AC4GC Third Annual Essay Contest for High School Students
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, 2010.
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 2010 Oktoberfest on October 9, 2010. 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, 2010. Winners will be notified by October 6, 2010. Awards and recognition will take place at the 5th annual Phoenix Oktoberfest on October 9, 2010.
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
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
AC4GC's 2009 Essay Contest
The winners of AC4GC's annual Essay Contest was Severin Davis, Junior which is being home schooled. Severin received the prize of a $200.00 scholarship, presented at the fourth annual Phoenix Oktoberfest on Saturday, October 10, 2009. Severin teacher is his mother Heike Davis who also won $50.00 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 2009
Name: Severin Davis
Grade: 11
School: Crimson Ridge Homeschool
Teacher: Heike Davis
Why Study German?
German-speaking people are found almost everywhere; thus, connecting and communicating with people in another country becomes easier by knowing German. Learning the German language in high school makes learning other languages easier in the future, can open the door to interesting college opportunities, and lets one communicate with people all over the world. German is also the mother language of about one quarter of Europeans, so a working knowledge of German makes a European tourist trip or an exchange program much more enjoyable.
Since the German language has existed for such a long time, it has been influenced and has influenced other languages. For example, English has a common root with German. Many words are related to each other or may even be identical. These connections definitely help when learning another language after German. Experience with the complexities of the different genders and verb conjugations give a German speaking person an advantage when learning a new language.
Another reason to learn German is the range of opportunity it creates in high school and college. Through a high school exchange program, foreign language students often have the chance to travel to a country where the language they are studying is spoken. This not only fully immerses the students in the language and helps them become more fluent, but also it exposes them to a different culture. Colleges also may have study abroad programs which enable a student to study at a college in another country. Because their studied language is the most commonly used in the country they are visiting, they are forced to use it even to do the simplest things, like buying food.
A third reason to learn German is the communication advantage it provides. The German language plays a large role on the internet and in science and technology. Finding information becomes much easier when one knows German, which is the second most commonly used language for websites. Since many prominent science and technology companies, such as Siemens and Bosch, are based in Germany, knowing German may greatly increase one’s chances of finding a job in that field.
Clearly, learning German has extensive benefits for high school, college, and career. The many opportunities available to a German speaker can help one experience different cultures, tour the world with ease, and become successful. Since knowing the German language creates a huge number of opportunities to interact with other German speakers, studying German can be fun and worthwhile.
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