"Being an American" Essay Contest Opens For Entry, Prizes as High as 1k For Students

“How does the Constitution establish and maintain a culture of liberty?”

The above is the question posed to 9-12 students across the country that will soon compete for a $1,000 prize in the Bill of Rights Institute’s "Being An American" essay contest.

The Being An American Contest has been held since 2006, has had over 80,000 entrants from nearly all fifty states between 2006 and 2010, and will sponsored by the History Channel for it's 2011-2012 year of competition.

"The largest contest of its kind in the country, the Being an American Essay Contest explores the founding principles outlined in the Constitution," the Bill of Rights Institute stated.

"This context is vital to helping students see their Founding principles as a meaningful part of the American experiment of self-government,” Bill of Rights Institute VP Jason Ross said in a recent press release.

Competitors are separated into five geographical regions, with the top three students from each region receiving $1,000 in cash for first place, $500 for second place, and $250 for third place. Teachers that sponsor winning students will win $100.

“The contest not only honors and awards sponsoring teachers, but also equips them with free lesson plans and other supplemental materials that meet state and national academic standards so they can easily incorporate the essay contest into their classrooms," Ross said.

Students will be judged on "adherence to the essay question, originality, organization, writing style, and depth of analysis," according to the Bill of Rights Institute. The contest officially opened on Sept. 17, and the deadline for submissions is December 15, 2011.