End of the Line Humanists (ELH) are hosting their first annual essay contest.  

Subject

Essay topic: how the theories of Charles Darwin are relevant in the 21st century.

Contest Rules

• Participants must be currently enrolled students of a high school (grades 9-12) in Oak Park, River Forest, or Forest Park, OR currently enrolled in the equivalent of grades 9-12 at a homeschool and currently residing in Oak Park, River Forest, or Forest Park.
• Submissions must be an original work created by the participant. No essay or work that has been previously published or submitted to a contest will be accepted.
• Essays must be 1000 – 1700 words in length. Essays outside of this length will not be considered.
• Essays must be typed in 11- or 12-point font and be double spaced.
• Essays will be judged on relevance to topic, accuracy of scientific argument, clarity, composition and grammar.
• Essays must be accompanied by a bibliography, which does not count towards the word count of the essay.
• Essays must be written in English.
• Participants grant us the right to share winning submissions on our website.
• All decisions made by the judges regarding the winners are final.
• By submitting, participants agree to all rules.
• Rules are subject to change.

Submission Guidelines

• Submission is free.
• Entries must be submitted through email at submissions@elhumanists.org.
• Submissions are open from September 1st, 2020 – October 31st, 2020. Submissions will be accepted until midnight of the closing date. Entries received outside of this time frame will not be considered.
• Submissions must be accompanied with a cover letter which includes the author’s name, address, phone number, and email address.
• The essay submission must be attached to the email as a Word document. Do not submit essays in either PDF or RTF formats.
• Essays will be judged blind. Judges will not know the author’s name or identifying information. Do not include any identifying information on the essay document itself. 
• Only one entry per participant is allowed.

Prizes

1st prize: $500 USD

2nd prize: $250 USD

3rd prize: $100 USD

• Honorable mentions will be noted on the ELH website.
• Winners will be announced on January 30th, 2021.
• Winners and runners up will be notified by email by January 29th, 2021.
• Prize money will be awarded on February 12th, 2021 (Darwin Day).
• The first-place winner will be invited to present their essay at the 2021 ELH Darwin Day celebration.
• Winning essays will be published on the ELH website throughout the year.

Contest Judges

At least three judges, two scientists and one composition professional, will be announced shortly. Additional judges may be added at a later date if needed.