What is the Character Matters Essay Contest?
The Character Matters Essay Contest provides a platform for insightful discussions and reflections on experiences that call for honesty, respect, responsibility, courage, self-discipline, and many other virtues. All students have encountered various experiences in their lives where their character has been tested, inspired, and strengthened. This essay contest provides students an opportunity for conscious reflection on these experiences. It originated from the Templeton Foundation “Laws of Life” essay contest, http://lawsoflife.org, which emphasizes “the core values, ideals and principles by which we live.” How does the contest work? The Character Matters Essay Contest is for all students in grade 4 through 12 in public, private and charters schools in San Diego and Imperial Valley Counties. There are three contest divisions: elementary school, grades 4 & 5; middle school, grades 6-8; and high school, grades 9-12. There are three students winners in each category. First place winners
