2008 GRHS Youth Essay contest
          
   The Germans from Russia Heritage Society    
                is sponsoring its annual
         Youth Essay Contest!
                         Theme: Germany/Russia/Americas...
                               Giant Steppes Toward Freedom 

The GRHS is encouraging students to participate in the GRHS Youth Essay Contest. The contest promotes the goals of the GRHS by encouraging young people to learn about the history of the German-Russians. Genealogy is a rapidly growing interest in our society; exposure to the study of family heritage and to the history of the German-Russians helps to stimulate a lifelong interest in family & ethnic history. Essay contest winners will be announced at the 2008 AHSGR/GRHS Convention, which will be held in Casper, WY on 30 July-3 August, 2008.

ELIGIBILITY: The contest is open to all students in public, private, parochial or home schools and accredited universities, subject to the categories below. The subject of the paper must be related to the German Russian Heritage and must be the contestant's original work; however, the student does not need to be of German Russian heritage to enter the contest. Previous contestants are encouraged to enter each year; however, resubmission of previously judged work is not permitted.

• CATEGORIES:
  International winners will be chosen in each of the following categories:
          •  I.   Middle School…6^th thru 8^th grade.
          •  II.  High School…9^th thru 12^th grade.
          •  III. University or College Undergraduate
  .
  TOPICS: Topics may include any and all aspects of German Russian heritage, including:
       •  Cultural anthropology of the German-Russians.
       •  Historical analysis of the reasons for the Diaspora of the German-Russians.
       •  German-Russian history in the Americas and Canada.
       •  German-Russian history in Russia, the Soviet Union, loss of Soviet citizenship and
            slave labor camps, and slave labor in England & France after World War II.
       •  Personal family history.
  .
  FORMAT: Format for the paper may include:
       •  Creative writing, including short stories, fictional diaries, plays, 
             historical fiction, and descriptive prose (example: prose concerning visits
             with family members or travel to places with historical significance to the family).
       •  Genealogical history of a particular family, including individual histories of
             ancestors.    
       •  Research papers, including argumentative and/or historical analysis.
       •  PowerPoint--Entries using the PowerPoint computer program, to include maps,
             photos, and family trees are encouraged.
  .
  PAPER REQUIREMENTS: Requirements for each category are listed on the contest information and entry form. The contestant's name should be on the entry form only and should not appear on the essay. Click HERE to download the GRHS Youth Essay Contest information and entry form in a PDF file or HERE for the file in Word. Please print the entry form and send it with your essay to the address on the entry form.
  .
  DEADLINE: 31 March 2008.
  .
  JUDGING CRITERIA: Only the essay’s text is judged; contestants will not be required to read or orally present their essay. Judges are impartial and will not know who wrote the essay. Winning entries will be judged on originality, creativity, clarity, style and evidence of a serious research effort.
  .
  AWARDS:
  With winners authorization, essays may be published in the GRHS Heritage Review and/or electronically on the GRHS website. 
  In addition, winners in each category will receive the following: 
  Middle School: First Place: Trophy & $150; Second Place: Runner-Up Trophy & $100.
  High School: First Place: Trophy & $150; Second Place: Runner-Up Trophy & $100. 
  High School Senior Scholarship: A trophy & a $250 Gwen Pritzkau scholarship will be awarded to the highest scoring high school senior through the University of their Choice.
  University: A trophy and a $750 scholarship, which will be awarded through the University of their Choice.
                                                      
                                                 Good Luck!