South Orange, Maplewood High School Essay Contest: $1,000 Scholarship

High school seniors in South Orange and Maplewood have two more weeks to earn a $1,000 scholarship.

The South Orange Historical and Preservation Society (SOHPS) is holding a $1,000 essay competition that is open to all high school juniors and seniors residing in South Orange and Maplewood, who will be entering an accredited institution of higher education upon graduation.

The essay contest is set around the topic: “The Library - What Has It Meant To Society?”

“In this essay contest, students will choose any period of time during the past 150 years and discuss the role public libraries played, either in a specific area or in general, and how the South Orange Public Library fulfilled this role,” SOHPS organizers stated.

According to contest organizers, the essay scholarship contest will commemorate the South Orange Public Library’s 150th anniversary.

DEADLINE

Entries must be received by the screening committee no later than May 1. The scholarship winner will be notified no later than June 1.

The winning essay will become the property of the South Orange Historical and Preservation Society and may, with proper attribution to the writer, be reproduced, distributed, and publicly displayed for the purposes of supporting the goals of SOHPS and the South Orange Public Library.

SPECIFICATIONS

Essays are to be submitted directly to the screening committee at info@sohps.org. Essays must be between 1,000 and 1,200 words, written in MS-Word or a compatible format, with a 12 point type font, 1.5 line spacing, and one inch margins. The essay must be accompanied by an original source bibliography. The student may use personal interviews where appropriate but specifics are to be provided in the bibliography. A cover page must include the student's name, address, telephone number, email address, current high school, and the college or university the student will be attending, if known.

SCHOLARSHIP AWARD: $1,000

The award is a one-time payment not to be considered a renewal and will be paid directly to the winner’s chosen institution of higher education. The winning essay will be presented at the Library’s Anniversary Celebration in May and at the SOHPS’s symposium in October.

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