High 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 will soon be discussed by the Supreme Court: When is a police officer’s use of deadly force reasonable? Students are invited to share their views on what factors a court should consider in deciding if an officer’s use of force was reasonable or excessive
The contest is open to public, private, and home school students in 8th 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.
Entries for the contest must be postmarked or emailed by March 14. 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. All entries must include a physically or electronically signed submission form.
Three high school winners will be selected. Prizes are $500 for 1st place, $250 for 2nd Place, and $100 for 3rd place. Winners will be announced in early 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. For questions, please contact Kelly L. Walsh at 386-3523 or via email to chattcivicsessay@gmail.com.