Essay and Poster Competition Rules & Guidlines

The Way to Happiness Foundation International's Essay and Poster Competition helps children and youth obtain a basic understanding of right and wrong. In today's society, nothing could be more important!

1. Who Can Participate?

The activities are open to children and youth of all races and religions from the age of five all the way up to the age of eighteen. This wholesome program is a nonreligious activity that involves students from public and private schools as well as youth organizations. There is no entry fee for students, teachers or schools.

2. Materials Needed: Teacher's Implementation Kit

The only materials needed to start the contest are the Contest Rules & Guidelines (this page) and copies of The Way to Happiness booklet. Simply print the guidelines on this page on your ink jet or laser printer. There is a limited supply of free The Way to Happiness booklets available to teachers for the Contest so please email us early so you can get your needed copies.

To purchase copies of The Way to Happiness, visit our Online Store or call 1-800-255-7906.

Make sure you also have suitable dictionaries for children or teens so they may look up any words they don't understand.

No other materials are required and there is no entry fee for the contest.

If you have any questions, please email us or call 1-800-255-7906 to speak to a representative today!

3. The Lesson Plan

Before writing essays or doing posters on the moral precepts from The Way to Happiness book, teachers are encouraged to follow the simple lesson plan below. Following this lesson plan inevitably leads to more student winners.

A. Have students read the first chapter from The Way to Happiness.

B. If a student has a difficulty with any words in that chapter help get the words defined by using a children's or student's dictionary

C. Have students give examples of what the lesson (chapter) is about. The examples can show what happens when the precept is applied or reversely, what results when the precept is not applied.

D. Have students do steps A through C above with another chapter in the book.

E. Continue until the entire book is completed.

4. Classroom Discussions

Many teachers find it very beneficial to involve their students in classroom discussions on the specific topics from The Way to Happiness. Here are the simple steps for involving your students in classroom discussions:

A. Choose a particular precept or precepts that may specifically apply to your students.

B. Do not hesitate to initiate the discussion. This can be done very easily by simply reading from the specific precept you have chosen in the book.

C. Now ask students to give examples of how that specific precept might apply to their lives in some way. Or ask if anyone has an experience about the topic that impacted their lives in some way.

D. As part of your classroom discussion use The Way to Happiness book as a reference. As students hit on certain points you can then go back to the precept and read from it. The whole purpose is to increase the students' understanding so that they can help themselves and others lead happier lives.

5. How Essays are Written

A. Have students choose one of the precepts from The Way to Happiness on which to base their essays. Or they may wish to write about the book as a whole.

B. Students may choose any title they wish or title their essays after the precept they have chosen.

C. Essays should describe how application of the precept helps improve human relations and helps to build a better world.

D. Essays can be written, typed or done on a computer.

E. Essays must have the name and age of the person writing the essay. (Essays not the work of the student or copied wholly from other works will be disqualified.)

F. Students compete in their own age division and essays should follow these guidelines for their length:

• 5 to 7 Year Old Division = 25 - 100 words
• 8 to 9 Year Old Division = 50 - 200 words
• 10 to 11 Year Old Division = 100 - 300 words
• 12 to 13 Year Old Division = 200 - 400 words
• 14 to 15 Year Old Division = 300 - 500 words
• 16 to 18 Year Old Division = 400 - 600 words

Note: Essays will be judged on how well the essay shows understanding of the individual precept and how well it convinces the reader of the importance of the precept in improving human relations and building a better world.

6. How Posters are Done

The general guidelines are the same for both the essay and poster competitions. Below are the specific points that relate to posters.

A. Posters can be any drawings, photographs, computer graphics, magazine paste-ups, etc. that visually get a message across.

B. Posters should be a minimum of 8.5" x 11" and a maximum of 24" x 36".

C. Posters may include small amounts of text or captions.

D. Posters must have titles. Name and age of student must be placed on the back of the poster. Students may sign their artwork on the front.

7. How to Package Your Submission

A. Essays and posters can be submitted individually by students or in packages by teachers.

B. Teachers are not required to submit every essay or poster. Teachers may wish to send in a batch of their top essays. However, teachers should note how many students wrote essays and how many of those are being sent in.

C. Teachers are encouraged to place removable stickers or "Post-its" on any essays they have read and feel are particularly worth special consideration by contest judges.

D. Teachers should separate essays into their respective age divisions.

E. Teachers should include a cover letter (on school stationery, if possible) with any submission, noting what actions were done by their students, how many students participated and how they and their students enjoyed the study and essay writing involving The Way to Happiness book.

8. Where to Send Essays and Posters

All submissions must be sent to:

Essay Competition Director The Way to Happiness Foundation International 201 East Broadway Glendale, CA 91203

Toll Free: (800) 255-7906 Phone: (818) 254-0600 Fax: (818) 254-0555

9. The Announcement of Winners

Awards for winners will be sent to teachers for presentation to the winning students.

10. The Deadline for Entries

Entries must be received no later than May 1, 2007 to qualify.