Sir John M. Templeton Fellowships Essay Contest

A continuation of the Olive W. Garvey Fellowship program, the Sir John M. Templeton Fellowships Essay Contest encourages college students and young college professors around the world to study the meaning and significance of economic and personal liberty.

Co-sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation and the Independent Institute, the essay contest honors Sir John M. Templeton and is held annually with a different topic each year.

Created in 1974 by Olive W. Garvey, the Fellowship contest has drawn essay submissions from more than 75 countries on 5 continents. Garvey winners have since become some of the finest of scholars, business and civic leaders, and journalists, applying and advancing public knowledge and appreciation around the world for the ideas of individual liberty and personal responsibility.

The Independent Institute will publish the winning essays on this website and seek to have them published elsewhere in major magazines and journals. All winning entries become the property of and are copyrighted by The Independent Institute.

Award Amount :
$2,000

Deadline:
May 1, 2008

Website/Contact Info:
www.independent.org/students/essay/

Excellence in Business Commentary National Essay Competition

The competition is funded by Coca-Cola and The Executive Leadership Council, an organization of senior African American corporate executives in Fortune 500 companies.

The competition asks African American undergraduate students enrolled in an accredited college or university to research, analyze, and write about a critical business issue and trend developed by The Council.

The essay theme for the competition is Global Awareness on the Impact of Business on Our Environment.

Ten winners are chosen annually from a competitive pool of students. The winning essays demonstrate business savvy, creativity, and intellect.

Award Amount :
$1,000 - $7,000

Deadline:
March 23, 2008

Website/Contact Info:
www.elcinfo.com/initiatives_higher_essay.htm

Jeanette Rankin Foundation Grants For Low-Income Women

Each year the Jeannette Rankin Foundation awards grants to low-income women who have a vision of how their education will benefit themselves, their families, and their communities.

The following factors, among others, are considered for each applicant: your goals, your plan for reaching your goals, challenges you may have faced, and your financial situation.

This essay is an important part of your application. It is your opportunity to share your goals, your plan for reaching your goals and the benefit of your education. You will also need to submit two letters of recommendation.

Award Amount :
$2,000

Deadline:
March 1, 2008

Website/Contact Info:
www.rankinfoundation.org/apply/default.php

"A Day In Black History" Scholarship Contest

In celebration of Black History Month, BlackHistory.com has launched the "A Day In Black History" Scholarship contest. This scholarship opportunity is available to all students, regardless of ethnicity.

To enter you must submit a 600-800 word essay about your favorite African American contributor to society. Be sure to include why you feel this person is most valuable, and be sure to name all or most of their accomplishments and how exactly it affected society.

We will review all submissions and select a winner based on the quality, uniqueness, and creativity of the content in your essay. Pay close attention to the instructions, or your entry will be disregarded.

Deadline:
February 29, 2008

Award Amount:
$500

Website/Contact Info:
www.blackhistory.com/scholarships/
a_day_in_black_history.shtml

“Dream Deferred” Essay Contest on Civil Rights in the Mideast

This essay contest takes its title from a 1951 poem by Langston Hughes: What Happens to a Dream Deferred? The poem helped propel the civil rights movement in the United States.

Today, it will hopefully inspire you to describe your dream deferred for the Middle East, which the United Nations calls the world’s least free region. The contest has two parts: one for Middle Eastern youth (25 and younger) and one for American youth (25 and younger).

To participate write a brief essay (600-2,000 words) addressing one of the following three questions: Why should Americans - like you - help civil rights reformers in the Middle East? How can you as an individual support the struggle for civil rights in the Middle East?

Deadline:
March 30, 2008

Award Amount:
Up to $10,000

Website/Contact Info:
www.hamsaweb.org/essay/

NAFEO "Writers of Passage" Essay Competition

The Sallie Mae Fund and the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) have created the "Writers of Passage" Essay Competition.

The partnership between The Sallie Mae Fund and NAFEO was established to focus national attention on the importance of developing good writing skills.

Winning students will receive a scholarship for their compelling essays about how students at HBCUs or PBIs have established a rich tradition of promoting social justice and how they can flex their political muscle in the upcoming 2008 political season. In addition, the student's HBCU or PBI will receive a grant for improving student outreach and writing enhancement initiatives.

