Published in the April 29 – May 12, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Staff Report
Morgan Hill’s American Association of University Women, an organization dedicated to education of young women, wants to encourage local girls to realize that they can be the voice of others by using their writing talents to bring exposure to issues that affect them and their peers.
That’s why Morgan Hill Life is teaming with the local branch of the AAUW to encourage local girls from 7th to 10th grade to share their opinions on issues impacting girls and women by participating in an essay contest. A $100 BookSmart gift certificate will be donated by Morgan Hill Life to the girl who wrote the winning essay of between 300 and 400 words.
In addition, one or more top competitors will be invited to have their essay published in upcoming issues of Morgan Hill Life.
The deadline to apply for the contest is May 1 and the essay is due by June 4. Girls can go to the website www.aauw-morganhill.org/writerstrek for the application. They submit the completed essay to Janet McElroy at [email protected].
Morgan Hill Life Publisher Marty Cheek will lead a Junior Journalism Workshop at the Morgan Hill History House May 16 to help girls learn to write opinion essays for newspaper publication.
“As a organization interested in the education of girls, both academically and socially, it is important that we keep in touch with what is important to today’s youth in order to better create programs that address those issues,” said AAUW member Margaret McCann who is an organizer of the contest.
Taking the opportunity to express ideas, ones that affect many girls in middle and high school, can be empowering and insightful, she said.
“This is the place where a skillful writer can share an inspiring message or observation that might only seem relevant to a girl but, could be meaningful to many more,” she said. “Getting those ideas published will create confidence and empower the writer, as well as demonstrate her competence and leadership skills.”
