dare essay contest 2023

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Peace Poster & Essay Competitions

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Lions International Peace Poster and Peace Essay Competitions

2024-25 contest theme: ‘peace without limits’, contact details.

Key information

The theme of this year’s Lions International Peace Poster provides young people (aged 11-13) with the opportunity to express their visions of peace through being connected with one another.

Students ages 11, 12, or 13 as of November 15 are eligible to participate in the International Peace Poster and Peace Essay Contests.

Peace essay contest

Created to give an opportunity for visually impaired young people to express their feelings of peace, the International Essay Contest is a staple of Lions clubs around the world. Lions work with local schools and area families to identify young people who are interested in participating and who could benefit from this program. One grand prize winner will receive an award and US$5,000.

Each essay must be submitted with a completed entry form. Essays must be no longer than 500 words in length, submitted in English, typed in black ink and double-spaced.

Peace poster contest

For over three decades, Lions clubs around the globe have been sponsoring a very special art contest in schools and youth groups. More than four million young people from 100 countries worldwide have taken part in the contest.

Creating peace posters gives children everywhere the chance to express their visions of peace and inspire the world through art and creativity. The young artists are free to use a variety of art mediums. They are encouraged to portray their life-experiences and culture in responding to the theme.

Every Lions Club is encouraged to engage with young people in their community to sponsor a Peace Poster contest entry.

Purchasing a Peace Poster pack

Lions clubs need to order a Peace Poster pack to enter the contest. Peace poster kits may be purchased from the MD105 head office (available from 15 January to 1 October). The Peace Poster kit and Essay Poster kit each cost £15.00 plus postage.

Each kit contains:

• Official club contest guide and rules
• Official school or youth group contest guide and rules
• Participant flyer to duplicate and give to participating students to take home
• Sticker to place on the back of the winning poster
• Certificates for the contest winner and school or youth group

Peace Poster judging

Each poster is judged on originality, artistic merit, and expression of the theme. Entries advance through several judging levels: local, district, multiple district, and international.

All district winners need to be received at Lions Clubs International (MD105) British Isles office by 1 December. An overall multiple district winner is then selected, and submitted for the international judging stage.

At the international level, judges from the art, peace, youth, education, and media communities select one grand prize winner and 23 merit award winners.

Winner of 2023-2024 theme ‘Dare to Dream’

Thank you to all the entrants of this year’s Peace Poster and Peace Essay Competition.

The Peace poster competition was won by Isabella Golez Age 12, sponsored by Bexhill Lions of District 105SE

Winner of the Peace Essay 2023-2024 theme ‘Dare to Dream’

Erica June Steel aged 13 with her Peace Essay ‘Dare to dream’ sponsored by Milton Keynes Stony Stratford Lions Club of District 105A

Depending on the location of punctuation Dare to Dream can be said with negative connotations, however it is absolutely critical to dare to dream. Without the act of doing so we wouldn’t have had great achievements like climbing mount Everest, circumnavigating the world or landing on the moon. All of the above and many more come from one or more people sitting down, and daring to dream.

Like many things in life Daring to dream can often start with a What if, “what if there was a form of airborne transport?” Led to the invention of Airplanes, “what if man kind could set foot on the moon?” Led to Apollo eleven and humans on the moon. However, daring to dream can also sometimes result in catastrophe, Hitler dreamt of a world without Jews and then we had the holocaust and World War 2. Putin dreams that he will rebuild the Soviet Union and look at the conflict in Ukraine. Catastrophic daring to dream doesn’t always stem from fascist leaders. As an example, in 1986 the space shuttle challenger disintegrated 73 seconds after take-off those seven lives wouldn’t have been lost if humans hadn’t dreamt of being in space.

Yet despite all the Pros and cons of daring to dream so much good could be done if mankind did it a little more. With a little more determination, selflessness, purpose and more than anything with the rest of humanity, nature and planet earth at the centre of their hearts.

Winner of 2022-2023 theme ‘Lead with Compassion’

Peace Essay Winner of 2022-2023  theme ‘Lead with Compassion’

Dalyzie Simpson, sponsored by Milton Keynes Stony Stratford Lions, who has just turned 14 years of age.

Lead With Compassion

Why should a leader be compassionate? ” You should not count your chickens before they hatch!” If you were a leader, you cannot just assume that your association know what they are meant to be doing, referring to “You should not count your chickens before they hatch” you do not know if all those chicken eggs will hatch so being the leader, you should be compassionate about leading your troop and they should be led by their leader with compassion without cutting any corners. If you com1t your chickens before they hatch, you are cutting corners by not waiting for them to hatch.

“Show the way to your fellow committee” Lead your people down the right path. A leader should be compassionate about everything they want their followers to believe, therefore they shall find a new leader and someone who is more compassionate about everything they say.

People who are followers should want to follow you as their leader because your compassionate about your beliefs and you should want others to obey you. If you were not compassionate about having to lead, your followers would not want to follow you and they would not want to support your beliefs if your feelings were not too strong about a certain topic. Make people of the public support you with your ambitions, hopes and dreams. Help your community work to their full potential and to their best abilities, further more you shall be able to help more and more people because the more people that follow you the more they shall spread the word about your leadership and how compassionate you are.

Let’s take the Prime Minister role, if you lead the public to believe your actions are not considerable of being worthy of becoming a Prime Minister, the public and media will discriminate you and feel hatred towards them because they betrayed the population via there inconsiderate behaviours of their Prime Minister, so they will not support what the Prime

Ministers decisions are because of their actions. The public will certainly have lost hope in their Prime Minister and how compassionate they feel towards their Prime Minster. However, leading the public with compassion and pleasant honours, the Public will listen and understand how their Prime Minister will be an enjoyable leader.

A leader should be compassionate about what they are leading others to believe because otherwise, no one will want to be led by their leader. Supporting others to their best abilities makes an incredible leader. That sums up the question that was mentioned at the start. Lead yourself to be compassionate to make a good impression on others! You shall then become a better person.

Dayzie Simpson – 448 words

Hi, I have no vision at all, including not being able to see light or dark, nothing and my condition is FND and i touched typed this.

Winners of 2021-2022 theme ‘We are all connected’

Thank you to all the entrants of this year’s Peace Poster and Peace Essay Competition.

Peace Poster Winner Martha Gilson

Martha said “peace to me is the understanding of everyone in harmony”

Martha Gibson (aged 12) sponsored by Ross on Wye Lions Club  – District CW

Peace Essay Winner George Dukas

The winner of the Peace Essay Competition is George Dukas (aged 13) sponsored by Hemel Hempstead Lions Club in District A

Whoever we are we share a connection with others. We were all born into a family whose branches have spread over the years, some more than others.  We connect with our thoughts and beliefs with other groups of individuals yet we are unique and no two people, even identical twins are exactly the same. Life gives us many experiences and challenges that affect our being and those around us. We move areas, we see things our families don’t and we react in different ways. As we age the world grows smaller by visiting places outside of our circle. We gain new and different skills which enhance the person we are. We learn some lessons and modify our actions yet sometimes we can’t accept the change All of this is dependant on communications that keep us connected. Speech is the most effective tool as a voice to share. Telephone, social media in its many modes, television and the internet mean connections can be instant and over long distances. The world has become smaller even with space flight. But it is the connection of people together, close and familiar that mean the most. Spoken work is good but a look, a smile, a touch that shows someone understands and cares about another can bring such calm and peace. Empathy with another, an act of kindness towards the needy, putting yourself in their shoes goes a long way to showing the world at its best. The feeling of belonging, of not being alone is the unsurpassed. If we look towards peace in the world, doesn’t all of this mean one thing. Whoever we are and whatever we are we are not alone, we are definitely connected in some way. A huge family of humans who are different but not and who have the ability to communicate with each other, to have empathy and to make their living a better ideal. Lets join together and succeed regardless of colour, religion or language and by or connections work thorough our differences.

