries to: Andy Schotz, 615 Bentley Court, Hagerstown, MD 21740. Do not send them so that a signature is required for delivery.
The postmark deadline is March 8, 2012.
The D.C. Pro chapter’s winner in 2010 — Erin McDonough of Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, Va. — went on to win first place nationally.
The D.C. Pro chapter didn’t participate in 2011 and instead judged the national winners from among the individual chapter winners.