May 23, 2001 – Finalists in the Laws of Life essay contest held at Charlotte Amalie High School will gather Saturday at St. Peter Greathouse to learn who the big winners are. Forty-eight students and their parents, as well as many community leaders have been invited to the awards ceremony which starts at 3:30 p.m.
The contest, originated in 1987 by Sir John Templeton, founder of the prestigious Templeton Foundation, has been replicated over the years across the U.S., but this is the first time it has been conducted in the Virgin Islands.
It is co-sponsored locally by the Peter Gruber Foundation and the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands.
Students in all grades were asked to reflect on and write about their own core values, explaining their choices through the experiences they have had, the lessons they have learned, and the people who have served as examples to them. A panel of judges, including active and retired educators, reviewed the essays and rated them chiefly on content.
The first place winner in each of the four grades receives a $500 cash prize. Second-place winners, $250; third place, $100. Another three students from each grade will receive honorable mention prizes of $50.