The global winner of the Lions International Peace Essay 2019-2020 was Joseph Critchlow, sponsored by the City of Liverpool Lions Club

The Spring 2020 LION Magazine features Joseph Critchlow (page 25):

• Link to Flip magazine
• Link to PDF Download

Global winners

• Current and previous winners of the global Peace Essay contest: https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/peace-essay
• Current Peace Poster winners from around the world: https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/peace-poster-winners
• Grand Prize Peace Poster winners since 1988: https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/start-our-approach/youth/peace-poster/grand-prize-winners

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American History Essay Contest

The American History Essay Contest was established to encourage young people to think creatively about our nation's great history and learn about history in a new light.

This contest is open to students in public, private, and parochial schools, and registered home-study programs. Students in grades five through eight are encouraged to participate. Each year, a selected topic for use during the academic year is announced, and contest instructions are published online and sent to schools by participating DAR chapters. Essays are judged for historical accuracy, adherence to the topic, organization of materials, interest, originality, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and neatness.

Participating chapters send one winning essay from each of the four grades for judging on the state level. The state will send one winning essay from each of the four grades to be judged on a divisional level. The winning essay from each of the four grades will then be judged on the national level and the winners are announced.

Each student participant receives a certificate of participation from the chapter and the chapter winners receive bronze medals and certificates. State winners receive certificates and silver medals. National winners receive special certificates, medals, and a monetary award.

Click here for an informational PDF handout . For additional contest information or guidelines, please contact your local DAR chapter .

Patriots of the American Revolution High School Essay Contest

In preparation for the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, the DAR has launched the "Patriots of the American Revolution DAR High School Essay Contest.” This contest will focus on the men and women who figured in the events of the American Revolution (1773 – 1783), and it is hoped that students will find Patriots to write about who will interest and inspire them.

These Patriots may be one of our famous Founders, or an everyday man, woman, or child who supported the American Revolution in ways both large and small.  Students will be asked to discuss how their chosen Patriot contributed to the founding of the nation. Essays will be judged for historical accuracy, organization of materials, interest, originality, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and the quality and scope of references, particularly the use of primary sources.

This contest is open to students in public, private, and parochial schools, and registered home-study programs, in grades 9 through 12. Essays from students from all grades will be judged together, with one winning essay chosen at each level. Participating DAR Chapters will select one essay as the chapter winner, to be sent on to the State level; the State will select one essay winner to represent the state for judging at the Division level, and each Division level will also have one winner which will be sent on to the National contest. Each student participant receives a certificate of participation from the chapter and the chapter winners receive a bronze medal and certificate set. State winners receive a silver medal and certificate set. Division level winners receive certificates and a book. National winners receive special certificates, medals, and a monetary award.

The National Society will select first-, second- and third-place winners. The national winner will receive a National Winner Certificate, pin and monetary award, presented at NSDAR’s annual Continental Congress, and the winning essay may appear in official DAR communications. National second- and third-place winners will also receive a certificate and monetary award.

This essay contest is being launched to engage students during the 250 th anniversary of the American Revolution, and is designed to encourage students to think more about the many different people, known and unknown, who were a part of the American Revolution, and perhaps even see themselves in the figures they write about.

For additional contest information or guidelines, please contact your  local DAR chapter .

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DAR American History Essay Contest entries due Oct. 31

The Delaware State Society and the Col. David Hall Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution are accepting entries for the American History Essay Contest for students in grades 5-8 and the Patriots of the American Revolution DAR High School Essay Contest for students in grades 9-12.

The title for the 2022-23 Essay Contest for grades 5-8 is Delegate to Second Continental Congress. The prompt reads, “The Second Continental Congress met from May 10, 1775,  to March 1, 1781, and included delegates from all 13 colonies. This Congress was instrumental in shaping what was to become the United States of America. Imagine that you are a delegate during 1775-1776. Which colony are you from and what will be important for you to accomplish for your colony?"

All grade 5-8 students in public, private or parochial schools, and those who are homeschooled are eligible. This contest is conducted without regard to race, religion, sex or national origin.

The prompt for the high school-level contest for grades 9-12 is: “Select a figure from the era of the American Revolution (1773-83). Discuss how he or she influenced the course of the American Revolution, who he or she was and his/her contribution to the founding of a new nation. Figures may be any person, whether a well-known figure or an everyday man, woman, or child who supported the American Revolution in ways large or small. Students are encouraged to use primary sources (i.e., immediate, firsthand accounts such as letters, diaries, speeches, or newspaper reports) for their research. Less well-known figures are acceptable, but subjects must have been actual participants, i.e. not fictionalized.”

All grade 9-12 students in public, private, or parochial schools, and those who are home schooled are eligible. This contest is conducted without regard to race, religion, sex, or nation.

For complete details and guidelines, contact Janet Maher, NSDAR State of Delaware American history chair, at 302-258-3327 or [email protected] .

Email entries to [email protected] by Monday, Oct. 31.

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11th Annual Humanities Days

Ai: celebrating authentic intelligence, voices, and the human experience, october 23 - 27, 2023 in-person and virtual events.

Humanities Days questions? Please contact us at: [email protected] All events are free and open to the public.

Humanities Days

October 23 - 27, 2023

Welcome to Montgomery College's 11th annual Humanities Days celebration! This annual weeklong series of events is sponsored by the Global Humanities Institute and the Paul Peck Humanities Institute of Montgomery College.    The humanities help us understand ourselves and others through language, history, and culture. They have the capacity to foster social justice and equality and they reveal how people throughout time have tried to make moral, spiritual, and intellectual sense of the world. 

Presentations, Dialogues, Workshops, and Panels

This year's theme, AI: Celebrating Authentic Intelligence, Voices, and the Human Experience demonstrates that we at Montgomery College value and celebrate authentic voices and human ingenuity. This is particularly important now as we witness the surge of artificial intelligence and the attempts to suppress the voices of various members of society. We invite members of the Montgomery College community across all disciplines and areas to explore the many ways that humans continue to use their innate intelligence to solve problems, innovate, serve, and create.

2023 Humanities Days may be offered via Zoom or In-Person:

Zoom sessions: All Humanities Days events will be recorded unless otherwise noted by the host at the beginning of their event, or listed in their program description. By participating in Zoom events, you automatically consent to such recording. If you do not consent to being recorded, you may join, but do not connect your microphone or enter text into the attendee chat. Please discuss any concerns with the host, or contact us at [email protected] .

• Are we Machines too? AI, Creative Writing and the Center of Narrative Gravity
• National Day on Writing
• Harvesting Gratitude: A Thanksgiving Address for the Spirit

10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. | Virtual Host: Jarvis Slacks, Professor of English| [email protected] Co-Host: Cinder Cooper Barnes

This presentation will discuss how Generative AI does the same thing that humans do: absorb and push out. But, unlike machines, there is a growth of one's identity that matters for the future of humanity broadly and creative writing specifically.

12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Virtual Host: Chip Gladson, Professor of English | [email protected] Co-Host: Shayla Atkins and Gina Wesley

Explore what makes machine-generated text different from human writing and discuss the value of authentic voice. Established in 2009 by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), the National Day on Writing celebrates composition in all forms – from journals, poems and letters to text messages, essays and digital stories. Share your authentic voice and embrace the human experience of writing.

