High school and middle school students in 17 area counties are invited to participate in the annual civics essay contest sponsored by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Chattanooga Division, and the Chattanooga Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.
The prompt for this year’s contest is a question that is currently before the Supreme Court: Should race be a factor in college admissions? Students are invited to share their views on whether race and ethnicity should be considered in admissions and whether there are race-neutral factors that could be considered to ensure a diverse student body.
The contest is open to public, private, and home school students in 6th to 12th grade in the following counties: Bedford, Bledsoe, Bradley, Coffee, Franklin, Grundy, Hamilton, Lincoln, McMinn, Marion, Meigs, Moore, Polk, Rhea, Sequatchie, Warren, and Van Buren.
The contest is being held in conjunction with the Federal Bar Association’s national contest. The same essay may be submitted to both contests, but must be submitted separately.
Entries for the local contest must be postmarked or emailed by March 22. Email submissions should be sent to chattcivicsessay@gmail.com. Entries can also be mailed to Civics Essay Contest, Attn: Kelly L. Walsh, U.S. Courthouse, 900 Georgia Avenue, Chattanooga, Tn. 37402.
Three high school winners and three middle school winners will be selected. Prizes are: $500 for first place, $250 for second place, and $100 for third place. Winners will be announced mid-April. Along with their parents and teachers, winning students will be invited to a reception at the courthouse with members of the selection committee.
Full essay prompt, requirements, and additional materials are available on the court’s website, as well as information on the national contest: https://connections.tned.uscourts.gov/participate.html. For questions, please contact Kelly L. Walsh at 423-386-3523 or via email to chattcivicsessay@gmail.com.