Eligibility and Conditions: This essay competition is open to senior high school students in Canada taking any World History course. There must be commitment and guidance from their World History teachers. The students must receive some academic credit for their essays and their essays must also be graded by their teachers accordingly. The McCowan Society will arrange for third party adjudication of all worthy submitted papers for the purposes of the essay competition. There must be at least ten very serious student competitors in total. There is no obligation to award a prize.

Length / Rules: Minimum 2,000 words; Maximum 3,000 words (excluding notes and bibliography). MS Word^TM doc format. Title page must include: contestant’s name, address, phone number; name, address, phone number of contestant’s school; name of teacher and course title. The essay must not indicate the grade received, nor show any comments by the teacher.

Criteria: Depth of analysis and interpretation of primary source and other data; quality, clarity and originality of writing, soundness of central theme, strength and organization of argument.

Deadline: Entries must be postmarked by May 1 2008. Send four hard copies and an electronic copy to: The James McCowan Memorial Social History Society, c/o 19 Monarchwood Cres., Don Mills, Ontario, M3A 1H3, bea@beamccowan.com. The essay will not be returned. The winning essay will be announced to the winner’s school by June 15 2008.

Prize: The McCowan Society will provide two prizes: $400 and $100 Cdn. This Award is offered through the Janet McCowan Fincham Memorial Scarborough Community Studies Program. The Award will be presented at the school’s Academic Awards Ceremony.

Publication: Any submitted essay may be published, with credit, by the James McCowan Memorial Social History Society or by the Scarboro Heights Record in either print or on-line format at www.scarboroughrecord.com.  The essay may be edited at the discretion of the McCowan Society.

Entry Form