Secretary of State
Students Can Participate in Slogan and Essay Contests

(Frankfort, KY)  Students can win valuable prizes all the while becoming more civically engaged by participating in the 2007 Office of the Secretary of State Slogan and Essay Contests.  The contests specifically center upon elections and allow teachers to work the contest into the classroom curriculum through relevance to current events, such as the upcoming gubernatorial and presidential elections.  All entries must be submitted electronically by 5 p.m. (EST) Friday, November 16, 2007 or postmarked by that day to be eligible for consideration.

“In order for students to become more engaged in our society and eventually become active citizens, we must take civic education directly into the classroom.  Activities such as the Voter Slogan and Essay Contest allow teachers to bring civics education to life while allowing them to focus on the current Core Content required by the Kentucky Department of Education,” said Secretary of State Trey Grayson.

The Office of the Secretary of State Voter Slogan and Essay Contest is also sponsored by the University of Kentucky Scripps Howard First Amendment Center and the Kentucky Education Association. 

For the past 18 years, the Office of the Secretary of State has held a statewide slogan and essay contest for Kentucky high school students.  For the first time this year, 7^th and 8^th graders are invited to participate in the slogan contest and 9-12^th graders are invited to participate in the essay contests.  Prizes of up to a $1,000 U.S. Savings Bond and four $1,500 U.S. Saving Bonds are available for winning slogans and essays, respectively. 

Under his administration, the contests have become part of Civics Month and Grayson’s efforts to increase civic literacy among Kentucky’s youth.  Grayson’s primary focus, the Civic Literacy Initiative of Kentucky (CLIK), is a multi-year effort for enhancing long-term civic engagement and civic literacy within the Commonwealth.  CLIK recently established the Kentucky Teacher Network for Excellence in Civic Education and Civic Engagement, which seeks to provide a professional learning community for P-12 civic educators in order to share knowledge, skills, curriculum, and assessment tools. The initiative has been recognized as a national model to promote a better informed and engaged electorate.

The Office of the Secretary of State also sponsors a number of programs that involve students directly within their classrooms.  Currently, the Office is conducting a statewide mock election for Kentucky’s middle and high school students.  The Office also hosts Constitution Day activities for classrooms of all ages. 

For more information about the Voter Slogan and Essay Contest or the Civic Literacy Initiative of Kentucky, please visit the Office of the Secretary of State’s website at www.sos.ky.gov/secdesk/initiatives/civics. 

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