2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. | Virtual Host: Angela Lanier, Instructional Designer, ELITE | [email protected] Guest speaker: Peter Brooks

Soothe your soul as Peter Brooks, under the authority of the Piscataway Indian Nation, speaks on the eternal power of gratitude by delivering a version of the Haudenosonee “Thanksgiving Address: Greetings to the Natural World.” Which are also known as the “Words Before All Else.” Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to participate in an ancient Native American ceremony which is designed to embody the spirit of thankfulness as a path to inner peace.

• Ethics Essay Contest 2023: Plagiarism, ChatGPT, and the Future of Authenticity
• Montgomery College Talking Circles - Celebrating the Uniqueness of Human Perspective, Experience, and Voice
• Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Healing Circle
• It Could Be Verse: A Chat GPT vs. MC Faculty Poetry Challenge
• The Role of the Arts and Humanities in Thinking about Artificial Intelligence
• Sidewalk Talk - You Talk, We Listen
• Frank Islam Atheneum Symposia Speaker Series Presents: Muneer Nasser
• The Robert L. Giron Global Humanities Lecture Series Presents: Award Winning Local Author Khanh Ha
• Conversation Circle - A Very Local Issue: Installation of a Historical Marker to Recognize the Lynching of Mr. John Diggs-Dorsey, 1880
• Authenticity and Creative Work: A Poetry Workshop

9:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. | Virtual Host: Daniel Jenkins, Professor of Philosophy| [email protected]

Guest Talk Title: Opacity, Accountability, and Understanding AI Many AI systems that make important decisions are black boxes: precisely how they work is opaque even to their developers. This is because they are extremely complex and because they are trained with machine learning rather than explicitly programmed. This opacity is an obstacle to ensuring proper accountability for the use and impact of AI systems.

It also stands in the way of ensuring that AI systems are used in a way that is democratically legitimate. Efforts to alleviate the opacity of black box systems are typically discussed in terms of transparency, interpretability, and explainability. However, there is little agreement about what these key concepts mean, which makes it difficult to evaluate these efforts. I argue for a unified account of interpretability and explainability that treats the concept of understanding as fundamental. Alleviating opacity, on this account, is a matter of offering explanations of an AI system that put stakeholders in a position to understand the system’s decisions. Moreover, I argue that understanding is necessary for accountability and legitimacy. This is because accountability and legitimacy require moral justification, and good moral explanations must be accurate. A false explanation cannot serve as a moral justification. So, while understanding an AI system isn’t enough, by itself, to provide accountability, it is often a necessary condition for morally justifying (or criticizing) the decisions made using AI systems.

Biography Will Fleisher is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Research Professor in the Center for Digital Ethics at Georgetown University. His areas of specialization are in the ethics of AI and in epistemology. Will’s research concerns the ethical, political, and epistemic implications of contemporary and near-term AI systems, particularly those developed using machine learning techniques. He has written about algorithmic fairness and explainable AI. 

He also maintains a research program in the epistemology of inquiry. His work has been published in AAAI/ACM conference proceedings and in leading philosophy journals, including Noûs, Philosophical Studies, and Philosophy of Science. Before Georgetown, Will was a postdoctoral fellow in the Experiential AI program at Northeastern University and a McDonnell Postdoctoral Fellow in the Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology program at Washington University in St. Louis. He received his PhD in Philosophy from Rutgers University.

9:30 a.m. -10:45 a.m. In-person: GT-BE 160 | Germantown Campus Map new window Host: Maria Sprehn, Instructional Faculty Anthropology | [email protected]

Join us for another Montgomery College talking circle as Jess McPherson facilitates discussions aimed at supporting our authentic human experience in a growing landscape that emphasizes technology and artificial intelligence. A talking circle is a strategic listening tool encouraging open thought contribution on difficult or important subjects in a respectful environment free from judgement. It is a methodology commonly used in and attributed to Indigenous communities. Jess McPherson is an artist, master craftsperson, and arts & culture strategist. She carries a strong belief in the ability of the arts to build robust and thriving communities, central to her approach to social impact and change making. She is a Native of the lower Susquehanna, a Susquehanna Indian of Pennsylvania German and Shawnee descent. She currently owns and operates Jess McPherson Arts & Consulting in York, PA, serving Native and non-Native communities throughout the MidAtlantic.

10:00 a.m. -11:30 a.m. In-person: RV-Mannakee Building (MK) 122 | Rockville Campus Map new window Host: Sue Haddad, Interim Associate Dean | [email protected] Co-Host: Lisa Evans

Facilitated conversations in the Healing Circle encourage self-reflection, openness, and communication among the participants. This is an initiative of the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AACU), with a steering committee at MC.

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. In–person: TPSS-P3 217 ​| Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Map Host: David Lott, Professor of ELAP TPSS and Poetry Editor, Sligo Journal| [email protected] Co-Hosts: Heather Satrom

This session shares a few short samples of verse poetry by Chat GPT and by MC faculty and features a discussion with the audience of key differences in the poems (if any!).

11:00 a.m. -12:15 p.m. In-person: GT-BE 160 | Germantown Campus Map new window Host: Maria Sprehn, Instructional Faculty Anthropology | [email protected]

Join us for another Montgomery College talking circle as Jess McPherson facilitates discussions aimed at supporting our authentic human experience in a growing landscape that emphasizes technology and artificial intelligence. A talking circle is a strategic listening tool encouraging open thought contribution on difficult or important subjects in a respectful environment free from judgement. It is a methodology commonly used in and attributed to Indigenous communities. Jess McPherson is an artist, master craftsperson, and arts & culture strategist. She carries a strong belief in the ability of the arts to build robust and thriving communities, central to her approach to social impact and change making. She is a Native of the lower Susquehanna, a Susquehanna Indian of Pennsylvania German and Shawnee descent. She currently owns and operates Jess McPherson Arts & Consulting in York, PA, serving Native and non-Native communities throughout the MidAtlantic. 

11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Virtual Host: Deborah Taylor, Professor| [email protected] Co-Host: Cinder Cooper Barnes

Students will create a presentation discussing how the humanities can shed light and complicate the use of AI to generate artwork and writing. Students might address ethical questions as well as questions about power. The presentation would be 25 to 30 minutes. Following that, students will present questions to allow groups to discuss.

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. In-person: TPSS-ST Atrium Ground floor | Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Map new window Host: Stacey Peterson, Professor and Chair ELAP, Linguistics and Communication Studies, Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus| [email protected] Co-host: Schnell Garrett

Montgomery College Community Listeners will be available to lend their ears and provide heart-centered, judgment-free listening about anything you want to chat about.

12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. In-person: GT-Globe Hall | Germantown Campus Map new window Host: Vivian Chang, Administrative Aide III, ELAP, Linguistics, and Communication Studies| [email protected]

Raised in New York City under the tutelage of the great bassist Jamil Nasser, Muneer Nasser’s exposure to the jazz idiom was early and powerful. He attended Shaw University, where he hosted a weekly jazz broadcast on WSHA; then, he transferred to Howard University, joining a thriving jazz scene in Washington DC, and earning his BBA. An award-winning author, Nasser has performed at the Lincoln Theatre, Bohemian Caverns, Twins Jazz, Takoma Station, Westminster Church, and the Kennedy Center, as well as in Paris, Turkey, Morocco, London, and Geneva, and has written and conducted original music for the University of Maryland jazz ensemble. Light refreshments will be served. 

1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. In-person: TPSS-CU 105 | Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Map new window Host: Cinder Cooper Barnes, Professor and Director of The Global Humanities Institute| [email protected]

Khanh Ha is a nine-time Pushcart nominee, finalist for The Ohio State University Fiction Collection Prize, Mary McCarthy Prize, Many Voices Project, Prairie Schooner Book Prize, The University of New Orleans Press Lab Prize, Prize Americana, and The Santa Fe Writers Project. He is the recipient of the Sand Hills Prize for Best Fiction, The Robert Watson Literary Prize in Fiction, The Orison Anthology Award for Fiction, The James Knudsen Prize for Fiction, The C&R Press Fiction Prize, The EastOver Fiction Prize, The Blackwater Press Fiction Prize, The Gival Press Novel Award, and The Red Hen Press Fiction Award.

