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Students encouraged to write about Constitution, win prizes

For Clay Today
Posted 8/17/22

CLAY COUNTY – On Sept. 17, 1787, delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution, which begins with the following preamble:

We the People of the United States, to form a more …

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Students encouraged to write about Constitution, win prizes


Posted

CLAY COUNTY – On Sept. 17, 1787, delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution, which begins with the following preamble:

We the People of the United States, to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Since its ratification, the Constitution has been amended 27 times. Students are encouraged to choose one of the 27 Amendments to the U. S. Constitution and, using relevant external sources, explain how that Amendment promotes the goals the framers articulated in the preamble.

Student essays must be submitted via the Middle District website (www.flmd.uscourts.gov/contest) no later than noon on Sept.

During the past four years, essays have been submitted by students residing in 10 of the 12 counties of the Jacksonville Division and cash prizes totaling more than $21,000 have been awarded to students, teachers and schools.

Cash prizes are made possible by the lawyers and judges of the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, through the Bench Bar Fund. The awards include:

• First-place – $2,000

• Second-place – $1,000

• Third-place – $500

• Fourth- through10th – $50

• Classroom grant for teachers of the top three (one grant a teacher) – $500

• Grant to school with the most qualifying submissions – $1,000

If public health conditions permit, the top 10 students, their family members and teachers, and a representative of the school with the most submissions will be recognized at a ceremony in the Bryan Simson U.S. Courthouse in Jacksonville on Dec. 7. In addition, the first-place winner will be allowed to shadow a federal judge for a day, as did Avi Patel, the 2021 winner.

For the contest rules and additional information about the Essay Contest and how to enter visit www.flmd.uscourts.gov/contest.

The contest is open to students currently in grades 9 through 12 in counties in the Jacksonville Division of the Middle District of Florida, which includes Clay, Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Duval, Flagler, Hamilton, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, Suwannee, and Union.