Ohio Partners in Character Education
Better Business Bureau Center for Character Ethics
Media may contact:
Lucy Frontera
614-893-9971
Lucy.frontera@charactereducationohio.org
Statewide Essay Contest Finalists Announced
Columbus Oh- August 27. 2009 - Ohio Partners in Character Education (OPCE), the character education initiative of the Better Business Bureau’s Center for Character Ethics, announced the finalists in the 2009 Statewide Laws of Life Essay Contest today. The statewide contest, in its ninth year, is open to winners of local Laws of Life essay contests for both middle and high school students. A panel of business leaders, educators, and community volunteers judged the entries.
The Laws of Life essay contest was created by Sir John Templeton in 1987 to encourage young people to reflect and write about their “laws of life” or the core values and ideals by which they strive to live their life. Forgiveness, compassion, love, fairness, and appreciation are some of the topics this year’s finalists wrote about in their essays. The Templeton Foundation provides encouragement and technical assistance free of charge to local schools and communities that wish to sponsor contests. Last year more than 155,000 students wrote Laws of Life essays in the US and more than 50 countries around the world. OPCE and the BBB Center for Character Ethics sponsor the Statewide Contest to encourage schools and communities in Ohio to conduct this enriching and valuable experience. The 2009 Ohio contest received 84 entries from 24 local contests involving 51 schools and more than 7,000 essays written statewide.
Major support for the statewide contest comes from Honda, Wendy’s, and several private family foundations. Finalists, their parents, teachers and contest judges will attend the Awards Banquet on October 1, 2009 at the Confluence Park Restaurant in Columbus where the winners will be announced. Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray will address the finalists and offer congratulations. Cash prizes are awarded to finalists, their teachers and contest coordinators ranging from $25 - $500.
For more information about the program, please contact Lucy Frontera at 614 893-9971 or lucy.frontera@charactereducationohio.org.
Contest finalists are:
|
Middle school |
|
High School |
|
County |
Student |
School |
|
County |
Student |
School |
|
Putnam |
Ariel Berger |
Miller City/New Cleveland |
|
Allen |
Michael Bodey |
Apollo Career Center |
|
Summit |
Tyler Cindea |
Green Middle |
|
Cuyahoga |
Samantha DeCarlo |
John Marshall High |
|
Franklin |
Terrence Fully |
Heritage Middle |
|
Summit |
Kailey Diver |
Green High School |
|
Medina |
Matthew Grey |
Wadsworth Middle |
|
Franklin |
Casey Flynn |
Westerville North High |
|
Medina |
Molly Josifov |
Wadsworth Middle |
|
Summit |
Cynthia Harger |
Coventry Junior High |
|
Henry |
Nikole Kern |
Liberty Center Middle |
|
Scioto |
Aundrea Horsley |
Valley High |
|
Portage |
Ethan Long |
Stanton Middle |
|
Scioto |
Kaitlin Setty |
Valley High |
|
Portage |
Sarah McClure |
Stanton Middle |
|
Summit |
Tim Stephens |
Green High |
|
Monroe |
Megan Palmer |
Beallsville High |
|
Portage |
Todd T. |
Theodore Roosevelt High |
|
Perry |
Brian Russell |
Holy Trinity |
|
Auglaize |
Taylor Turner |
Waynesfield Goshen High |
|
Summit |
Alexis Weaver |
Erwine Middle |
|
Stark |
Ali Wanner |
Canton South High |
|
Franklin |
Bryanna Williamson |
Sherwood Middle |
|
Allen |
Jonathan Winkelman |
Temple Christian High |