NWYIA Essay Contest (opportunity)

2010 Native Women & Youth in Ag Annual Writing Competition

Sponsored By: USDA Risk Management, USDA Office of the Secretary-Tribal Relations, Intertribal Agriculture Council and President Richard Bowers- Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc.

ESSAY TOPIC: "Do Your Reservation Farmers & Ranchers Feed You?"

(What food items are grown/produced on your reservation? Are those items sold on your reservation? What are the advantages & disadvantages of buying food locally?)

Who Is Eligible? Young Native American Women & Men who will be entering grades 9-12 in the Fall of 2010. Graduates of May-August 2010 are also eligible to enter. Must be a member of a Federally Recognized Tribe.

Winners & Prizes: Three (3) finalists will be announced the second week of November 2010 & provided an all-expense paid trip (including one (1) chaperone) to the 2010 Intertribal Agriculture Council & Indian Nations Conservation Alliance annual meeting in Las Vegas, NV December 6-10, 2010. Finalists will be awarded several other special prizes presented at the Awards Luncheon & will serve as Ag Ambassadors in 2010/2011. Each finalist is required to read a short introduction and an abstract of their essay at the Awards Luncheon.

Guidelines:

 3-6 pages in length

 3-5 sentences about yourself

 Typed

 One-inch margins

 Double spaced

 12-point font

 3-5 sources

2009 Essay Finalists posing with 4-time NFR qualifier, Joey Bell Jr., World Champion Bullfighter, Rob Smets, 2008 & 2009 INFR Announcer of the year, Ray Champ & 6-time INFR World Champion Saddle Bonc Rider, Marty Hebb at the Awards Luncheon photo op.

Judging Criteria:

 Creativity

 Quality of Sources

 Quality of Grammar

 Spelling & Punctuation

 Organization of information

 Length of entry

 Documentation of Sources (3-5 sources required)

 Appropriate information for the topic: solution driven (researched criteria) NOT issue driven information

All entries MUST BE ACCOMPANIED by a separate sheet containing the student’s name, address, telephone number, email (if available), school attending & Tribal affiliation.

Send Essay Submission to:

Native Women & Youth in Ag Phone: 605.964.4342

c/o Vicki Hebb, Executive Director Note: all entries will be used in future

PO Box 217 publications & for PR purposes

Cherry Creek, SD 57622

Email: vicki.hebb@indianaglink.com

Entries may be mailed (postmarked 11/05/2010) or emailed (re: NWYIA ESSAY CONTEST)