The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts

The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts established the League of Women Voters Citizen Education Fund as an educational trust in 1971. It is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit fund that supports voter education. Its mission is to encourage informed and active citizen participation in government through citizen education and voters service projects. It serves the public, both individuals and organizations, by providing advice and training on how to make government responsive and accessible. The goal is to empower citizens to shape better communities worldwide through grassroots citizen action.

The purpose of the essay contest is to focus students and their families on issues related to elections, voting, and citizen participation in government. The contest offers students and their teachers an opportunity to combine discussions of elections, public policy, and democracy with information about how to use the Web.

Detailed contest information such as rules, deadlines and the essay questions can be found on the website.

There are three grade groupings for the contest: grades 4-5, grades 6-8, and grades 9-12, with essay questions specific to each group. There is also an essay question for 18-24 year olds.

Prizes: For grades 4-12, U.S. Savings Bonds will be awarded to the first, second, and third place winners. The teacher or youth group advisor of the winners in grades 4-12 will receive a classroom educational grant.

There will be an awards event the afternoon of April 13, 2008 in Faneuil Hall in Boston.

We hope that teachers will use this contest as an opportunity to talk to students about democracy and issues of citizenship and urge students to participate and submit individual essays.

Winning essays may be published on this website, excerpted in The Massachusetts Voter, the League of Women Voters newsletter, that is mailed to members and supporters, and sent to local media outlets in the winner’s community.