Recommended media: Heartbreak Grass new window

Light refreshments will be served.

6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. In-person: TPSS-P4 203 | Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Map new window Host: Glenda Hernandez Tittle, Professor of  School of Education| [email protected] Co-Host: Montgomery County Lynching Memorial Project (MoCoLMP)

Conversation circle about the Installation of a Historical Marker to Recognize the Lynching of Mr. John Diggs-Dorsey, 1880.

7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. | Virtual Host: Jona Colson, Associate Professor of English| [email protected] Co-Host: Jamie Gillan

How do you write an original poem when "everything" has been written? Let's focus on the twists and surprises of a poem (torque) and what is essential and needed in the poem (profit). No AI can generate this. Participants will examine iconic poems of authentic voices as well as work by new writers as models and prompts.

• Sligo Journal Poetry Celebration
• The Dorsey Archaeology Project in Sugarland: Early African American Community Artifacts Come to Life
• Visible Mending Workshop with Artist in Residence Charlotte Richardson-Deppe
• What’s the Cost of a Shortcut? Exploring the Pros & Cons of Using Generative AI in the Research Process
• Muses and Machines, Steering the AI Symphony with Human Brilliance
• Fun with ASL Awareness
• Use Your (A)uthentic (I)ntelligence to Envision New Ways to Use Vintage Needlework

9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | Virtual Host: Greg Wahl, Professor of English and Contributing Editor| [email protected] Co-Host: Michael LeBlanc and David Lott

MC students and faculty will read, interpret, and appreciate poetry from the Sligo Journal. The Sligo Journal is an online, campus- and community-based arts and letters journal which features the work of the Montgomery College-Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus and the Takoma Park/Silver Spring community. The journal features original art, photography, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry in English as well as in Arabic, French, and Spanish with the translation, when possible.

11:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. In–person: RV-HU 009 | Rockville Campus Map new window Host: Tara Tetrault, Archaeologist & Anthropology Instructional Faculty| [email protected]

Join Professor MC Anthropology Professor Tara Tetrault; Sugarland Descendant, Suzanne Johnson; and Dorsey Site Assistant Lab Director Caitlyn Adams as they work on artifacts from the Dorsey Site in Sugarland new window . The Dorsey site was established post-Civil war as a self-sufficient African American community on 200 acres in Montgomery County. Guests are invited to drop by HU 009 (Rockville Campus) between 11 am and 3:30 pm to learn about the Dorsey history, see what artifacts we are working on, and learn how to support and participate in the project next year. 

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. In–person: Sarah Silberman Art Gallery on the second floor of the Paul Peck Art Building | Rockville Campus Map new window Host: Amanda Miller, Professor of Art| [email protected]

Mending makes us care more about what we hold dear. As collaborative artist-in-residence at Montgomery College, Charlotte Richardson-Deppe will explore themes of social and environmental justice via sewing and mending practices. Participants are invited to bring a worn clothing item to repair in way that is both functional and artistic, contributing to a library of creatively mended garments. As they work with found textiles, including their own discarded clothing, students will examine themes of care, sustainability, and consumerism. The workshop will take place in the Sarah Silberman Gallery, Art Building, Rockville Campus.

12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Virtual Host: Jenny Hatleberg, Head Librarian for Arts and Humanities | [email protected] Co-Host: Chip Gladson

Tools like ChatGPT and Bing, which use generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), are having a powerful impact on higher education. As students are working on assignments, they may want to use these tools for a variety of reasons. In this session, we will explore the potential pros and cons of using generative AI for student research, considering questions like: Is it ethical to use ChatGPT to come up with a research topic? How should content from ChatGPT be cited in a research paper (should it be allowed at all)? Which aspects of the research process can only be done well by a human? Participants will have the opportunity to see demonstrations of ChatGPT, discuss ethical and practical questions around the use of generative AI, and consider implications for their education and future careers.

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. | Virtual Host: Michele Knight, Instructional Designer| [email protected] Co-Hosts: Angela Lanier

When the words “Artificial Intelligence” are used next to “Creative Arts,” there can be a tendency to view the use of such technologies as a foe to the artistic process. Many creatives are purists, believing that the creative arts and artificial technology cannot peacefully co-exist. While the human element is essential to creative endeavors, this presentation will encourage artistic individuals to explore the intersection between AI tools and human ingenuity to imagine a possibility where creativity flourishes. AI tools for music production and creative writing will be explored. While these tools open new creative horizons, this presentation will show how the AI symphony is steered with human brilliance.

2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. In–person: RV-HU 222 | Rockville Campus Map new window Host: Natalie Grindstaff, Associate Professor, Humanities| [email protected] Co-Host: Yolander Lewis and Cristina Butler

Introduce ASL playing some games and questions

3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. In–person: RV-SC 152 | Rockville Campus Map new window Host: Angela Lanier, Instructional Designer, ELITE| [email protected] Guest Facilitator: Lauren Kingsland

This hands on workshop will be led by quilt artist Lauren Kingsland. Participants will receive a packet of textiles from which to shape their own object honoring needle arts past and future. Create! Reimagine! Supply kits will be provided; however, you are welcome to bring any of your own special needles, thread, and scissors if you choose. If interested, check out a recommended text, Women's Work, The First 20,000 Years by Elizabeth Wayland Barber new window , for a look at the history of our oldest technology.

• History in the Making: Documenting Stories of Immigrant and Refugee Students at Montgomery College
• Speaking Out: LGBTQ+ Voices
• When Will AI Find Us: Black Archives & Narratives of Humanity
• We've Got AI, or Does AI Have Us? 
• Women and Science Fiction

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. In–person: TPSS-P3 217 | Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Map new window Host: Heather Bruce Satrom, Professor of ELAP| [email protected] Co-Hosts: David Lott

Oral history, a collaborative creation between a narrator and an interviewer, can be an effective method for gathering information about the past from a personal perspective. The speaker will share her experience conducting oral history interviews of 17 current and former MC students. The result of the project is an Open Educational Resource featuring recorded interviews and related materials. The interviewees represent 16 countries, including Afghanistan, China, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Iran, Israel, Syria, Ukraine, and Venezuela. They witnessed some of the most historically significant events of our time and then came to Montgomery County to rebuild their lives. Students who attend this event will learn the basics of conducting oral history interviews, and faculty will learn how the OER could be used as a teaching tool in a variety of disciplines. All participants will discover inspiring stories of resilience and hope.

11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Virtual Host: Esther Schwartz-McKinzie, Professor of English| [email protected] Co-Host: Greg Wahl

During this event, participants from the 2022 interview project, Speaking Out: Families of LGBTQ+ Advance the Dialogue, will share their experiences of self-discovery and growth. In addition, members of the MC community will provide insight into current national and local politics... what are the trends, what do they mean, and how can we ensure that members of the LGBTQ+ community feel safe and welcomed in Montgomery County?

For information about the project, see: Speaking Out: Families of LGBTQ+ Advance the Dialogue new window  

2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. | Virtual Host: Sylvea Hollis, African and African American History| [email protected] Co-Host: Angela Lanier

This talk explores Professor Hollis’ preliminary thoughts about AI as a site of knowledge production and its implications for everyday people who seek to understand Black History. It foregrounds black feminist theory and asks important historical questions. How accessible is Black History within the AI? How accurate is Black History within AI? What kind of tools/products could be useful in future iterations of this technology? Why do such questions matter? A version of this talk was given before cybersecurity professionals at Squadcon (a part of Black Hat/Defcon) and this version of talk will incorporate their feedback and questions.

