Premier Robert Ghiz is applauding the generous contribution Professor Tom Symons and his family have offered to Island high school students to encourage participation in the first annual Confederation Centre Essay Contest related to the Symons Medal and Lecture series.
“This is an outstanding opportunity for Island students to demonstrate their knowledge and interest in Canadian Confederation through creative writing,” says Premier Ghiz. “I want to personally thank Professor Symons and his family for their generous interest in student learning. I hope Grade 11 and 12 students throughout Prince Edward Island will take full advantage of this prestigious learning opportunity,” he said.
The essay contest is an exciting new initiative to generate high school student interest in the topics, themes and honorees involved in the annual Symons Medal and Lecture series which is hosted by Confederation Centre of the Arts in November. Students are encouraged to attend the Symons Lecture at 1 p.m. on November 3 to hear Mary Simon President of the national Inuit organization Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. Her address will also be recorded for broadcast on television and at www.confederationcentre.com. To encourage further learning and discussion in the classroom, DVDs of this year’s lecture will be supplied to each high school.
Students are invited to submit an original creative essay related to the theme of the lecture. It must be 700 - 1,000 words in English or French. The first place essay writer will receive $3,000 from the Symons family. Second and third place winners will each receive $1,000.
The contest is open to all high school students in grades 11 or 12 attending public, private or home schools in the Province of Prince Edward Island and the Territory of Nunavut. Deadline for the 2009 competition is February 1, 2010 and winners will be contacted and announced in the spring of 2010. The essay will be reviewed and judged by a panel appointed by the Confederation Centre of the Arts. Winners will be invited to an awards ceremony hosted by the Confederation Centre in Charlottetown.
“Teachers play a powerful role in fostering student leadership and civic involvement through their teaching and extra-curricular involvement,” says Premier Ghiz.” I ask them to continue their interest and support to help motivate students to participate in this new enrichment activity,” he said.
The annual Symons Medal and Lecture is an initiative of the Confederation Centre of the Arts furthering its unique heritage mandate as Canada’s national memorial to the Fathers of Confederation. It honours Professor Thomas H.B. Symons, a long-time supporter and board member of the Confederation Centre of the Arts. Professor Symons, the founding President of Trent University in Ontario, is widely recognized for his work in the field of Canadian Studies, in particular in the areas of public policy, heritage and education.
In addition to her formal lecture on Tuesday, Mary Simon will address some of the students at Three Oaks Senior High School in Summerside on Monday morning.