All entries must be postmarked no later than May 11, 2012.Finalists will be notified by August 17, 2012. Each student finalist, their parents, teacher and the local contest coordinator will be invited to attend the Laws of Life Awards Banquet (Fall 2012) in Columbus at which time the awards will be announced. Authors of the first place winning essays for middle and high school will be asked to read their essays at the ceremony. Finalists will be notified of this possibility so they can be prepared. 

Only essays that have won a local contest, either Laws of Life, Foundations for Life, or another character-related essay contest may be submitted for judging. Essays will be judged primarily on their content – whether they are positive and life-affirming, include a “law of life” that the author believes will make the world a better place, capture a value or ideal in a special way, or explain and relate a quote or “Timeless Truth” effectively. Some importance to presentation and the mechanics of writing will be considered in judging to the extent that the ideas put forth by the author are clearly understood. In cases where the content is judged as having equal merit, the essay which is better written or presented will be given a higher score. Before submitting essays, local contest coordinators should assure that students have proofed and typed their essays.  Click here for a sample scoring rubric.

Cash prizes will be awarded in both the middle and high school categories. Amounts are indicated below. All student finalists will receive recognition in the banquet program as well as a certificate of recognition signed by the Governor. Teachers and the local contest coordinator will also receive cash awards.

Local Contest Awards for 2012
To encourage greater participation, the following awards will be given to local contests

• Greatest increase in number of essays written
  (over 2011)  $100

• Highest percent of student body writing essays $100

• New contest with the highest number of essays written $100

• New contest with the highest percentage of student body writing an essay $100

Theme Award for 2012

• The special theme for 2012 is COMPROMISE. One middle and one high school essay will be awarded $100 each for the best essay on the theme of COMPROMISE. This does not mean that all essays must be on that topic, but if students choose to write on the topic of humility, the best essay in the local contest may be submitted as an additional entry.

Cover design contest  
Each local contest that submits essay entries may submit one entry for a design for the cover of the winning essay booklet that is published each year. The cover entry does not have to be judged locally or the result of a competition. The design should be a graphic representation that depicts a student's "law of life". Entries can be full color, but not larger than 8.5 x 11. The cover design can be submitted on paper, but preferably as a .jpg or .eps file. Include an entry form with the student's entry. The winning student will receive $100 and be invited to the Awards Banquet. More info