Dottie Yeck Good Life Award Writing Contest
Being Good + Doing Good = Having Fun + Being Happy ˜ Dottie Yeck's Life Philosophy
The 2019 Good Life Award Writing Contest is now closed. Read the winning entries!
About This Contest
Honoring the life of Dottie Yeck, a champion of children, who believed that one is never too young to have an impact on the world.
Contest Dates: September 9, 2019 - October 8, 2019
Entrants must live or attend school in Montgomery County, Ohio and be enrolled in a curriculum for grades 7-9
You could win the top prize of $3,000! Three additional prizes of $500, $250, and $100 will be awarded plus $25 for honorable metions.
For more information call the Community Outreach Coordinator at 937-610-4429 or send an email to: communityrelations@wcpl.lib.oh.us.
Get Inspired!
- Check out these great books and movies that will inspire you to live a good life!
- Read the winning entries from past years.
- See a list of represented schools.
- Print this Good Life Award contest flyer for your classroom!
Meet Rebecca Esselstein, Ph.D., Astrophysics, Rhodes Scholar, Runner, Rower, Aspiring Astronaut
Rebecca is a graduate of Alter High School (Valedictorian) and the U.S. Air Force Academy (Top Academic Graduate and Top Overall Graduate, 2015) where she studied Astronautical Engineering. She’s a native of Washington Township and most recently completed her Ph.D. in Astrophysics at the University of Oxford in England as a Rhodes Scholar. For fun, Rebecca rowed for the Blue Boat at Oxford (2017) and was CoSIDA Women's Div I Track & Field Academic All-American of the Year, 2015. Currently in flight training school, her dream is to become an astronaut.
Eligibility
- Entrants must be enrolled in a curriculum for grades 7 - 9 at the time the application is submitted.
- Entrants must live or attend school in Montgomery County, Ohio.
- Prior Good Life Award $3000 prize winners are not eligible for this contest.
- Family members of Washington-Centerville Public Library staff and contest judges are not eligible for this contest.
Rules (as an entrant you must...)
- Complete the writing challenge in 300-500 words (entries of more than 500 words will be disqualified).
- Contest opens on Monday, September 9 at 8 A.M.
- Contest closes on Tuesday, October 8 promptly at 8 A.M.
- Late entries will not be accepted.
- Submit only one entry per person.
- Certify the work was written by you and expresses your original ideas which you have developed. By submitting your entry to the Good Life Award, you guarantee the work as your own.
- Agree to attend the Good Life Celebration award ceremony at the Library on Thursday, November 21, 2019 if you win.
How to Enter
- Submit entry online using the official online entry form (link visible when contest opens) between September 9 and October 8.
- Copy and paste your final entry into the textbox. (Please be sure that your name and school are NOT included in the main body of your entry.)
2019 Writing Challenge
"Believe you can, and you’re halfway there." ˜ Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)
"Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world right in the eye." ˜ Lucille Ball (1911-1989)
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go." ˜ Dr. Seuss (Theodore Seuss Geisel) (1904-1991)
Step 1: Develop a Plan
Review the criteria by which you will be judged.
Step 2: Write to the Prompt
Invitation:
As you navigate through your teen years, every day is a fresh opportunity to re-think, re-act, re-do, and re-create yourself, your attitude, and your impact on the world. But there are many ups and downs on this journey to self-awareness, and becoming the person you want to be isn't always easy. Many external influences, such as school and the opinion of others, can impact your self-confidence and sometimes your choices.
Prompt:
Develop a plan for living a good life. Using personal experiences as examples, give the reader advice on how to build self-confidence while exploring how school and others can affect that self- confidence. How do you block negative impacts while building up the positive? Be sure your plan reflects Dottie Yeck’s belief that being good and doing good will result in having fun and being happy.
Judging
- Decisions of the judges are final.
- Adherence to all rules and challenge guidelines are basic requirements of this contest.
- The following criteria will be used to score the essays:
| Criteria | Description | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Clearly Addresses Prompt | Includes a description of a situation and/or time when the writer was able to demonstrate self-confidence in a situation even when it may be been difficult to do so. Writer fully illustrates how they were able show strength of character, what they learned, and how Mrs. Yeck’s philosophy of Being Good + Doing Good = Having Fun + Being Happy leads to having a good life. | 3 |
| Creativity & Style | Rich details and examples that reveal personality and a strong writer’s voice. Consider citing personal emotions, values, and beliefs. Consider the use of inspirational quotes, poems, songs, or passages, etc., to reflect beliefs. | 3 |
| Clarity of Content | Organized and easy to understand with good ideas for others to consider. Uses all elements of Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. | 3 |
| Accuracy | Writing mechanics and format do not detract from meaning. Content is correct in punctuation and spelling. | 1 |
Awards
- First Place Winner: $3,000
- Second Place Winner: $500
- Third Place Winner: $250
- Fourth Place Winner: $100
- Honorable Mentions: $25
- A check for $250 will be awarded to the class of the Good Life Award winner.
- Top four winners agree to attend the Good Life Celebration at the Washington-Centerville Public Library on Thursday, November 21, 2019.
Good Life Celebration
- The 2019 Dottie Yeck Good Life Celebration will be held in the Community Room at Woodbourne Library, Thursday, November 21, from 7 - 8:30 PM
- Winners will be recognized and author Fran Kick will help us KICK IT IN with an exciting and dynamic teen leadership presentation!
- Join family, friends, and teachers in celebrating, encouraging, and helping students who are working hard, getting better at what they do, and having fun in the process.
- Everyone is welcome! Registration is NOT required to attend.