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Virtual Host: Dianne L. Cherry, Professor of Communication Studies | [email protected] Co-Host: Angela Lanier

Artificial Intelligence and other technological advances have influenced our Humanities classes by offering us and our students multiple ways of engaging in learning. Who controls these advances - us, or the technology? Join this Humanities Days session to explore ways to manage "speed of light" educational tools with colleagues from across disciplines.

6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. | Virtual Host: Deborah Taylor, Professor| [email protected] Co-Host: Fiona Glade

A brief presentation about feminist science fiction and cyborgs followed by discussion. Some books covered will be He, She, It by Marge Piercy, Cinder by Marisa Meyer, amongst others. Are cyborgs going to take over the world one day? We can’t know for sure, but feminist fiction imagines the best and worst that cyborgs can do for humanity. Some of the books will make you hopeful, and others, a little scared. The audience will offer its own insights into the place of cyborgs.

Supported by the Women and Gender Studies Program

• The Wonders of Midjourney and the Ethics of Generative AI
• Digital Storytelling: Celebrating the Voices of MC Students
• Come with us if you want to live (and vote)! Artificial Intelligence, Fear, and Voting in the Modern U.S.
• In Honor of Humanities Days, Montgomery College Presents: A Conversation with Award-Winning Author and Historian, Dr. Gerald Horne

9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. | Virtual Host: Matthew Decker, Professor of English| [email protected] Co-Host: Sara Parent-Ramos

In response to text-based prompts, Midjourney, a relatively new form of AI, generates images. Since the images depend on the sentence structure, vocabulary, and detail employed by the user, Midjourney creates the opportunity for budding writers to test how their writing is interpreted. Similarly, those who dabble in creative fiction can bring their imagined worlds to life with a simple copy and paste. However, while Midjourney may be a fun tool students could use to harness language skills, generative AI presents an ethical puzzle for users and, of course, creatives! Please join us as we investigate Midjourney's fascinating intersection of language, art, and ethics!

10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Virtual Host: Megan Howard, Professor of English| [email protected] Co-Host: Chip Gladson

Digital Storytelling uses technology as a vehicle for the expression of human voices and experiences. At the center of digital storytelling is not the technology itself, but the human process of communication and connection through story. At Montgomery College, digital storytelling provides a platform for our diverse students to share their stories with the larger community, both highlighting and amplifying their unique voices. Join the Digital Storytelling Interns as they demonstrate how they prioritize authenticity of human experiences in digital stories.

1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. In-person: RV-TC 136 | Rockville Campus Map new window Host: Joseph Stumpf, Rockville Chair for History and Political Science| [email protected] Facilitators: Andrew Nolan and Sunil Dasgupta

Fears over technology becoming self-aware have played an outsized role in the United States, from the stagings of the dystopic play R.U.R. during the Great Depression to the images of nuclear devastation unleashed by Skynet in the Terminator films. Join a discussion by Andrew Nolan (UMBC History Program Director at the Universities at Shady Grove) and Sunil Dasgupta (UMBC Political Science Program Director at the Universities at Shady Grove) as they explore how concerns about self-aware technology emerged in both twentieth- and early twenty-first-century U.S. culture and how AI also shapes discussions about information, elections, and the ways that people imagine their futures.

Dr. Horne holds the John J. and Rebecca Moores Chair of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston. He is the author of over 40 books including his soon-to-be released, Dare I Say, the Gerald Horne Reader and the recently released , Acknowledging Radical Histories: Conversations with Gerald Horne .

The first 50 students will receive a free copy of Dr. Horne's latest book! Books will also be available for sale in the lobby.

7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Host: Cinder Cooper Barnes, Professor and Director of The Global Humanities Institute | [email protected] book signing to follow Doors open:   6:00 p.m. Reception:   6:30 p.m. Location: Cultural Arts Center, Main Theater, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus new window Montgomery College 931 King Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910 Garage parking available. 

Co-Sponsored by: African Diaspora & Heritage Committee; Global Humanities Institute; Institute for Race, Justice, and Civic Engagement; the Paul Peck Humanities Institute; and WPFW (89.3fm)

2023 Humanities Days Committee

Cinder Barnes | Global Humanities Institute director and Professor of English, Takoma Park/Silver Spring  Dianne Cherry | Professor of Communication Studies, Takoma Park/Silver Spring  Florence Gadson | Administrative Aide II Jamie Gillan | Paul Peck Humanities Institute director Chip Gladson | Professor of English, Germantown, co-coordinator of the Digital Storytelling Internship, Level 1 Kyoko Enomoto | Analyst/Programmer Web Services Shelley Jones | Professor of Spanish, World Languages, Takoma Park/Silver Spring  Angela Lanier | Instructional Designer, ELITE  Om Rusten | Administrative Aide II, Campus Commons, Rockville  Andrew Scheppler | Interim Rockville IT Campus Manager

MC Disclosure

Here are the facts about this week’s Humanities Days virtual presentations, dialogues, workshops, and panels and privacy as it relates to Zoom and your participation:

• Please note that all Humanities Days events will be recorded (with the exception of where mentioned, or listed, that the event will not be recorded). By participating in this event, you automatically consent to such recording. If you do not consent to being recorded, you may join, but do not connect your microphone or enter text into the attendee chat. Please discuss any concerns with the host.
• All the material appearing in this conference is the property of the original author(s) and is protected by copyright under U.S. copyright laws. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, publish, display, perform, modify, create derivative works, transmit, or in any way exploit any such content, nor may you distribute any part of this content without the approval of the original author(s). Violators of this policy may face disciplinary action and/or legal action.
• We obtain data when you use Zoom in order to deliver our college services and provide a better experience to you. The categories of data we obtain when you use Zoom include data you provide to us as well as data that our system collects from you. We do not sell your personal data.
• During use of Zoom. When you use Zoom, some data will be disclosed to other participants and to meeting or webinar hosts. For instance, when you attend a meeting, your name might appear in the attendee list. If you turn on your video camera, your image will be shown. If you send a chat or share content, that can be viewed by others in the chat or the meeting. For more information on Zoom privacy: https://zoom.us/privacy new window .

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• Writing Tips

7 Essay Writing Contests to Look Out For in 2023

7-minute read

• 28th December 2022

Essay contests are not only a great way to exercise your essay-writing skills but also an awesome way to win cash prizes, scholarships, and internship or program opportunities. They also look wonderful on college applications as awards and achievements.

In this article, you’ll learn about 7 essay writing contests to enter in 2023. Watch the video below, or keep reading to learn more.

1. Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest 

Deadline: Now–April 30, 3023

Who may enter:

This is an international contest for people of all ages (except for residents of Syria, Iran, North Korea, Crimea, Russia, and Belarus due to US government restrictions).

Contest description:

●  The contest is organized by Winning Writers, located in MA, USA.

●  They accept stories and essays on any theme, up to 6,000 words each. This contest defines a story as any short work of fiction and an essay as any short work of nonfiction.

●  Your stories and essays must be submitted in English.

●  You may submit published or unpublished work.

Entry fee: USD 22 per entry

●  Story: First Prize is USD 3,000.

●  Essay: First Prize is USD 3,000.

●  10 Honorable Mentions will receive USD 300 each (any category).

●  The top 12 entries will be published online.

Official website

Please visit the competition’s official website for more information on judges and submissions.

2. 2023 Calibre Essay Prize 

Deadline: Now–January 15, 2023, 11:59 pm

Who may enter: All ages and any nationality or residency are accepted.

●  This contest is hosted by the Australian Book Review.

●  Your essay must be between 2,000 and 5,000 words.

