Purpose
Sigma Chapter of the national Iota Lambda Sigma society sponsors an essay contest to encourage academic achievement. Students entering this contest are required to use their academic writing skills as they compete.
Eligibility
Entrants must be enrolled in at least one secondary career and technical education course and be a current active member of Texas SkillsUSA.
Evaluation Criteria
The essays will be evaluated on the following criteria:
1. Content
Relationship to topic
Logically organized
Clarity of message
Expressiveness
2. Technical Quality
Cover sheet information
Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation
The essays will be judged by the awards committee appointed by Sigma Chapter. The essays will be judged on a point system based on the criteria above. Judges will have final say and entrants may not challenge or appeal.
Topic
The following is the topic that was chosen the 2012-2013 year:
“SkillsUSA: Champions at work prepared with the skills America Needs”
Application Procedures
Each entrant shall submit the following:
1. Essays are limited to 500 words in length.
2. Entrants may only submit one essay.
3. Essays must be typewritten on 8 ½ x 11 sheets.
4. It is preferred you submit essays via e-mail as Microsoft Word or WordPerfect documents. The e-mail addresses are phillip.mcendree@tamucc.edu or psmcendree@yahoo.com. I will confirm receipt of you essay.
5. Do not send essays bound in notebooks.
6. Entrants must include a cover sheet, which clearly states contestant’s name, address, phone number, email, school name, teacher’s name, school’s phone number, Texas SkillsUSA Chapter number and the topic for the current year contest.
7. Entrants may not include their name anywhere on the essay itself.
8. Essays should be emailed or mailed to Iota Lambda Sigma to the address below.
9. All entries become the property of ILS and will not be returned.
10. ILS will notify the top five contestants and the winner will be announced during the Texas SkillsUSA state contest.
Award-Winning Essays
1. ILS reserves the right to publish, reproduce, copy and display winning essays.
2. ILS will notify the top five contestants by telephone, regular mail, or email according to the information provided on their cover sheet.
3. The winning essays will be published in the ILS newsletter and forwarded to Texas SkillsUSA and TIVA for possible additional publications.
Deadline
Essays must be received by ILS no later than March 22. Essays submitted after March 22 will not be considered for state competition.
Completed essays should be submitted to:
Phillip McEndree, ILS Writing Contest
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
6300 Ocean Drive, Unit 5818
Corpus Christi, TX 78412-5818
It is preferred that the essays be sent via email to me since these are in an electronic format for possible future publication. The preferred email address is psmcendree@yahoo.com and you may also use phillip.mcendree@tamucc.edu .