Essay Contest

 

CALL FOR PAPERS

 

 

2008-2009

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“Letter to the President of the United States”

 

FOCUS:

 

In all the years that NESA has been issuing the Call for Papers to teachers working in our member schools, the theme that elicited the greatest number of responses was «Why Do They Hate Us?» (2003), inviting teachers to answer a question posed by U.S. President George W. Bush.

 

In January of 2009, a new president of the United States will be inaugurated and there will be a new administration in Washington. It will be a time of change and opportunity.

 

For better or worse, it is indisputable that the president of the United States wields great influence in the world. . .influence that could be used for great good, both within the U.S. and around the world.

 

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT:

 

We invite you to write a short letter to the incoming president, sharing what you believe—as an international educator—can and should be done to make the world a better, safer, more hopeful place for the children whom we serve. Be thoughtful, be positive, be passionate. It is a chance to collect your thoughts and to articulate your hopes for a better world. Use the first person, write in the active voice, the present tense. Write in words and phrases that are comfortable for you to speak. (We recommend you read your essay aloud to yourself several times and each time edit and simplify it until you find the words and the tone that truly echo your beliefs and convey your ‘voice’.)

             

Your essay should run between approximately 600 and 800 words in length. Though much shorter than what we’ve asked for in previous “Calls”, this very brevity presents special challenges and will, we believe, stimulate deeper reflection.