●  You may submit nonfiction essays of all kinds, e.g., personal, political, literary, or speculative.

●  You may enter multiple essays but will need to pay separate fees for each one.

●  Your essay must be unpublished.

Entry fee: AU 30 for non-members

Prize: AU 7,500

Official website:

For more information on this contest, please visit its official website.

3. John Locke Institute Essay Competition 

Deadline: June 30, 2023

●  Students from any country.

●  Students aged 15 to 18 years by the competition deadline.

●  Students aged 14 years or younger by the competition deadline are eligible for the Junior prize.

●  The contest is organized by the John Locke Institute.

●  Your essay cannot exceed 2,000 words.

●  There are seven subjects or categories for essay submissions: Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, and Law.

Entry fee: Free to enter

●  The best overall essay winner receives an honorary John Locke Fellowship, which comes with a USD 10,000 scholarship to attend one or more summer schools or gap year courses.

●  There is also a prize for the best essay in each category. The prize for each winner of a subject category and the Junior category is a scholarship worth USD 2,000 toward the cost of a summer program.

●  All winning essays will be published on the Institute’s website.

For more information about this competition and the John Locke Institute, please visit the official website . Also, be sure to check out our article on all you need to know about this contest.

4. The American Foreign Service Association 2023 Essay Competition 

Deadline: April 3, 2023

●  Students in grades 9–12 in any of the 50 states, DC, the US territories, or if they are US citizens or lawful permanent residents attending high school overseas.

●  Students attending a public, private, or parochial school.

●  Home-schooled students.

●  Your essay should be 1,000–1,500 words.

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●  You will select a country or region in which the United States Foreign Service has been involved at any point since 1924 and describe how the Foreign Service was successful or unsuccessful in advancing American foreign policy goals – including promoting peace – in this country or region and propose ways in which it might continue to improve those goals in the coming years.

●  Your essay should follow MLA guidelines.

●  Your essay should use a variety of sources.

●  The first-place winner receives USD 2,500, a paid trip to the nation’s capital from anywhere in the U.S. for the winner and their parents, and an all-expense-paid educational voyage courtesy of Semester at Sea.

●  The runner-up receives USD 1,250 and full tuition to attend a summer session of the National Student Leadership Conference’s International Diplomacy program.

Please visit the American Foreign Service website for more information.

5. The Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) 2023 Essay Contest 

Deadline: Mid-February 2023–June 1, 2023

Who may enter: High school (including homeschooled), college, and graduate students worldwide.

●  The 2023 essay contest topic is marriages and proposals.

●  High school students may focus on Pride and Prejudice only or bring in other Austen works.

●  Undergraduate and graduate students should discuss at least two Austen novels of their choice.

●  Your essay must be in MLA format and 6 to 8 pages (not including your Works Cited page).

●  Your essay must be written in English.

●  First place wins a USD 1,000 scholarship.

●  Second place wins a USD 500 scholarship.

●  Third place wins a USD 250 scholarship.

●  Winners will also receive one year of membership in JASNA, publication of their essays on this website, and a set of Norton Critical Editions of Jane Austen’s novels.

For more information and submission guidelines, please visit JASNA’s official website .

6. 2023 Writing Contest: Better Great Achievements by EngineerGirl

Deadline: February 1, 2023

●  Students in Grades 3–12. If international or homeschooled, please select your grade level based on if you were attending a public school in the U.S.

●  This contest is organized by EngineerGirl.

●  Students should write a piece that shows how female or non-white engineers have contributed to or can enhance engineering’s great achievements.

●  You should choose one of the 20 Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century as a topic and explore the technologies developed in the last century and the new ones being developed today. Make sure to follow the specific guidelines for your grade level.

●  Essays should be 650–750 words based on your grade level.

●  Please visit the contest’s website to see specific requirements based on your grade.

Winners in each grade category will receive the prizes listed below:

●  First-place winners will be awarded USD 500.

●  Second-place entries will be awarded USD 250 .

●  Third-place entries will be awarded USD 100 .

For more information and submission guidelines, please visit the official website .

7. World Historian Student Essay Competition

Deadline: May 1, 2023

Who may enter: Students enrolled in Grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools and home-study programs worldwide.

●  Your essay must address the following issue: In what way has the study of world history affected my understanding of the world in which I live?

●  Your essay should be 1,000 words.

Prizes: USD 500

For more information and submission requirements, please visit the contest’s official website.

Essay contests are a great way to expand your writing skills, discuss a topic that is important to you, and earn prize money and opportunities that will be great for you in the long term. Check out our articles on writing thesis statements, essay organization, and argumentative writing strategies to ensure you take first place every time.

If you need help with your essays and would like to make sure that every comma is in place, we will proofread your first 500 words for free !

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Education | Arnold Elementary fifth grader wins national…

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Education | Arnold Elementary fifth grader wins national investment essay competition

“I learned a lot and hope to use what I learned in the future,” Zacharia said in an Aug. 28 news release.

Anne Arundel County Public Schools offers The Stock Market Game in partnership with the Maryland Council on Economic Education, a Towson University-based nonprofit focused on teaching personal finance and economics. The game is an online simulation of the global capital markets designed for students from kindergarten to high school.

“Teaching students about financial literacy and encouraging them to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios helps prepare students to make informed decisions and build a foundation for future success,” said Shauna Kauffman, principal of Arnold Elementary School, in the release.

Zacharia beat 959 other elementary school students from across the county.

“It’s exciting to have someone so young win an award for such a complicated subject,” said Kauffman. “I feel that his essay really highlights the value of empowering our students with learning opportunities in all areas.”

For winning the competition, Zacharia will receive a new laptop, a camera and a $50 cash prize. Amy Phillips, who brought the Stock Market Game club to Arnold Elementary School, received a $750 award. The school gets a trophy to display and funds for a student celebration during the school year.

“[Phillips] is the one who really recognized the importance of teaching students financial literacy, so she helped guide them in their financial decisions during the club, and she provided them with a structured yet risk-free environment to put their learning into action,” said Kauffman.

In his essay, Zacharia described which investments performed the best, and provided recommendations for hypothetical future investments. Zacharia said he only invested in companies that don’t use fossil fuels because, as part of the game, he and his classmates identified a goal of preventing pollution.

“I enjoyed learning about the economy and seeing how I can make money and help the environment too,” Zacharia wrote in his essay. “I am one step closer to lessening climate change by investing in the environment.”

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The Audacity.

The Audacious Book Club Essay Contest Winners

And details about the next contest, for fiction, horror, oh my.

At the end of Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s Bite by Bite, she offered a series of writing prompts and when we invited you to write an essay inspired by one of those prompts, more than a hundred of you accepted the challenge. There were so many wonderful essays about your experiences with food, family, friends, how you define home, and much more. It was challenging to winnow the submissions into a list of fifteen finalists and even more difficult to pick a winner. Aimee, herself, read those finalists’ essays and picked a winner and three runners up (who will each receive $250). Congratulations to everyone who participated and especially the winner and runners up. The winning essay will be published toward the end of November, so keep an eye out.

Instant Pot Time Machine by Taj Zaidi

Daring to Love a Durian Fruit by Felicia Chang Junk Food by Caroline Diggins Tomato by Laura Khoudari

Queen of the Casseroles by Marcelle Beaulieu Coming for the Chopping by Amy Chadwick Cooking My Father Back to Life by Caroline Hagood The Kitchen With Two Doors by Kristina Kasparian Quenelle de Brochet by Jessica Palmer Parsley by Susannah Pratt Shelf Life of Milk and Oranges by Parlei Riviere Calabacitas by Liza Sparks Anything But Cooking, Please by Sonora Taylor Congee is My Security Blanke t by Hui Tran Growing Up by Yi Youn Kim Our Bite by Bite inspired writing contest was so fun and you guys wrote so many wonderful essays that we’re going to do it again. This time, the category is… Horror. One of my favorite things about Gretchen Felker-Martin’s Cuckoo was the way she wrote a horror story that felt utterly original and reminded us that the ways our society treats people on the margins is far greater a horror than any dark imagining of the monsters beneath our beds.