Deadline:
February 1, 2008

Award Amount:
$5,000 - $20,000

Website/Contact Info:
www.nafeo.org/wop_2008.php

PILLSBURY BAKE-OFF® CONTEST FINAL 100 RECIPES AVAILABLE ONLINE

You Can Vote for Your Favorite and a Chance at $1 Million

Fire up your computer, turn on the oven and get ready to cook.
The 100 original recipes competing in the upcoming Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest are available online for testing and tasting. You also will have your own chance to win $1 million by voting for your favorite recipe. This 43rd contest brings a diverse range of recipes from pizzas and appetizers to sweet treats, breakfast and brunches, and Mexican-inspired dishes.
From the tens of thousands of recipe entries, contest officials used rigorous screening, taste panels and kitchen testing to select the final 100 recipes. The recipe creators--amateur cooks from across the country--will prepare their recipes in the contest finals on April 14, 2008, in Dallas competing for a $1 million grand prize. Seven of the contest prizes will be determined by a panel of judges working in jury room secrecy. One award--the America's Favorite Recipe Award--will be determined by consumers across America.

America's Favorite Recipe Award
America's Favorite Recipe Award is back. Online voting will be used to award a prize to one of the Bake-Off® Contest finalists. And a sweepstakes will give eligible voters their own chance to win a million dollars, too. From now through March 31, 2008, log on to www.bakeoff.com to vote for your favorite recipe among the 100 final recipes competing in the 43rd contest. When you cast your vote for the America's Favorite Recipe Award, eligible voters will also be entered into the "America's Favorite Recipe" Sweepstakes.

The finalist whose recipe receives the most votes will be awarded the $5,000 America's Favorite Recipe Award during the Bake-Off® Contest awards ceremony on April 15, 2008, in Dallas. For the sweepstakes, one lucky voter will be selected in a random drawing from all eligible entries received. If that voter picked the recipe that received the grand prize at the Bake-Off® Contest finals, that voter will also win $1 million.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the United States or D.C. at least 18 years of age. Sweepstakes ends March 31, 2008. Void where prohibited. For Official Rules, go to www.bakeoff.com. This sweepstakes is sponsored by General Mills Sales, Inc., One General Mills Blvd., Minneapolis, MN 55440.
The Competition

On April 14, the finalists will prepare their recipes in 100 GE mini-kitchens set up especially for the Bake-Off® Contest at the Fairmont Hotel & Resort. Hundreds of measuring cups, mixing spoons, fry pans and other cooking equipment will be used to prepare recipes for the judging panel. The 100 mini-kitchens will be stocked with Crisco® no-stick cooking spray.
Finalists will be wearing the official contest apron, designed with the Dallas location in mind. The apron is dark brown with khaki-colored Western accent stitching on the side and a blue jeans-style pocket. "Creating an official contest apron for finalists is a tradition, so we thought it would be fun to bring the flavor of Dallas onto the competition floor," said Onju Sturlaugson, manager for the Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest at General Mills.

The 43rd Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest is sponsored by General Mills, General Electric, Old El Paso®, The J.M. Smucker Company, Eggland's Best, Land O'Lakes, Inc., Fisher® Nuts and Domino Foods, Inc.
The 100 recipes were chosen from among consumers' best original entries in five recipe categories: Breakfast & Brunches, Pizza Creations, Entertaining Appetizers, Old El Paso® Mexican Favorites and Sweet Treats. All 100 winning recipes with color photos are featured in The Pillsbury® Classic® Cookbook available at supermarkets and discount stores beginning late March 2008. The cookbook price is $3.99.

Finalists had to use at least two different eligible products in their recipes, with at least one ingredient from the primary list of products and a second from either the primary or secondary list.
The primary list featured returning eligible products to the contest, including Pillsbury® Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls, Pizza Crust, Create 'n Bake® Cookie Dough, Grands!® and Golden Layers® Biscuits, Cinnamon Rolls, Breadsticks, Crusty French Loaf, and Pie Crust; Frozen Oven Baked Biscuits; Brownie Mixes; Pillsbury BEST® Flour; and Old El Paso® Tortillas and Taco Shells.
The secondary list featured Old El Paso® Chopped Green Chiles, Refried Beans, Salsa, Red Enchilada Sauce and Taco Seasoning and Green Giant® Frozen Boxed Vegetables. Jif® Peanut Butter, Smucker's® Jams, Jellies, Preserves, Fruit Spreads and Ice Cream Toppings, Crisco® Cooking Oil, Eggland's Best Eggs, LAND O LAKES® Stick Butter, Domino® and C&H Sugar and Fisher® Nuts also were new eligible ingredients on the secondary list.

