Essay Contest 2015

Fifth Annual Utah High School Essay Contest

Women of the Mountains in the 21st century

 Call for Papers

In 2007 Utah Valley University (UVU) organized the first international Women of the Mountains Conference under the umbrella of the United Nations–affiliated Mountain Partnership. Since then, UVU was joined by the Utah International Mountain Forum (UIMF), a coalition of UVU student clubs, in partnership with a growing network of individuals and institutions concerned with promotion of sustainable mountain development (SMD) agenda under the United Nations.

In preparation for the 4^th Women of the Mountains Conference to be held in the fall of 2015, the UIMF will host the fifth annual High School essay contest. The main focus of this contest is to educate and engage young citizens of Utah on the issues of women living in mountainous regions all over the world, and on women’s involvement with technology, sustainability, and agriculture and to contribute to the SMD agenda.

We will accept any type of written work that reflects a thoughtful consideration of the women in the mountains theme. Students may submit formal research and expository essays, but we will also accept short stories, persuasive essays, and other forms of written work. We encourage personal innovation and creativity in the selection and execution of essay topics.

Topics for submission may include, but are not limited to:

• Women of the mountains: past, present, and future.
• Women of the mountains and their contribution to sustainable development.
• Women of the mountains and their use of technology. [Note: The United Nations has declared 2015 the International Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies.]
• Women of the mountains and their role in family and community life.
• Women of the mountains and their role in soil management as the basis for: food systems, fuel, or fiber production. [2015 is also the International Year of Soil.]

Submission Guidelines:

• Give your full name, School name, District name, and a viable email address.
• Works must be between 1000 and 1500 words in length.
• Must be in MLA format
• Submit electronically
• Use file formats accessible through Microsoft Word
• Have no fewer than five non-internet sources (as always, Wikipedia is not acceptable as a reference!)
• Include a works cited page
• Creative works (such as short stories or poems) must be accompanied by a bibliography of sources that informed or inspired the author.

A panel of judges representing UVU and the UIMF will read the submissions and select ten finalists to present their work on March 27, 2015, at the Orem Public Library. The best three presenters will receive financial awards in addition to certificates acknowledging their contribution, and a chance to publish their work in the journal “Youth and the Mountains.” http://www.uvu.edu/hps/politicalscience/YM.html

All participants (schools and students) will be awarded certificates of participation on behalf of the Mountain Partnership of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (F.A.O-U.N.) based in Rome, Italy.

In addition, three best papers will be presented at a special panel at the 4^th international Women of the Mountain Conference to be hosted at UVU during October 7-9, 2015 in Orem, UT

Completed essays must be submitted by 12:00 AM on March 15, 2015. Please submit them to [email protected];

For more information, please contact us by phone or email:
           – Dr. Keith Snedegar, Professor, History and Political Science, Utah Valley University, Co-Chair Phone: (801) 863-8847, email: [email protected]
           – Jesler Molina, Model United Nations Club, Phone: 801-427-4292, e-mail: [email protected]