Homeschooling Teen Writing Contest!

teens-2Celebrating our 5th Anniversary! Homeschooling Teen magazine publishes articles that provide homeschooled high schoolers with information, inspiration, and exploration of the world around us. Now it’s YOUR chance to showcase your best work in Homeschooling Teen magazine! Write a 700-word essay on homeschooling – why you enjoy it, why you chose it, what it means to you, or how it led to an extraordinary personal experience that you wouldn’t have had otherwise. Submissions may be serious, creative, or humorous, as long as they reflect the enthusiasm and spirit of homeschooling teens, and highlight the benefits of homeschooling. We will choose two winners: one guy and one girl. Be sure to tell all of your homeschool friends!

PRIZE PACKAGE FOR GUYS (TOTAL VALUE $150):

  • Computer programming course of winner’s choice from HomeschoolProgramming.com ($85-90 value).
  • Because You Are Strong, by Daniel Forster (a Bible Study for young men), from Doorposts.com (choice of paperback or PDF download, $10 or $14.00 value).
  • The Fallacy Detective, by Nathaniel Bluedorn and Hans Bluedorn, from TriviumPursuit.com ($22 value).
  • The Thinking Toolbox, by Nathaniel Bluedorn and Hans Bluedorn, from TriviumPursuit.com ($22 value).
  • 2 copies of The Citizens Rule Book, containing the complete text of The Declaration of Independence, The United States Constitution, and The Bill of Rights in a handy pocket size ($2.00 value).
  • PLUS… recognition and publication on our website and in the e-zine… and if you win, it will be an honor that you can list on your transcript!

PRIZE PACKAGE FOR GIRLS (TOTAL VALUE $150):

  • A CD of Far Above Rubies homeschool unit study — retail value $59.95.
  • Beauty in the Heart, by Pam Forster (a Bible Study for young ladies), from Doorposts.com (choice of paperback or PDF download, $10 or $14.00 value).
  • A signed copy of Finding the Core of Your Story, by Jordan Smith, which helps writers create a short summary for their stories when they want to tell somebody about it or sell it ($10.95 value).
  • A signed copy of Paradox, a Christian fantasy novel aimed at the young adult audience (14-18); it’s the debut novel of 17-year-old author Brian McBride ($16.95 value).
  • Learning for Life: Educational Words of Wisdom, a homeschoolers’ book of quotations ($19.95 value).
  • Come What May DVD, filmed on the picturesque campus of Patrick Henry College ($11.49 value).
  • My American Adventure, by Amy Burritt. A homeschool teen’s account of her family’s journey from the rat-race of every day life to an amazing adventure ($16.99 value).
  • PLUS… recognition and publication on our website and in the e-zine… and if you win, it will be an honor that you can list on your transcript!

HOW TO ENTER

Eligibility: The contest is open to all homeschooling teens age 13-19 living in the United States and Canada. (HomeschoolingTeen.com columnists, writers, editors, and staff are not eligible to participate, sorry.)
Application: Click Here to Download Official Entry Form (PDF)
Submission: Send your written entry as an attached .doc, .docx, .odt, .pdf, or in the body of an e-mail to: mail@homeschoolingteen.com. Put “Writing Contest Entry” as your subject line. Important! You must also complete and sign the Official Entry Form, then scan and attach it to your e-mail. By entering the contest, you agree to the official rules and regulations below.
Deadline: The contest begins on November 1, 2013 and ends on November 22, 2013, at 11:59 PM (PST).

OFFICIAL RULES

Writer must be a homeschooling teen, age 13-19, living in the United States or Canada, currently homeschooled according to the laws governing the state and county or province in which the student resides. HomeschoolingTeen.com columnists, writers, editors, and staff are not eligible to participate.

● Write a short essay or creative piece (700 words max) on homeschooling – why you enjoy it, why you chose it, what it means to you, or something funny like homeschooling stereotypes.

● All entries must include a scanned copy of the official entry form. If you are younger than 18, your parent or guardian must sign this confirmation of your submission.

The essay must be original, unpublished work and must not have previously won any awards. By entering this competition, the writer claims all work to be his or her own.

● Submissions that contain objectionable themes (alcohol, drugs, blasphemy, violence, hate, etc.) will not be accepted.

Essays become the property of Homeschooling Teen and will not be returned. Entry in the contest constitutes permission for Homeschooling Teen to publish the essay at its discretion in a future issue. Full credit will always be given to the original author.

REVIEW & SELECTION

● A panel of judges at Homeschooling Teen will review the entries. They will evaluate submissions based on creativity, originality, grammar, spelling, logic, clarity, content, writing style, and skill/talent level displayed.

● The judges will select six finalists per category. From among the finalists, they will select two winning writers, one guy and one girl.

● The winning entries will be the ones that contain the least amount of typos or grammatical errors, that best highlight the benefits of homeschooling, that best reflect the enthusiasm and spirit of homeschool teens, that stand out as having a unique topic or showcase an extraordinary personal experience, and that show homeschooling in the most positive light.

● All decisions of the judges are final, and interpretations of the rules and guidelines are at Homeschooling Teen’s sole discretion.

● Entries must be received by November 22, 2013, at 11:59 PM (PST). Homeschooling Teen is not responsible for any lost, misdirected, delayed, incomplete, or illegible entries.

● Any writing submitted will not be returned, and becomes the property of Homeschooling Teen.

NOTIFICATION & PRIZES

● The winner will be will be notified by e-mail and announced on December 2, 2013 before 6:00 PM (PST). Only the winners will be contacted. All decisions are final.

● The winning writers will receive: publication of your winning entry, headshot, and bio on the Homeschooling Teen website and in the e-zine, as well as one of two fabulous prize packages.

● Homeschooling Teen reserves the right to substitute different prizes of comparable value.

● By entering, entrants/winners agree: (1) to release Homeschooling Teen from any and all claims, injuries, liability, losses or damages of any kind, resulting, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from the awarding, delivery, acceptance, use, misuse, possession, loss or misdirection of any prize or participation in this contest; (2) to be bound by the Official Rules; (3) that the decision of the sponsor is final and binding on all matters relating to the contest; (4) to the use of their names and likenesses for advertising and promotional purposes solely in connection with this contest.

Click Here to Download Writing Contest Entry Form

Questions? Contact mail@homeschoolingteen.com

Deadline for Submissions: November 22, 2013

We look forward to receiving your entries!

2 Comments

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  1. Wow, this sounds fantastic! I’ll be doing this, for sure!

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