ELIGIBILITY:  All students in grades 6 through 12 attending school in Crawford, Dubois, Orange, Perry, or Spencer County are eligible to enter the 22^nd Annual Writing Contest sponsored by the Friends of Southern Hills and Southern Hills Counseling Center.  Students in grades 6, 7, and 8 will participate in the Middle School Division and students in grades 9 through 12 will compete in the High School Division.

 SUBJECT:  During the past several months, the economy in southern Indiana has gotten worse.  Describe how these economic changes have affected a family and how that family handled those changes.  For example, describe the problem, how the family was affected by it, how they felt about the problem, where they sought help, and what they learned.   The story may be fictional or based on a real life situation. 

ENTRY FORMAT:  Entries must be at least 400 words, typed, and no more than 4 pages in length; hand-written copies will not be accepted.   Each entry must be accompanied by an Application and Permission for Publication Form (see back of this page).  The Form may be copied or additional Forms may be obtained from the school principal or teacher, the Southern Hills web site at www.southernhills.org, or the local Southern Hills office.  The Application and Permission for Publication Form must be completed and stapled to the entry.  Do not include your name on the pages of your paper.

 DEADLINE:  The deadline for submitting an entry to this year’s contest is Friday, December 11, 2009.  Student entries, stapled to the completed Application and Permission for Publication Form, may be given to your teacher or school principal to be sent to Southern Hills; or you mail it directly to Judy Hunsicker, Southern Hills Counseling Center, P. O. Box 769, Jasper, IN  47547-0769.  Entries must be received at the Jasper Southern Hills office by Friday, December 11, 2009.

 PRIZES:   Winners will be announced by April 1, 2010.  A $250 first place prize and a $125 second place prize will be awarded in each Division with $50 Honorable Mention Awards given for entries beyond 1^st and 2^nd place which merit recognition.  Prizes will be awarded only if permission for publication is given by the winner’s parent or guardian (see the Application and Permission for Publication Form).  The 1^st and 2^nd place entries will be posted on the Center’s web site.  Additionally, if a teacher has one or more Honorable Mention Award winners, that teacher will receive a $25 check for their classroom.  If they have 2^nd place winners they will receive $50 and if they have first place winners they will receive $100 for their classroom.