How to Conduct an Essay Contest
Essay contests are often used as public relations tools for organizations, such as professional associations, that raise awareness of their work in the region while also offering the organization a way of fostering relationships with the community. Essay contests can raise awareness of issues affecting a cause or a profession and can provoke engaging debate. Another way essay contests can be used is when administering a scholarship: The scholarship might be dependent on submitting a winning essay on a particular topic.
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Things You'll Need
- Camera (for taking pictures of the winner)
- Paper for making photocopies of essays
- Pens and paper (for judging notes)
- Judging form
- Boxes for organizing entries
Instructions
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Write up rules for your essay contest. Find impartial judges for the contest -- a panel of three often works well. You can ask community members, or if the essay contest is sponsored by a professional association, ask members of the organization or its executive. Select a topic and select questions for the contest.Some contests let participants write about anything within a particular topic while other contests set a specific question or set of questions. It is your choice. Another consideration is determining the demographic for your contest. Some essay contests focus on school children, others on college students and some are professional competitions in particular professions.
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Write up a promotional flyer or brochure for your contest. Incorporate the rules, names of judges and the topic or questions you have chosen. You should also set a deadline and provide the preferred way of submitting entries. You can have entries mailed, emailed or dropped off to your organization. If you select the drop-off method ensure you have a secure box for entries. This protects them from theft or tampering. Note the demographic on the flyer. If the contest is for a specific age, grade or profession, include this in the brochure.
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Promote your contest through posters in areas specific to your chosen demographic -- schools for school children, college guidance centers for post-secondary students) -- and by circulating an email copy of the poster. The methods you use for promoting your contest will vary depending on your specific demographic. Once you have promoted your contest, set a date after the close of the contest for reviewing the essays. Make copies of all received essays and share with the judges. Set a date, after judges have had time to review essays, for reviewing the essays and determining the winner. Establishing a judging sheet, with a ranking scale, can assist the judging panel in their efforts.
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Announce the winner with a phone call to the winner. Issue a letter of thanks to all participants. Send a press release to relevant media announcing the winner. This is a way of generating complimentary public relations for your organization. Take a celebratory photo of the judges and the winner and submit with the press release. One modern twist on essay contests is having the winner read their essay to members of the judging panel, or family and friends. Runners-up could also participate. Buy refreshments and toast the achievements of participants. If your organization is seeking a way of raising their profile, this will contribute to the success of the essay contest.
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References
- Photo Credit writing image by Alison Bowden from Fotolia.com
