May 15, 2003 — Students and teachers from St. Thomas public high schools will receive cash prizes in an award ceremony Saturday, marking the third year of the Laws of Life essay contest in the territory.
The contest promotes character education by urging students to discuss and write about their personal moral and ethical guideposts. The concept was developed by investment manager Sir John Templeton of the John Templeton Foundation and has inspired hundreds of contests worldwide, each tailored by and for local communities.
In a joint effort with the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands, the Peter Gruber Foundation introduced the territory to Laws of Life in 2001; this year it will fund more than $12,000 worth of prizes to students and teachers at Charlotte Amalie High School and Ivanna Eudora Kean High School.
Separate contests were conducted at the two schools, so there will be a full set of prizes awarded for each. Additionally, essayists compete only against students in the same grade. The prize scale is the same for 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th graders. First place is $500; second place is $250; third place is $150. Also, three students in each grade receive Honorable Mention and a check for $50.
Teachers of the winning students also will receive prizes: $250 for first place, $150 for second place and $100 for third place.
The award ceremony will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at St. Peter Greathouse. Among the honored guests expected to attend will be Education Commissioner Dr. Noreen Michael and William Frett, insular superintendent for St. Thomas-St. John.
The contest proved so popular its first two years on St. Thomas that a modified version of it was introduced as a pilot program this year on St. Croix at Central High School and Education Complex, and plans are in the works for full contests next year.
After the winners are announced, the winning essays will be published in the St. Thomas Source in the schools section.
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