Hickory – The Catawba Valley Interfaith Council (CVIC) is inviting high school students in the area to participate in an essay contest as part of their 70th anniversary celebration of Human Rights Day in December. Cash prizes of $200 for 1st place, $100 for 2nd place and $50 for 3rd place will be awarded to the top three essays selected by reviewers, and winners will read their essays as part of CVIC’s celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) at Lenoir Rhyne University’s Grace Chapel on Monday, December 10 at 7pm.
Students are asked to submit original essays of between 700-1,000 words (with citations) on Article 26 of the UDHR, which focuses on the right to education, and what it means to them. Creativity is encouraged as long as it lends itself to oral presentation, but all submissions must adhere to a standard style guide (such as MLA) and be submitted in Microsoft Word format by sending email to [email protected] (with “essay” as the subject line).
All submissions must include a cover page with the following details: student’s name, name and email of English teacher, name of school (home schoolers are also welcome to participate), student’s contact information (including phone number), age, and essay word count. The deadline for submissions is October 10, 2018 at midnight, and winners will be notified by email by November 20. Students must be available to participate in the December 10 celebration and read their essay.
CVIC celebrates Human Rights Day on December 10 each year to commemorate the day on which, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the UDHR following World War II. While this year includes their first essay contest, CVIC has celebrated Human Rights Day in Hickory for the past three years. CVIC is a local not-for-profit organization of faith-based and secular communities in the Catawba Valley serving as a catalyst for hope and cooperating for the purpose of dialogue, information sharing, and celebration. Their purpose is to create a more compassionate community and honor the rich diversity of religious, spiritual, and secular traditions in the community. For additional information about CVIC or their HRD essay contest, you can email them at [email protected].
