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Sunshine Week Essay Contest

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FEBRUARY 1, 2010

CONTACT:

GOVERNOR’S PRESS OFFICE, (850) 488-5394

Governor Crist Invites Students to Participate in Sunshine Week Essay Contest

www.FLGov.com/og_home

TALLAHASSEE – Governor Charlie Crist today announced Florida’s 2010 Sunshine Week “Government in the Sunshine” Web site and invited Florida students in grades 9-12 to participate in the Florida Sunshine Week essay contest. Observed March 14-20, 2010, Sunshine Week celebrates Florida’s laws dedicated to making state and local government more accessible to the public.

“This year’s Sunshine Week Essay Contest provides an opportunity for high school students to focus on the First Amendment and the importance of open government,” said Governor Crist. “Openness and transparency must be one of government’s top priorities in order to ensure citizens can continue to hold their leaders accountable.”

The essay contest is open to all Florida high school students in grades 9-12 and the winner will be announced during the week of March 8, 2010. The first-place winner will receive a $2,500 scholarship, the second-place winner will receive a $1,500 scholarship, and third place will receive a $1,000 scholarship. The contest is supported through the Volunteer Florida Foundation. Winners will be invited to attend an event at the Governor’s Mansion.

Guidelines

After reading the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, contest participants must explain the importance of one or more of the civil liberties found in the First Amendment and how Florida’s open government laws protect these liberties.
Each student may enter only one essay, no longer than 500 words and typed or handwritten in print, rather than cursive writing.
Essays must include the student’s name, home address, telephone number, school the student attends, grade level and essay title.
Essays must be accompanied by a parental waiver form, which can be found at http://www.flgov.com/og_sunshine_essay. For electronic entries, the parental waiver may be typed, but if chosen as a winner it will be verified.

Entries must be emailed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or mailed to: The Executive Office of the Governor, Attention: Sunshine Week Essay Contest, 400 South Monroe Street, The Capitol, Suite PL-04, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0001. Entries must be emailed or postmarked no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, February 18, 2010.

In addition to the essay contest this year, teachers also have the opportunity to engage their students in activities relating to “Government in the Sunshine." The crossword puzzle and word search may be accessed and downloaded at www.flgov.com/og_sunshine.

About Sunshine Week

In 2002, Sunshine Sunday was launched by the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors in response to increased public and legislative awareness of the open government laws. After Florida’s trailblazing actions to establish Sunshine Laws, many other states have adopted Sunshine Sunday, which resulted in the American Society of Newspaper Editors designating a Sunshine Week, which started in March of 2005.

Governor Crist’s dedication to the Sunshine Laws is clearly evident. In his inaugural address, Florida’s 44th Governor made open government a top priority. He quoted President Abraham Lincoln, pledging under his watch Florida government would be “of the people, by the people and for the people.” The next day in his first Executive Order, Governor Crist established the Office of Open Government and charged it with providing the Governor’s Office and all state agencies the tools necessary to serve the people of Florida in a professional and efficient manner.

For more information, please visit www.flgov.com/og_home.

Bright Futures Scholarships

Bright Futures Scholarships have been under review for two years by the Legislature, although neither of the proposed bills passed. However, the original bill which passed in 1997 gave DOE the rule making authority to set test scores after the transitional year. I pushed for the 1997 language to provide a way for home educators to qualify for the Merit scholarship with a 970 SAT score if the parent could verify the 15 core courses required for public schools. In three years not one home-school parent has tried to qualify a child by this method. So after careful review by DOE, beginning with the 2000-2001 school year, home school students will now qualify under the other option that was included in the transition language. With a 1070 SAT score, home-educated students do not have to verify any coursework or GPA and they will automatically qualify for the Merit Scholarship.

If a parent thinks that their home educated student will never attend a state postsecondary program, it is still wise to apply for the scholarships anyway. It is a simple process, requiring only a letter from the school district that the student was in a home education program for 11th and 12th grades, an SAT score and a signature. It is an easy way to earn college money, provided that the student enrolls in a Florida college within 3 years. The Academic scholarship, which requires a 1270 SAT score, pays all the tuition and provides $600 per year for books and the Merit scholarship provides 75% of the tuition at a Florida public college or university. If the student does not qualify his senior year, the opportunity will be lost. It is a good insurance policy for your child's education. For more information call toll-free 1-888-827-2004 or visit the website at www.firn.edu/doe/bin00072

Florida Prepaid College Program (Fl. St. 240.551)

Websites: http://www.florida529plans.com/Administration/statute.html
http://www.florida529plans.com/ http://www.myflorida.com/myflorida/education/learn/aplusplan/prepaid.html
Phone: 850-488-8514

Pell Grant

Students can qualify for needs-based aid depending on the family income if the student is a dependent or the student's income if the student is independent. You must fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

More information on Federal student aid programs and how to apply for them can be found at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/Students

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards honor 7-12 grade students' individual works in each of 16 art and eight writing categories. Achieving students receive Pinnacle, Gold, or Silver Awards. High school seniors may also submit a body of art or writing for Portfolio Awards. In June, national award recipients are honored at a ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and the Corcoran Gallery features the winning art. Scholastic annually bestows nearly $250,000 in cash awards on the national and regional levels. In addition, seniors who submit portfolios compete for scholarships from more than 40 institutions and organizations totaling $1.5 million. Deadlines vary depending on regions (Deadlines vary).

To check it out for yourself, contact:
Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
555 Broadway, New York, NY 10012;
(212) 343-6493
e- mail A& This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.scholastic.com/artandwriting.