Clean Air Council ReImagine Beaver County Essay Contest 2020

ANNOUNCEMENT FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

Submission Deadline Wednesday, June 3, 2020  

$850 in Awards for Top Essays!

Clean Air Council is sponsoring a ReImagine Beaver County Essay contest, open to high school juniors and seniors in Beaver County, with support from ReImagine Beaver County, The Climate Reality Project and The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania Citizen Education Fund. 

Prizes for the Contest include: First Place ($500), Second Place ($250) and Third Place ($100). Winners will be announced on June 23, 2020 and invited to read their essays at a Clean/Green Jobs Showcase when the event is scheduled. 

This contest builds upon a ReImagine Beaver County initiative launched in 2017 to explore ideas for bringing environmentally-friendly businesses or industries to the county. The 20-page report on that initiative can be accessed at https://www.shalepalwv.org/re-imagine-beaver-county-2019/.  

Given current climate and economic developments, we are asking local high school juniors and seniors to share their best thinking on ideas in the ReImagine report or beyond for a clean, sustainable future for Beaver County. We value thinking that will encourage young residents to continue to live and work in Beaver County.  

ESSAY QUESTION AND INSTRUCTIONS

The ReImagine Beaver County report recommends four types of environmentally-friendly business or industry opportunities for our county:  Energy Innovation, Green Chemistry, Sustainable Agriculture and Riverfront Development. In your opinion, which one of these four types has the best chance of success and why? 

Alternatively, what business/industry opportunity not in the ReImagine report has a better chance of success in meeting the report’s goals and why?

In your essay, show how your choice meets any three or more of the following criteria:

• Promotes a clean, sustainable future for Beaver County
• Protects public health and the environment
• Provides clean/green job opportunities for workers in Beaver County
• Helps Beaver County transition from using fossil fuels
• Slows climate change
• Makes the best use of Beaver County’s unique strengths
• Has proven to be successful in other locations

REQUIREMENTS

• If you are enrolled in grades 11-12 in a Beaver County public, private, parochial or charter school, or are home schooled in Beaver County, you are eligible to submit.
• Essays should be 750-1100 words (excluding bibliography, references or citations), in 12pt Times New Roman double-spaced. 
• You must      
  • Begin your essay with a Cover Page that includes
    • Your topic/title.
    • Your name, address, phone number and school.
    • The name, address, and phone number of your parent or guardian.
  • Include your name only on the Cover Page, not on any other page
  • Center the topic/title at top of p. 1 and number all other pages
• Research beyond the ReImagine Beaver County report is optional, but encouraged. However, any source (including the report) used for either exact words or content beyond what is commonly found in multiple general sources must be credited and documented according to MLA or APA Style Guidelines. Essays will be disqualified for plagiarism as determined by submission to turnitin.com.
• Email the Cover Page and Essay as two separate PDF attachments to reimagineessaycontest@gmail.com by 5 p.m., Wednesday, June 3, 2020, with the Subject Line “Essay Contest Submission [Your name here].” You may use this same email address for questions.
• Check www.cleanair.org periodically for any updates. 

ESSAY JUDGING CRITERIA  

In terms of content, essay demonstrates 

• A clear understanding of one of the four types of environmentally-friendly business or industry opportunities discussed in the ReImagine Beaver County report, or of some other type of business or industry opportunity that meets the report’s goals.
• An understanding of how forward-looking opportunities for economic growth can protect public health and the environment, facilitate the transition from fossil fuels, slow climate change, provide clean/green jobs and/or build on Beaver County’s unique strengths. 
• The use of high quality examples that illustrate how other locations have successfully implemented the business or industry opportunity
• In-depth creative and innovative thinking.
• For optional research: Use of quality sources, their proper citation/documentation (including for the report) and avoidance of plagiarism.

In terms of communication (clarity/force of writing), essay demonstrates

• Unity (singleness of focus/purpose). 
• Coherence (organization, flow, clarity, etc.). 
• Development (adequate, relevant and clear supporting evidence).
• Style (grammar, punctuation, syntax, etc.).
• For any optional use of sources beyond the ReImagine report:  Correct and consistent MLA or APA style/format for citations, references and in-text introductions.