2012 Literary & Video Contest
New Jersey resident students in grades 7 through 12 are invited to participate in our efforts to keep Dr. King’s legacy alive by entering the 2012 King Day Celebration literary and video contest. The deadline for submission was Friday, November 18, 2011. Contest winners and their families are encouraged to attend the King Day Celebration on January 16, 2012, where winners will be recognized for their achievements and awarded significant prizes. The submissions of all contest participants help contribute greatly to our community’s understanding of Dr. King’s life and legacy.
In light of the importance of a quality education and its impact on personal success, students should choose a topic pertaining to the persistent inequities in educational access or achievement and propose solutions. Inadequate early childhood development programs, overcrowded classrooms, lagging access to technology, geographic location, and differences in learning styles are examples of topics that may be addressed. In the fashion of Dr. King, the final presentation should pose hard questions as well as provide solutions.
Contest instructions
Contests are open only to New Jersey resident students. Students may not use copyrighted material without proper permission and citation. Submissions may not be returned unless self-addressed stamped envelopes are included with requests for returned materials. Submissions also may be picked up immediately following the King Day Celebration on Jan. 16, 2012. Where applicable, entries may be submitted electronically by the deadline to: MLKentry@princeton.edu. Please note that it is the entrant’s responsibility to ensure that the entry has been received.
Students must attach (staple preferred) the 2012 MLK contest submission form (which may be photocopied or downloaded from www.princeton.edu/mlk/ ) to their entry and may submit only one entry per individual. The form must be typed or neatly handwritten; illegible forms will result in disqualification. We expect to award, across all entries and per grade grouping: one first place prize of $100; one second place prize of $75; and one third place prize of $50 (e.g., one $100 prize for the best literary or video entry submitted from a 7th or 8th grader, etc.). Honorable mentions will also be awarded (no monetary prizes will be given for this designation). Award winners will need to provide their Social Security numbers for prize payment. In keeping with Dr. King’s message of inclusiveness, social and racial justice, and respect for the dignity of others, submissions that include profanity and/or language inconsistent with Dr. King’s philosophy will be disqualified.
Additional rules for literary arts entries: Each entrant (grades 7 and 8, 9 and 10, 11 and 12) must incorporate Dr. King’s philosophy and principles of equity, justice and/or peace into an original essay or a critique of existing literature that addresses an issue pertaining to the persistent inequities in educational access or achievement and propose solutions. Each submission must be double-spaced and typed or handwritten containing no more than 1,000 words. Entries that are illegible and/or unduly long will be disqualified. Pages must be single-sided and numbered, with the student’s name written on the back of each page and not the front. Entries that the judges deem as plagiarizing or otherwise infringing upon copyright protected material will be disqualified.
Additional rules for video entries: Each entrant (grades 7 and 8, 9 and 10, 11 and 12) may submit one original VHS, DVD or PowerPoint presentation [e.g., a news story, documentary short film, public service announcement] that addresses an issue pertaining to the persistent inequities in educational access or achievement and propose solutions. Video submissions should also incorporate Dr. King’s philosophy and principles of equity, justice and/or peace, and must last between two and seven minutes. Entrants’ names and contact information must be attached to the actual submission. If the submission is created using non-standard software, a means of loading the software must also be submitted so that the entry can be viewed. Submissions that malfunction or are too long will be disqualified. If you have questions about equipment or playback, please email MLKentry@princeton.edu. Entries that the judges deem as plagiarizing or otherwise infringing upon copyright protected material will be disqualified.
Entries must be delivered either electronically to MLKentry@princeton.edu or to the Office of Human Resources, 2 New South, with completed entry form, by 4 p.m. on Nov. 18, 2011. For more information or clarification, please call Felicia Edwards at (609) 258-7801. Thank you for your help and for ensuring that guidelines are followed. We look forward to reviewing the submissions.
2012 Literary & Video Contest
The 2012 winners of the literary and video contests were announced in early January, and were honored at the Jan. 16 celebration. A full list of winners is available online.
