The essay competition has been closed

2008 Essay Competition

Each year, the Career Day and Youth Summit offers the opportunity for local students age 15-25 to compete for college scholarships in an essay competition.  There are two portions to the competition, written and verbal and judging is broken down into four age groups.

In the written component, essay contestants are judged on their ability to relate to the given topic, demonstrate clear and original thought and fundamental use of grammar and punctuation.  A panel of judges made up of members from the Detroit Branch NAACP and Ford Motor Company will review each essay paper.  The judges will select a group of finalists from each age group to advance to the verbal portion.

For the verbal portion, each contestant will come prepared to discuss their essay. He or she will be scored based on his or her response to the judges' questions. That score will be added to the written essay score, the three highest combined scores in each age division will be awarded the scholarships. Winners will be announced at the 2008 Career Day and Youth Summit.

2008 Essay Topic

"What is the single most important change that needs to happen in the U.S. in the next 20 years to achieve social justice and equality for all?