Each of the 100 finalists won a trip to Dallas for the Bake-Off® Contest finals and a GE microwave with enhanced cooking performance (estimated retail value of $460) and $100. In addition to the million-dollar prize, the grand prize winner will receive a GE Profile(TM) Double Wall Oven with PreciseAir(TM) Convection and chooses $7,000 in additional GE Profile(TM) kitchen appliances (combined retail value of the grand prize is approximately $1,010,000). Each of the other four category winners will receive $5,000 plus a GE Profile(TM) Double Oven Freestanding Range with PreciseAir(TM) Convection and two self-clean ovens. Three additional awards will be presented to winners chosen from any of the recipe categories. America's Favorite Recipe Award of $5,000 will go to the finalist whose recipe receives the most online consumer votes. Consumers can go online to www.bakeoff.com to view the 100 final recipes and cast their vote for their favorite recipe now through March 31, 2008. The $5,000 Jif® Peanut Butter Award will go to the finalist recognized by the judges as having the best recipe using at least ¼ cup of Jif® Peanut Butter. The recipe rated most innovative by the judges will receive the GE Imagination at Work Award. The winner receives a GE Profile(TM) Double Oven Freestanding Range with PreciseAir(TM) Convection and two self-clean ovens and chooses $3,000 dollars in additional GE Profile(TM) kitchen appliances (approximate retail value $5,000). The GE Imagination At Work Award will be awarded to a finalist who has not won the grand prize or a recipe category prize.
The official contest rules are available at www.bakeoff.com and list the specific eligible products and the amount of each required in a recipe entry.

For more information, visit the Bake-Off® Contest Web site at www.bakeoff.com. The site provides a complete list of finalists as well as their recipes and history from the contest's 50 years.

NAFEO "Writers of Passage" Essay Competition

The Sallie Mae Fund and the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) have created the "Writers of Passage" Essay Competition.

The partnership between The Sallie Mae Fund and NAFEO was established to focus national attention on the importance of developing good writing skills.

Winning students will receive a scholarship for their compelling essays about how students at HBCUs or PBIs have established a rich tradition of promoting social justice and how they can flex their political muscle in the upcoming 2008 political season. In addition, the student's HBCU or PBI will receive a grant for improving student outreach and writing enhancement initiatives.

Deadline:
February 1, 2008

Award Amount:
$5,000 - $20,000

Website/Contact Info:
www.nafeo.org/wop_2008.php

AMERICAN LEGACY MAGAZINE AND AMERICAN FAMILY INSURANCE CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH AMERICAN LEGACY CHALLENGE -- AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY CO

As a celebration of Black History Month, American Legacy, the magazine for African American history and culture, has partnered with American Family Insurance to launch American Legacy Challenge, an African- American history trivia competition for high school students. This year's competition will take place in three U. S. cities with first rounds of the competition beginning next month.

For the last twelve years, American Legacy Magazine has been educating and entertaining its readers with in-depth stories of African-American history and culture. Just last month, the magazine received national recognition in movie theatres across the country with the release of The Great Debaters -- the movie starring and directed by Denzel Washington and produced by Oprah Winfrey was inspired by a 1997 American Legacy article.

Created by Pedagogue LLC for American Legacy magazine, the American Legacy Challenge seeks to educate high school students about America's legacy and the contributions of African-Americans, while providing the excitement of competition and prizes. In addition, the competition's creators hope that by engaging students and informing parents, American Legacy Challenge will help instill pride and promise to students in urban communities. The American Legacy Challenge will be based on questions from American Legacy's Black History Curriculum Guide.

The 2008 American Legacy Challenge will take place in Cleveland, St. Louis and Chicago. Students in these cities will participate in first round pre-testing followed by contestant announcements. The American Legacy Challenge finals will take place in Cleveland on Saturday, March 1; St. Louis on Saturday, March 8 and Chicago on Saturday, March 15, 2008.

"American Family Insurance is proud to partner with American Legacy magazine on this important initiative," says Dwayne A. Maddox, media manager, American Family Insurance. "Not only is the American Legacy Challenge educational, it will serve as a source of inspiration for each of the high school students who participate and expand their knowledge of African-American history and culture."

For more on eligibility, competition rules, dates and location, please visit www.americanlegacymag.com or call American Legacy Challenge Coordinator Natasha Lee at 212-367-3109.

2008 Winter/Spring "Creative Expression" Contests

UTClique.com , the internet site which gives talented and opinionated urban teens the opportunity to display their talents and express their opinions, is pleased to announce the schedule of its' 2008 Winter/Spring "Creative Expression" Contests. First Prize in each contest is $500 and the top 10 entries in each category will appear on UTClique.com.

The contest schedule is as follows:

Opinion Essay Contest
January 15, 2008 Deadline

Martin Luther King Essay Contest
February 15, 2008 Deadline

Short Story Contest
February 15, 2008 Deadline

Poetry & Spoken Word Contest
March 15, 2008 Deadline

Art / Drawing Contest
April 15, 2008 Deadline

Winners will be announced via the website on the last day of each deadline month. For more information on contest guidelines, visit www.UTClique.com and click the "Contests" menu option for entry requirements. Please indicate that you are entering the contest when you submit. All submissions must be digital.


