A Youth Essay Contest, sponsored by the Germans to Prussia-Poland to Russia Regional Interest Group (GP-PR) of the Germans from Russia Heritage Society, headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota, will be held to encourage students from around the world to learn about the history and culture of the German-Russians, people who emigrated from Germany into Russia during the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, in the USA, Canada and other countries in the Western Hemisphere, these people have become known as Germans from Russia. Submissions to the GP-PR contest will also be submitted automatically to the International Youth Essay Contest sponsored by GRHS.

Contest judging will commence after the close of the Contest on 31 March with GP-PR contest winners being announced after the judging has been completed. Winning contestants will be invited to receive their awards at a luncheon held in their honor during the GRHS Convention on 9-13 September 2009 at Rapid City SD, to receive their awards. Contest winners will receive trophies and prizes.

ELIGIBILITY: This Youth Essay Contest is open to all students in public, private, parochial or home schools and accredited universities. The subject of the paper must be related to German Russian heritage and be the contestant's original work. A contestant does not need to be ethnic German-Russian to enter the contest. Contestants are eligible to enter the contest starting as soon as middle school though university undergraduate. Resubmission of previously judged work is not permitted.

CATEGORIES: International winners will be chosen in each of the following categories.

• I. Middle School...6th thru 8th grade.
• II. High School...9th thru 11th grade.
• III. High School Senior.
• IV. University or College Undergraduate.

TOPICS: Essay topics may include any and all aspects of German Russian heritage, including:

• Cultural anthropology of the German Russians.
• Historical analysis of the reasons for the diaspora (scatter) of the German Russians.
• German Russian history in the Americas and Canada.
• German-Russian history in Russia, the Soviet Union, loss of Soviet citizenship, labor camps in the Soviet Union, and labor camps in England and France after World War II.
• Personal family history.

FORMAT: Format for the paper may include:

• Creative writing, including short stories, fictional diaries, plays, historical fiction, and descriptive prose on topics such as, interviews with grandparents, visits with family members, or travel to places with historical significance to the family.
• Genealogical history of a particular family including individual histories of ancestors.
• Research papers including argumentative and/or historical analysis.
• PowerPoint - Entries using the PowerPoint computer program, to include maps, photos, and family trees are encouraged. Basic rules for paper entries must be followed.

PAPER REQUIREMENTS:

Middle School:

• Entries should be typed, double spaced, and printed on one side of paper only.
• Entries must include an Official GP-PR Youth Essay Contest Entry Form.
• Contestant’s name should be on the entry form only and should not appear on the essay.

High School:

• Entries should include a Works Cited/Bibliography page.
• Creative writing endeavors are welcomed, and should include a bibliography of reference materials evidencing an exploration of German Russian history.
• Entries should be typed, double-spaced, and printed on one side of paper only.
• Entries must include an Official GP-PR Youth Essay Contest Entry Form.
• Contestant’s name should be on the entry form only and should not appear on the essay.

College/University:

• Entries should include a Works Cited/Bibliography page.
• Creative writing endeavors are welcomed, and should include a bibliography of reference materials evidencing an exploration of German Russian history.
• All works other than creative works should use one of the academically accepted, standard forms of citation. Although the American Sociological Association guidelines are preferred, other standard citation systems are also acceptable.
• If an alternative citation format is used, that format should be listed at the top of the works cited page.
• Entries should be typed, double-spaced, and printed on one side of paper only.
• Entries must include an Official GP-PR Youth Essay Contest Entry Form.
• Contestant’s name should be on the entry form only and should not appear on the essay.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION:

• Contact the Information Desk at your local public library for material to assist in family research on German-Russian history. Many GRHS chapters and genealogical societies have donated or provided books and periodicals for their local libraries. The library genealogy and history sections may contain helpful information.
• Contact members of your family. Elderly members of your family may have useful information and some members of your family may have worked at transcribing your family's history.
• Helpful websites:
• Germans from Russia Heritage Society.
• Germans from Russia Heritage Collection
• Germans from Russia Teaching Guide
• American Historical Society of Germans from Russia.
• Odessa Digital Library.

JUDGING CRITERIA: Only the essay’s text is judged; contestants will not be required to read or orally present their essay. Judges are impartial and will not know who wrote the essays. Winning entries will be judged on originality, creativity, clarity, style, historical accuracy and evidence of serious research.

GP-PR AWARDS: All winners will receive cash awards. With winner’s authorization, essays may be published on the GP-PR website.

• Middle School level: First: $100.00; second: $50.00
• High School level: First: $125.00; second: $50.00
• University level: First: $200.00; second: $75.00

INTERNATIONAL AWARDS: With winner's authorization, winning essays may be published in the GRHS Heritage Review and/or electronically on the GRHS Website. In addition, winners in each category will receive the following:

• Middle School: First Place: 1st Place - Trophy and $150; Second Place: Runner-Up - Trophy and $100.

• High School: First Place: 1st Place - Trophy and $150; Second Place: Runner-Up - Trophy and $100.

• High School Senior Scholarship: A trophy and a $250 Gwen Pritzkau Scholarship, which will be awarded to the highest scoring high school senior entry.

• University: Trophy and a $750 scholarship will be awarded to the highest scoring university entry.

GP-PR YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST ENTRY FORM in RTF and PDF formats:

Deadline: Completed essay and entry form must be postmarked by 31 March 2009. Please mail to:

R. Reuben Drefs, Chair
GP-PR Youth Essay Contest Committee
2053 Woonsocket
Toledo, Ohio 43615

The entry form must accompany the essay. Essays and entry forms may also be sent by e-mail to drefs@sbcglobal.net. If e-mailing a completed essay and entry form, please send a signed copy of the entry form to the above address.