We will be accepting entries for your best horror stories ( fiction only) from now until October 15th at midnight. Stories must be no longer than 3,500 words. The winner will receive $2,500, publication in The Audacity , and a one-hour Zoom session where I offer feedback on up to 25 pages (double-spaced) of your fiction or non-fiction prose. Winners will be announced by December 2nd.

The submission link is below.

This post is for paid subscribers

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Cosmos Institute

Your Ideas on Human Autonomy in the AI Age Could Take You to a Feast at Oxford

To celebrate launch week, we are announcing the cosmos essay contest.

Think you can offer a fresh perspective on AI x human flourishing , or new ways to mine the wisdom of the past?

We are pleased to announce the Cosmos Essay Contest , with a prize for the best essay in response to the following question:

How should AI be developed or governed to protect and enhance human autonomy, safeguarding both freedom of thought and freedom of action?

The Essay Prize:

The winner will receive an all-expenses paid trip (travel, accommodations, and ticket valued at up to $2,500) to the inaugural Cosmos Feast at the University of Oxford’s Museum of Natural History on November 15th, 2024.

This Feast is an exclusive gathering of ~100 visionary leaders in tech, academia, and philanthropy, confronting urgent challenges and charting a course for AI to serve humanity's highest aspirations. 

You'll engage in mind-expanding dialogues, meet inspiring leaders and new collaborators, and enjoy an enchanting black-tie dinner under the dinosaurs at one of the world's most beautiful campuses. 

You will also be invited to join an afternoon symposium prior to the Feast, to explore philosophy and AI research directions that extend human reason and a culture of freedom, both in the present and in the far future.

Key Contest Information:

Entries should be a maximum of 2,500 words in length and are to be submitted as a PDF document through this online form .

The deadline for entries is 11:59 pm CST on Tuesday, October 1st, 2024.

We welcome a blend of philosophical insight with technical vision.

Not a natural writer? We value the quality of ideas over exposition, so don't be deterred if your background is technical or expertise isn't prose.

The winning submission may be published on the Cosmos Substack.

For more details, see the terms and conditions in the online form above.

To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Ready for more?

Realizing the benefits of human genetics and genomics research for people everywhere.

Annual DNA Day Essay Contest

ASHG is proud to support National DNA Day through the Annual DNA Day Essay Contest. DNA Day commemorates the completion of the Human Genome Project in April 2003 and the discovery of the double helix of DNA in 1953.

This contest is open to students in grades 9-12 worldwide and asks students to examine, question, and reflect on important concepts in genetics. Essays are expected to be well-reasoned arguments that indicate a deep understanding of scientific concepts related to the essay question. They are evaluated by ASHG members through three rounds of scoring.

2024 Question

Many human diseases have a genetic component. Some diseases result from a change in a single gene or even multiple genes. Yet, many diseases are complex and stem from an interaction between genes and the environment. Environmental factors may include chemicals in the air or water, nutrition, microbes, ultraviolet radiation from the sun and social context. Provide an example of how the interplay of genetics and environment can shape human health.

Important Dates

• Early January, 2024: Submission site opens
• March 6, 2024: Submission site closes
• April 25, 2024: DNA Day! Winners and Honorable Mentions announced

1st Place Winner: $1,000 for student $1,000 genetics materials grant

2nd Place Winner: $600 for student $600 genetics materials grant

3rd Place Winner: $400 for student $400 genetics materials grant

Honorable Mentions : 10 student prizes of $100 each

Questions? Email [email protected]

The rubric below is used by judges to evaluate every essay in the second and third rounds of judging.

Rules & Requirements

• No LLM (large-language model) tool will be accepted as a credited author on this essay. That is because any attribution of authorship carries with it accountability for the work, and AI tools cannot take such responsibility. Students using LLM tools should document this use in the citations section.
• Essays must be submitted by a teacher or administrator and written by high school students (grades 9-12) in the U.S. and internationally. Parents may submit essays if the student is home schooled.
• Essays must be written by one individual student; group submissions are not permitted.
• Essays must be in English and no more than 750 words. Word count includes in-text citations, but not reference lists.
• Submissions should not include the student’s name in the essay text. This helps with impartial judging.
• Essays must include at least one reference. References should be clearly documented with both in-text citations and in the references list. The reference list should be separately entered in the “References” section of the submission page.
• APA or MLA style can be used for citations. There is no limit on how many references students may use, but they should avoid too many references, as judges want to know the student’s opinion on the question and not the opinion of the resources.
• Quality of references will be considered by judges when scoring.
• Only classroom teachers are eligible for the equipment grant.
• Teachers of first-place winners from 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 are not eligible for equipment grants in 2024.

Please Note Text from essays may be used for research purposes to identify misconceptions, misunderstandings, and areas of student interest in genetics. Student text may be published on the ASHG website, newsletter, or in other ASHG publications.

Plagiarism will not be tolerated. The text of the student’s essay must be his or her own words unless quotations are explicitly noted. If plagiarism is suspected during any point of the contest, the essay in question will be examined. Essays found to contain the uncited work of others will be disqualified and the student’s teacher will be notified. Plagiarism.org gives a helpful explanation of what plagiarism is.

How many essays can one student submit? Only one entry per student.

How many essays can one teacher submit on behalf of students? Each teacher may submit up to six student essays per class, for up to three classes.

What are low-quality a high-quality sources? A low-quality source is one that doesn’t guarantee accurate information, such as Wikipedia. High-quality sources include research journals, such as those accessible through PubMed.

What is included in the 750-word count, and what is not?

• All text in the essay, in-line citations/references, headings and titles, and image captions are included in the word count
• The reference list is the only text not included in the word count.

Should references have a separate page? The reference list will be submitted separately in the “references” section of the submission site. Everything will be included on one page once the essay is submitted.

Is there a standard font or margin size preferred? No. Once the essay is copied and pasted into the submission site, it will be formatted to fit our standard margins and fonts.

How do I submit my essay if my teacher cannot do it for me? Try to find any other teacher or guidance counselor at your school who can submit for you. If this isn’t an option, please email us at [email protected] .

Can my guidance counselor or another school administrator submit my essay for me? Yes.

Can I submit for my student who is currently studying abroad? Students must be studying at the same school as the teacher who submits their essays.

Can I change information after I have submitted? No, please make sure all information is correct before submitting because it will be final.

How does the teacher vouch for the originality of the student’s work? Your submission represents your authentication that the essays are the original work of your students.

I submitted late. Will my essay still be judged? Late submissions will not be judged.

Where’s the confirmation email? It may take some time for the email to get to you. If you haven’t received it by the end of the day, either check your junk mailbox or double check that the email address you provided is correct. If neither of those options work, email [email protected] .

Summarized below are some of the most common issues judges note in reading submitted essays.

• Too much focus on details. A focus on details to the detriment of demonstrating a clear understanding of the big picture. Judges are much more forgiving of errors in details than errors in fundamental concepts and larger ideas.
• Overstating. Sweeping and grandiose overstatements of the current/future state and/or utility of biotechnology or biomedical science.
• Inaccuracy in technical language. Judges know you do not know all the “science jargon,” so don’t feel obligated to use it.
• Lack of in-text citations in, or lack of citations for information that is not considered common knowledge. If you got the information from somewhere else, cite the source.
• Using out-of-date references. Scientific understanding changes very rapidly, and references that are more than five years old are likely to have outdated ideas.
• Using too many quotes. Although occasional use is warranted, too many quotes lead judges to think the author doesn’t grasp the topic.