About UTClique.com
UTClique.com is the Ultimate Site for Urban Teens with an emphasis on creative self expression, entertainment news, and great advice on surviving high school and becoming successful afterward. Garnering over 50,000 unique visitors per month prior to launch, a fully featured UTClique.com is poised to become the preferred online destination for Urban teens. www.UTClique.com

For more information, contact Quentin Plair at 770-831-8622 or Quentin.Plair@plgkinc.com

HIV Story Writing Contest and Video Contest

Applicants must write a fiction or non-fiction story about personal vulnerability to HIV or AIDS. The characters in the story must be impacted in some way by HIV or AIDS.

Your story must be your original creation, and must not have been previously published. It can be up to 5 pages typed or neatly handwritten. Entries that are illegible will be disqualified. Typed entries are preferred.

Entrants’ stories will be judged by a panel of judges, based on the following criteria: (a) originality, (b) writing style, and (c) aptness to subject.

Judges include Morgan Freeman, Levar Burton, Jasmine Guy, Corbin Bleu, Hillary Duff, and more.

Deadline:
December 1, 2007

Award Amount:
$2,500

Website/Contact Info:
www.hearmeproject.org

Global Envision Scholarship Essay Contest

There are a variety of different perspectives and ideas about what globalization is and how it affects people and communities around the world.

To some people it means that everyone is a citizen of the global community and to others it means that large corporations take advantage of developing countries to increase profits and exploit resources and workers. Your task is to use your knowledge and personal experience to write a thoughtful response to the following quote, in no more than 1,000 words:

"Arguing against globalization is like arguing against the laws of gravity." - Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan

The winner will receive a scholarship and be published on the Global Envision website. The top five essay writers will receive a Global Envision t-shirt.

Deadline:
December 15, 2007

Award Amount:
$750

Website/Contact Info:
http://www.globalenvision.org/forstudents/30/1744/

COLLEGE STUDENTS FOCUS ON THE 1ST ANNUAL CARIBBEAN PHOTO CONTEST

The Caribbean Photo Contest Debuts November 1, 2007

Jomo Kenyatta, international photographer, and founder of Caribbean Photo Contest, LLC. announced today the premier Annual Caribbean Photo Contest. Over 1,500 college students throughout the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa and England are expected to enter their best photo images.

The photo contest will run annually beginning this November 1, 2007 to February 15, 2008, where contestants can submit up to five images for the first round of judging. A selected panel of CPC judges then determines the top 100 candidates. In the second round, the best images selected during contest entry will be posted on a website where the general public can cast their vote based upon listed criteria, The result will render (10) finalists who will win a professional camera package and a trip to Forres Park Resort, in Jamaica which is the location for the final phase photo seminar and photo expedition. The finalists will compete with their best images for scholarships and prizes.

A welcome reception, workshop, and photo expedition, will take place June 2-9, 2008 at Forres Park Resort in the Blue Mountain region of Jamaica. Activities planned around the Caribbean Photo Contest will take place in Kingston, Jamaica. Sponsors, judges and guests can warm-up at the golf course, spa, tennis, or shopping activities at the Hilton Kingston Jamaica. The awards reception, dinner, and photo exhibit will take place on Monday June 9, 2008.

American Airlines is an official air carrier for the 1st Annual Caribbean Photo Contest. For general information call 908-561-4062.

CONTACT:
Clyde Allen
Allen and Partners. Inc.
908-561-4062
clyde@allenandpartners.com

Writer's Digest Annual Short Short Story Competition

Writer's Digest is now accepting entries in the 8th Annual Short Short Story Competition. We're looking for fiction that's bold, brilliant...but brief.

Send us your best in 1,500 words or fewer. All entries must be in English, original, unpublished, and not submitted elsewhere until the winners are announced. Writer's Digest reserves the right to publish the First-Place story.

The 1st- through 25th-place manuscripts will be printed in a special competition collection, published by Trafford Publishing.

Deadline:
December 3, 2007

Award Amount:
$100 - $3,000

Website/Contact Info:
www.writersdigest.com/contests/shortshort/?goto=closead

The Miller Urban Entrepreneur Series

The award-winning Miller Urban Entrepreneurs Series competition was launched to respond to the needs of adults ages 21 and older seeking to achieve economic empowerment through entrepreneurship.

One winner will take home a $35,000 business grant to jumpstart his or her small business. Up to six runners-up will each take home a $15,000 business grant or five runners-up will take home a $5,000 business grant, seed money to take their dreams to the next level.

The competition is open to all adults between 21 to 35 years old. Entries are due no later than 5:00 p.m. CST, Friday, November 30, 2007. (Winners will be announced in April 2008.)

This is a great way to reach towards starting and maintaining a successful business and giving you a competitive edge to thrive in today's urban business world.

For more details, visit:

millerurbanentrepreneurs