The Georgia Laws of Life Essay Contest is a state-wide essay contest for high school students, grades 9 - 12. Students are asked to select a “Law of Life” or maxim (such as “Honesty is the best policy,” or “To give is better than to receive”), and to write about how the character value contained in the quote applies to the student’s life. In short, the Laws of Life Essay Contest challenges students to examine and reflect upon core values such as generosity, courage and compassion, and rewards those students who are willing to take a stand for their beliefs.

For more information about the contest, email .

Facts about the Program

• The national model for the contest was created in 1987 by international investment manager Sir John Templeton for his hometown of Winchester, Tennessee.
   
• The Georgia Laws of Life Contest is one of many local, regional, and national Laws of Life contests. There are Laws of Life contests across the U.S. and around the world, in countries such as Canada, Russia, Ghana, Sri Lanka and China.
   
• The Laws of Life contest is approved by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the Georgia Department of Education, and the Georgia Humanities Project.
   

Benefits of the Program

• Challenges young people grades 9-12 to think about important character values.
   
• Provides high schools with an effective, easy-to-implement character education program that enables their students to win significant cash prizes.
   
• Complements any existing English curriculum and is not an "add-on."
   
• Improves classroom climate using an engaging writing activity that helps teachers and students to get to know each other better.
   
• Offers a community an opportunity to honor and recognize young people who have strong character values.
   
• Builds stronger community-school ties by enabling educators and community members to work side-by-side on a positive and affirming activity.
   

Contest Sponsors

The Georgia Laws of Life Essay Contest would not be possible without the generous support our sponsors. Our 2007-2008 contest sponsors include the J. B. Fuqua Foundation, Rotary Clubs of Georgia, the John Templeton Foundation, and Emory University’s Center for Ethics.

• The J.B. Fuqua Foundation has been the Presenting Sponsor of the Georgia Laws of Life Essay Contest since the contest's inception in 1999. Thanks to the J. B. Fuqua Foundation's generous sponsorship, more than 168,000 young people across the state have had the opportunity to compose their own personal Laws of Life essay, and tens of thousands of dollars have been awarded in prize money.
   
• Rotary Clubs of Georgia have been sponsors of the Georgia Laws of Life Essay Contest since 2002. Rotary Clubs have participated by sharing their enthusiasm for the contest with English teachers, by hosting recognition events for local school winners, by participating in the contest administration, and by providing financial support. For more information on how your Rotary Club can get involved, contact Don Griffing, Rotary Club Sponsorship Chair, at .
   
• The John Templeton Foundation developed the national model for the Laws of Life Essay Contest. The Foundation continues to provide vital support for locally sponsored essay contests across the nation and across the globe.
   
• Emory University's Center for Ethics
  serves as the fiscal agent for the Georgia contest. Visit their website to learn about the Center's programs, which are helping to "ignite the moral imagination of 21st century leaders."