“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and
convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
- Martin Luther King Jr.
Writing Contest:
Theme: “Identify and discuss a person whose life and actions clearly exemplify the principles of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Your subject may include:
- A person who lived before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. but demonstrated his principles and was a role model for him.
- A contemporary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who was affected by his message and life.
- A present-day person who has heard his message and has kept the flame alive. Some people to consider writing about are:
Mohandas Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. DuBois, Jackie Robinson, Sojourner Truth, Arthur Ashe, Amanda Gorman, Colin Powell, Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, Langston Hughes, Barbara Jordan, Coretta Scott King, Kofi Annan, Condoleezza Rice, Barack Obama.
- Students may select another role model such as a community, school, or religious leader.
DEADLINE: Friday January 24, 2025
ELIGIBILITY: Allentown School District Students, Grades 4-12
AWARDS: Awards will be presented in three categories: elementary, middle, and high school. The prizes for each category are as follows: $100 for first place, $75 for second place, and $50 for third place.
AWARD ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: February 19, 2025, at You Are The Light
Please send all submissions to the Office of Learning and Teaching inbox curriculum@allentownsd.org.
Contact Marylou Vargas Vargasm@allentownsd.org with any questions, comments, or concerns.
Rules:
- Fourth through Twelfth grade students may submit an essay, poem or prose.
- For the 2024 - 2025 writing contest, all submissions must be submitted electronically with a cover sheet. If submissions are being sent inner district, please be sure to send them with enough time to be received before the deadline.
- The piece of writing must not exceed two pages in length. A title should appear at the top of the first page. There should be no indication of the student’s name in the essay.
- The entry must be the student’s original work in all respects. It should reflect his or her own thoughts and style of writing. Quotations from books or interviews may be used sparingly, but exact sources for quotes must be documented.
- Although it must be the student’s original work, teachers should make sure the spelling is correct and there are no obvious errors in facts.
- If there is documentation, it may be placed on the same page as the citation or on a third page reserved for that purpose only.
- Entries will be judged based on thoughtfulness and originality of content, organization, clarity, and correctness of expression
- There must be a cover sheet submitted with the essay (fillable pdf provided or .docx). The following information, must appear on the cover sheet and should not appear elsewhere in the essay:
- Student’s name
- Student’s age
- Student’s home address
- Student’s school
- Student’s grade level
Note: Submissions with missing information from the cover sheet will be returned.
- The cover sheet has “teacher name,” and electronic submission is an acknowledgment the student’s classroom teacher has reviewed the document, and, in his/her best judgment, the submission is the original work of the student. No prize will be awarded if plagiarism is discovered.
- Submissions and a list of all participants should be sent to curriculum@allentownsd.org on or before Friday, January 24, 2025, by 12:00 p.m. Please be sure students follow all rules on this page or their submissions may be returned and will not be considered for a prize.
Visual Arts Contest:
THEME: “Leadership and Service”: Identify and reflect on the qualities of leadership and service exemplified by Dr. King and how you can apply these qualities in your own life.
ELIGIBILITY: Allentown School District students, grades K - 12
PROCESS: Please address all submissions to the office of Learning and Teaching and drop them off at the Administration Building. If submissions are being sent through the inner district mail, please be sure to send them with enough time to be received before the deadline. All digital art can be electronically submitted to the Learning and Teaching inbox curriculum@allentownsd.org.
CRITERIA:
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Each individual student is allowed only one entry and it must be the student’s original work.
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Use pencils, crayons, markers, ink, pastels, colored pencils, oils, acrylics, water colors or digital media.
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Visual art should be a two-dimensional drawing or painting done by hand on a paper surface. Please try to avoid adding too much weight, as it makes it difficult for display.
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Visual art completed by hand should be on a white, manila or black sheet of paper that is no larger than 11” x 17”.
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Be sure that the visual art does not cover the sheet of paper for displaying purposes and possible damage to the piece.
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All visual art needs a visible title to indicate the subject matter, which must address the theme.
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All visual art must be labeled with:
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Student Name
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Student Grade
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Name of Art Teacher
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DEADLINE: Friday January 24, 2025
AWARDS: Cover Art and Best in Show
AWARD ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: February 19, 2025 at You Are The Light