Check out the links below for excerpts from past winners’ essays!

Want to become a judge? If you are a current-year ASHG member, you will receive an email each February inviting you to volunteer. If you did not receive the email or cannot locate it, please contact [email protected] . You can also volunteer by the visiting the ASHG involvement page. You may forward the judge recruiting email ONLY to fellow ASHG current members. The deadline to sign up as a judge is the usually the end of February for that year’s Contest. If you have questions about future years, please contact [email protected]

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Samara Oblast, Russia

The capital city of Samara oblast: Samara .

Samara Oblast - Overview

Samara Oblast is a federal subject of Russia located in the southeastern part of European Russia, in the middle reaches of the Volga River, part of the Volga Federal District. Samara is the capital city of the region.

The population of Samara Oblast is about 3,132,000 (2022), the area - 53,565 sq. km.

Samara oblast flag

Samara oblast coat of arms.

Samara oblast map, Russia

Samara oblast latest news and posts from our blog:.

15 February, 2020 / Syzran - the view from above .

4 April, 2019 / Cities of Russia at Night - the Views from Space .

26 January, 2018 / Samara - the view from above .

4 December, 2017 / Stadiums and Matches of the World Cup 2018 in Russia .

21 November, 2016 / Park of the History of Equipment in Tolyatti .

More posts..

History of Samara Oblast

The territory of the present Samara region became part of the Russian state in the middle of the 16th century, after the Kazan and Astrakhan khanates were conquered by the Russian state. In the 17th-18th centuries, the territory around the middle Volga was colonized by migrants from other regions of Russia and foreigners (in particular, the Volga Germans).

The intensified colonization of the region began only in the second half of the 18th century. From the mid 19th century, this region experienced economic growth. Samara became an important center of the Russian domestic grain market, which led to the development of trade and industry in the city. In 1851, Samara became the center of Samara guberniya (province).

In 1935, Samara was renamed into Kuybyshev (the historical name was returned in 1990). In Soviet times, industrialization had a serious impact on the development of the region. Construction of plants producing explosives, poisonous substances and ammunition began in the town of Chapayevsk.

During the Second World War, the region became one of the centers of the defense industry of the USSR. In 1941, an oil processing plant was put into operation in Syzran providing the army with fuel. Several aviation plants were evacuated to Kuybyshev from Moscow and Voronezh. They started production of “Il-2” attack aircraft.

More Historical Facts…

In 1942, a railway passed through Syzran to supply Soviet troops during the Stalingrad Battle. In 1941-1943, diplomatic missions of foreign countries to the USSR were located in Kuybyshev (Samara). In 1941, there were plans for transferring the capital of the country to Kuybyshev in case the German troops capture Moscow.

In the 1950s-1960s, this region was one of the leading centers of oil extracting in the USSR. In 1945-1951, Kuybyshev and Novokuybyshev oil processing plants were built. At the same time, construction of Zhiguli hydroelectric power station was resumed. It was put into operation in 1955. Because of this construction, the town of Stavropol was flooded and was rebuilt in a new place and received a new name - Tolyatti.

Later, the construction base created during the construction of Zhiguli hydroelectric power station was used to create a series of other large industrial enterprises in Tolyatti - “KuybyshevAzot” mineral fertilizer plant, “Tolyattikauchuk” synthetic rubber plant (1964-1966), the Volga Automobile Plant (1970), and the largest in the country and the world manufacturer of ammonia “TolyattiAzot” (1979).

At the same time, aviation production was expanded. Kuibyshev Aviation Plant began production of the most mass Soviet passenger medium-haul aircraft Tu-154. The Soviet rocket space program orders were also fulfilled at this plant (“Progress” rockets).

In the post Soviet period, due to saved economic potential, Samara oblast has become one of the main economic centers of the country.

Samara Oblast views

Samara Oblast scenery

Author: Dmitriy Siryachenko

Winter in Samara Oblast

Author: Ochin Vladimir

Author: Alexander Urgalkin

Samara Oblast - Features

Samara Oblast stretches from north to south for 335 km, and from west to east - for 315 km. The climate is moderately continental. The average temperature in July is plus 20.7 degrees Celsius, in January - minus 13.8 degrees Celsius.

The largest cities and towns of the region are Samara (1,137,000), Tolyatti (685,600), Syzran (163,000), Novokuybyshevsk (98,400), Chapaevsk (70,100), Zhigulevsk (50,000), Otradny (47,000).

The main resources of the Samara region are oil, natural gas, shale oil, various building materials, water resources. The local industry is presented by about 400 large and medium plants and over 4,000 small ones. The most developed industries are machine building (automotive industry) and metalworking, fuel, electric power, chemical and petrochemical, non-ferrous metallurgy.

AvtoVAZ is the largest manufacturer of cars in Russia and Eastern Europe. TogliattiAzot is the largest producer of ammonia in the world (about 8-10%). The 300-kilometer section of the main ammonia pipeline Togliatti-Odessa passes through the territory of the region.

Crop production specializes in the cultivation of wheat, barley, millet, buckwheat, sunflower, vegetables, and potatoes. Livestock is represented by production of cattle meat and milk, pigs, poultry.

Tourism in Samara Oblast

There are 19 monuments of archeology, more than 1,200 cultural monuments, 11 theaters, and 58 museums on the territory of the Samara region. The cities of Samara, Syzran and Tolyatti are included in the List of Historical Settlements of the Russian Federation.

The most developed areas of tourism: sightseeing tourism, cruises along the Volga River, medical and recreational, ecological, event, rural, and ethnographic tourism, caving tourism, bicycle and horse routes.

The most interesting sights:

• The buildings of the Samara Drama Theater and the Samara Opera and Ballet Theater,
• Stalin’s Bunker, House with Elephants, Klodt Mansion, Zhigulevsky Brewery in Samara,
• Samara Space Museum,
• Church of Sergius of Radonezh in Chapaevsk,
• Kremlin, Sterlyadkin Mansion in Syzran,
• Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Verhnee Sancheeleevo,
• Museum of the History of Technology in Tolyatti,
• House-museum of Ilya Repin in the village of Shiryaevo,
• Sarbai Center of Folk Crafts in the village of Sarbai,
• Center for Historical Modeling “Ancient World” with the dwellings of the Stone and Bronze Ages,
• Zhiguli State Nature Reserve and Samarskaya Luka National Park - a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Zhiguli Mountains are the largest mountain range in the region and, at the same time, one of the most beautiful places in Russia.

Annual festivals taking place in the Samara region:

• All-Russia festival of the author’s song named after Valery Grushin (the first weekend of July),
• “World of Bards” (in the end of August),
• Festival of electronic music and extreme sports GES FEST (the second week of July),
• “The Battle of Timur and Tokhtamysh”,
• “Steppe races in the Samara estate of Leo Tolstoy”,
• International festival “Drums of the World” (June),
• Holiday “Syzran tomato” (mid-August),
• “Holiday of a cherry pie” in the village of Shiryaevo,
• International festival “Theatrical Circle” in Tolyatti,
• Festival of Classical Ballet named after Alla Shelest.

Samara oblast of Russia photos

Nature of samara oblast.

Field road in the Samara region

Dandelions in Samara Oblast

Author: Vladimir Baboshin

Samara Oblast landscape

Pictures of the Samara region

Soviet past in the Samara region

Author: Dyomin Ivan

Church in Samara Oblast

Author: B.Yartsev

Churches in the Samara region

Author: Sergey Bulanov

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Rating: 3.0 /5 (257 votes cast)