Essay Contest – Win a $2,500 scholarship

open to 11th and 12th graders in San Diego County

Your essay should thoughtfully answer any one of the following questions:

1) The state has frozen funding for social services for the poor, and San Diego County, unlike many other counties, has decided it’s not going to help bridge the gap. Do you agree with that decision? If so, what is your view on the level of social services the county should provide? If not, how should the county fund more social services?

2) Should the city of San Diego recycle sewage to buttress our supply of drinking water? San Diego is facing a long-term water shortage. There are efforts to conserve water, build seawater desalination plants and invest billions to shore up other sources. But the city has been reluctant to use sewage because of concerns about cost and the perception of drinking purified wastewater. Should the city continue studying this new source and implement it or not?

3) Was San Diego Unified School District right to not take part in the California application for Race to the Top? Race to the Top is a competition between states to get more federal stimulus money for schools by promising to do specific reforms that the Obama Administration wants, such as including student test scores as part of teachers' evaluations. San Diego Unified didn't participate in Race to the Top because it argued that it knew too little about what it would entail. Its elected leaders are also wary of some of the reforms.

Official Rules:

1) Essays must be original work, typed, 1,000 words or less and must be received on or before Friday, May 21, 2010.

2) To enter, students must live in San Diego County, be enrolled in an accredited high school in San Diego County, and be in 11th or 12th grade.

3) The student must write the essay and any quotations or copyrighted material must be identified properly.

4) Scholarships can be used for any college, university, or trade school.

5) Each student may only submit one essay.

6) Essays will be judged on insightfulness, supporting facts and evidence, development of ideas and style.

7) Submit your essay preferably via email to summer@voiceofsandiego.org. You will receive a confirmation of receipt within 24 hours. If you do not, contact the voice office at 619.325.0525. We will also accept essays by U.S. mail to voiceofsandiego.org Essay Contest, 2508 Historic Decatur Rd, Ste 120, San Diego, CA 92106.

8) Please be sure to include your name, address, phone number, school you attend, and grade level (11th or 12th) in the email or, if mailing, on a cover sheet. Please do not have that information on your actual essay, as essays will be reviewed and judged without identifying information.

Questions about the process of the essay contest should be sent to summer@voiceofsandiego.org. Questions or guidance about specific essays will not be answered. Winner will be notified by June 11, 2010 and the five finalist essays will be published on the voiceofsandiego.org website during the week of June 14th. Thank you for your participation.

Special thanks to Essay Contest Sponsors: Bob, Karen, and Heather Bowden

Thanks to a donation from Sylvan Learning of San Diego, the top 11th grade essay (or runner-up if an 11th grader wins the scholarship) will win a choice of an SAT prep seminar (value $895) or ACT prep seminar (value $795).

voiceofsandiego.org is a nonprofit, independent and insightful online news source focused on issues impacting the San Diego region. Our mission is to consistently deliver ground-breaking investigative journalism for the San Diego region, and to increase civic participation by giving citizens the knowledge and in-depth analysis necessary to become advocates for good government and social progress.