The winners of AC4GC's first Essay Contest were Joe King, sophomore at Horizon High School in Scottsdale and Anneliese Chittock, senior at Amphitheater High School in Tucson. They each received the prize of a $200.00 scholarship, presented at the Third Phoenix Oktoberfest on Saturday, October 11, 2008. Their teachers are Ms June Mann of Horizon and Dr. Stephanie Duisberg of Amphitheater, who also won $50.00 each for teaching supplies. The judges were Jerry Wood, member of the AC4GC Board of Directors and his colleague at Glendale Community College, Mrs. Linda Austin. There will be a second Essay Contest at next year's Oktoberfest, and we hope to involve schools from all over Arizona.

Winner essay "Why learn german.pdf"

Winner essay "Why study german.pdf"

As AC4GC begins its quest to provide a cultural center for all the residents of Arizona, this contest is an attempt to reach out to German teachers and students of German in Arizona’s schools and enhance their interest in the German language and all things Germanic, i.e., the history, culture, technology, and contributions of Germans, Austrians, Swiss, Liechtensteiner, Luxembourgian, and other speakers of German to Arizona and America.
All entries must be submitted electronically by October 1, 2008.
There will be two groupings for the contest; grades 9-10 and grades 11-12. The winners will receive prizes and certificates. The winning essays will be posted on the www.AC4GC.org website and in various German Speaking Clubs’ newsletters throughout the valley.
 
GUIDELINES
Students must choose from the following topics:

• What do you think is the most influential contribution made by German-Americans in the past 400 years?
• Why study German?

• The essay must be in English and in a 5-paragraph thesis-and-support format of 500 words.
• Students may submit only one essay per person.
• Submit entries as a .doc (Microsoft Word), .pdf (Adobe Acrobat), or scanned-in graphic files (jpg. etc.).  Email your entry to Jerry T. Wood essaycontest[ at ]ac4gc.org  Entry must include the author’s name, grade level, school name and school address on a cover sheet for the essay.

RULES

• All students enrolled in 9th through 12th grade in the U.S. are eligible.
• Each entry must be the sole work of the author.
• Entries must be submitted by individual writers or by their teachers.
• Entries must include the name of the student and teacher/advisor, the grade level of the student, the email address of the student and teacher, and a postal address for the student and teacher.  This information enables the AC4GC quickly to award prizes.  The awards will be presented at the AC4GC Phoenix 2008 Oktoberfest on October 11, 2008.  No personal or contact information will be handed over to a third party.
• Only electronically submitted essays will be accepted.
• Entries must be 500 words or less.
• Submitted entries will become the property of the AC4GC; they may appear in various German Speaking Club newsletters and/or publications.
• The decision of the panel of judges from the AC4GC, Phoenix, AZ is final.
• Students are strongly encouraged to review spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Receipt of essays will be confirmed by email.  Please contact us if you do not receive a confirmation within a week.

DEADLINE is October 1, 2008.  Winners will be notified by October 7, 2008. Awards and recognition will take place at the 3rd annual Phoenix Oktoberfest on October 11, 2008.

CRITERIA FOR JUDGING    
Winners will be determined by a panel of judges selected by board members of the AC4GC, Phoenix, AZ.  Entries will be judged based on their content, style, and grammar.

Successful entries will

• Follow the guidelines,
• Show that student has done research on his/her topic (MLA  or APA style sheet with in-text citations),
• Include the author’s own opinions,
• Demonstrate superb critical and creative thinking.

PRIZES

• First place – Grades 9 – 10:     $200.00
• First place – Grades 11 – 12:   $200.00
• For teachers or advisors of first place winners:
• $50.00 Book Store Gift Certificate for classroom resources
• In addition ten runners up will receive a package from AC4GC

P.O. Box 94016,
Phoenix, AZ 85070-4016
The Arizona Center for Germanic Cultures, Inc. is recognizedas a not-for-profit corporation under IRS rule 501(c)3, EIN: 20-2684739