What is the Laws of Life Essay Contest?

The Laws of Life essay contest was created by Sir John Templeton in 1987 to encourage young people to reflect and write about their “laws of life” or the core values and ideals by which they live their life.  The Templeton Foundation provides encouragement and technical assistance to local schools and communities that wish to sponsor contests. OPCE has embraced this program as an important component in developing the character of Ohio youth.

How will a Laws of Life Essay Contest benefit schools or communities?   

By sponsoring a contest, schools and communities communicate to their youth that they believe ethical and moral development is important. Research tells us that students who reflect and think about ideas learn them at a deeper level. And, the Laws of Life program integrates character development into the writing curriculum.  It provides students with a compelling occasion to write, edit, and revise - critical components of the writing process. Although Laws of Life can be administered as an extra-credit option or an extracurricular activity, teachers are encouraged to integrate the contest into the curriculum as a class assignment. This allows students to engage in the full writing process of brainstorming, outlining, drafting, peer review, editing, and final copy. The process of writing Laws of Life essays stimulates students and gives them greater motivation to write - thus providing an additional opportunity to prepare for writing assessments. 

 How does the Laws of Life Essay Contest fit into the required curriculum?

The Laws of Life Essay Contest can be used to meet requirements of the Ohio English Language Arts Academic Content Standards.  An added benefit is that the contest can help students improve composition skills required by the new SAT exam.

How does the Ohio Statewide Laws of Life Essay Contest work?

Schools, districts or community groups run their own local contest and judge entries. Some local contests choose to award prizes with locally generated funds.  The top four (4) winning entries from each local contest (see instructions for number of entries per contest) are submitted to OPCE for judging in the statewide contest.  OPCE coordinates the judging of the statewide contest.  Ten finalists are chosen in both the high school and middle school divisions and invited along with their parents, teachers and contest coordinators to the Awards Banquet held in the fall in Columbus.  At the banquet, finalists are awarded cash prizes. Teachers of the winning students and the contest coordinators are also awarded cash prizes.  

How can schools obtain information about starting a local contest?

The Templeton Foundation will send a complete contest information package free of charge.  To obtain a packet, call the John Templeton Foundation at 1-800-245-1285 or materials can be downloaded from their website www.lawsoflife.org.

Is fund raising necessary?

No - the contest can be as simple as a single classroom essay assignment with other staff or community members serving as judges.  The format for the essay contest is flexible, and we encourage you to implement the Laws of Life Essay Contest in a manner that best suits your community. As the John Templeton Foundation aptly advises, "Do what fits!"  As your contest grows, you may want to add prizes. Many times local service clubs or businesses are willing to donate prizes or funds for scholarships, as are PTA's or PTO's.  These organizations can also be a source of judges for the contest. Involving the wider community in a positive way is an added benefit of this program.  

For Further Contest Information:

Contact Lucy Frontera, OPCE Director, at 614 486-6531x137 or lucy.frontera@charactereducationohio.org with questions or for further information.