THE NYS SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY CONTEST
The National Youth Summit encourages the exploration of issues that affect the academic and life success of its student participants. All high school student participants are invited to submit an essay on the following topic that reflects indepth research and critical thought. One $500 scholarship will be awarded to the winning essay that meets the criteria setforth below.
THE TOPIC:
Educational Achievement, A Blueprint for Reclaiming America.
THE ISSUE:
Th United States has long been viewed as a world leader in education. We were leaders in technology and space exploration. But over the last three decades, with the emergence of privatized prisons, we’ve seen a shift from education to prisons. We’ve witnessed a consistent trend that has drastically impacted our world standing in education. Since 1984, when the first private prison was funded with tax dollars, we’ve seen funding for prison rise to $72 billion dollars a year and growing. while funding for education and mental health has been slashed. While there’s been a proliferation of prisons and jails across the country, schools and mental health institutions have been shuttered.
Nearly half a century after the Civil Right bill was enacted, we’ve seen a plethora of state and federal laws carefully drafted to undo the very protections put guaranteed by that act of Congress. And over the course of the last 30 years, we’ve seen prison population swell by 300%. Talented and brilliant individuals, many as young as 14 years old and disproportionately of African and Hispanic descent, have been ripped from the promising arms of education and corralled into ever growing prisons.
How do we turn the tide? How do we turn our country into one that values it’s most vulnerable citizens, those who often have been the victim of abuse, neglect, poverty and the prison system itself? How do we interrupt the school to prison pipeline and elect legislators who will stand against the private interests of those who profit from prisons and work to take back America through education and care for it’s mentally ill? How do we turn the tide from policies that feed a school to prison pipeline to policies to those that assure the safety and academic success of all?
THE ESSAY:
Essays should address the above questions in 500 to 600 words. They should reflect a basic understanding of the problem and pose creative and viable solutions. They should be a blueprint to which the author is willing to commit to implementing through ongoing efforts of The National Youth Summit on Education, Justice and the US Economy. The author should be prepared both to read and defend their work to a panel of judges.
ELIGIBILITY:
The essay contest is open to any high school or first-year college or trade school student. The recipient of the winning essay must attend both days of the National Youth Summit on November 13th and 14th and commit to ongoing participation in post-conference outreach. The essay should be the author’s original work.
DEADLINE:
All essay submissions must be received no later than 5:00 p.m November 6th, 2017. Essays postmarked by October 30th, 2017, will be considered if received by November 6th. Email submissions are strongly encouraged. Emails submissions may be submitted in the body of the email or as an attachment and sent to TheNationalYouthSummit@gmail.com. Submissions time stamped after 5:00 p.m. on November 6th, 2017, will not be considered. Mailed submissions should be confirmed by phone call to 314-495-9528 or by email to TheNationalYouthSummit@gmail.com.
SELECTION:
The winner of the National Youth Summit 2017 Scholarship Essay Contest will be selected by a panel of judges on November 7th and the announcement and presentation of the scholarship made during the closing ceremony of the Summit on November 14th, 2017.
THE AWARD:
A $500 scholarship will be awarded to one winning essay, The winning essay will be well written with attention to facts, data, grammar, and spelling.
DISTRIBUTION:
The scholarship award may be used for tuition to any accredited college, university or trade school. It may also be used for books, fees or other educational related expenses. Proof of enrollment will be required at the time of disbursement which may occur at any time within the succeeded four years. Funds will be held in trust until such time as such enrollment occurs.