Writing Competition
2024 JrBAA Essay Writing Competition Themes:
Please choose one of the following:
How can restorative justice practices contribute to building stronger, more resilient communities?
How can schools implement restorative justice to address conflicts and misconduct?
Envision a future where restorative justice is the norm. What changes would need to occur in our legal and educational systems? How would this shift impact society, especially in terms of racial justice and community healing?
SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 2024 ESSAY WRITING COMPETITION ARE DUE JULY 15TH 2024
The Jr Black Achievement Awards Society (JrBAA) proudly presents our annual Writing Competition. Its primary purpose is to promote effective communication and confidence in students within British Columbia’s Black Community.
The top prize for essay writing is a $1,000 academic scholarship to aid students in accessing further education. We have several additional RESP awards for creative writing entries totalling $1,500. This contest is sponsored and funded by generous donations to the JrBAA and corporate sponsors.
The Essay competition allows youth in grades eleven and twelve to research and write an original piece based on a yearly theme based on topics relevant to the Black Community.
Our Creative Writing competition provides an incentive to develop written communication skills and confidence. These proficiencies are vital to preparing our youth to enter the workforce and participate in society.
The JrBAA is committed to furthering the accessibility of post-secondary education to BC youth. We do this by fostering confidence, providing education, and assisting with access to funding. We sincerely invite you to participate in our programs. To learn more, please visit our website at www.jrbaa.org.
COMPETITION OBJECTIVE
Writing Competition Guidebook
Download a copy of the full guidebook for complete details.
The JrBAA recognizes the importance of clear and effective written communication in education and society. With the JrBAA Writing Competition and its supplementary workshops and educations, we reaffirm our commitment to building these skills in a safe and welcoming environment.
Thanks to the continued support of donors, we can pursue this goal and award the winner of the annual competition with an academic scholarship. These accolades will help break down barriers and assist in accessing post-secondary education.
STUDENT ELIGIBILITY
Participants must have attended at least one JrBAA Education Session prior to applying to the JrBAA Writing Competition. Attendance applies to any of our workshops and events held throughout the year. For a list of the upcoming schedule and information on how you can attend, please check our website at jrbaa.org/news.
The JrBAA is committed to empowering the Black Community in BC. All contestants must identify as being of Black African descent and enrolled in a BC educational program. We ask that you include a copy of your most recent report card as proof of enrollment.
Students shall only submit one entry per competition. Students may only apply to the competitions corresponding with their age group.
Age groupings are as follows:
Essay Writing Competition: Ages 16 – 19 and Grades 11 & 12 or equivalent
Creative Writing Competition:
Grades 5 -7: Poetry
Grades 8 – 10: Poetry
Grades 5 – 7: Short Stories - Fiction
Grades 8 – 10: Short Stories – Fiction
Grades 5 – 7: Short Stories - Non-Fiction
Grades 8 – 10 Short Stories - Non-Fiction
The scholarship winners are formally recognized at our Fall Awards Ceremony and Gala. Attendance at this event is encouraged but not mandatory. Payment for the Essay Competition Scholarship can be made directly to the educational program. If the winner is already enrolled in a post-secondary institution, the scholarship can be paid directly to the student to be used for other academic or living expenses. If the winner is not enrolled in a post-secondary institution, the scholarship is held for up to 12 months from your Grade 12 graduation date. Proof of acceptance and enrollment is required for all payments to educational programs.
Awards for students in grades five through ten will be deposited into an RESP for the student or held for up to 12 months from your Grade 12 graduation date. We hope these awards will promote financial literacy by encouraging our youth to grow their education fund early. We hope this award will also encourage students to continue to fall in love with learning and develop the skills they need to excel.
Competition Costs
In an effort to increase accessibility, there are no entry fees associated with any stages of the writing competition. We do this to ensure that students have equal access to compete with no extraneous financial burden.
Essay Competition Preparation Rules
Contestants must be between the ages of 16 and 19 and in grades 11 & 12 or equivalent.
All entries be a minimum of 1,000 words to a maximum of 1,500 words.
One (1) point will be deducted per 100 words over or under the word limit.
All submissions shall be typed in 12-point Arial font, 1.5 spacing with 2.5 cm margins.
All submissions shall be submitted with a Title page, with the category and title of the essay.
The Title Page shall contain no indication of the identity of the author. If the entry is forwarded electronically, no author identification shall be included in any part of the entry. The identity of the author shall be indicated only on the application form.
All submissions shall be appropriately cited in APA 6th edition with a reference page.
The Title and reference pages do not count toward the word limit.
Topics will be made available four (4) months prior to the date of submission. Topics will be posted on the writing competition page of the JrBAA website at www.jrbaa.org/writing-competition.
Topics will change yearly.
An example is “What are some of the challenges of Being Black In BC?”
All essays must be submitted as a Word .doc or .docx document with a completed application form available upon registration.
The submission shall not be a narrative story.
Essays shall be designated under one of the following categories.
Expository,
Persuasive,
Argumentative,
Critical,
Compare and contrast.
Selection of the essay category shall be included in the application.
No emphasis will be given to one type of essay over another.
All essays must adhere to the topics assigned by the JrBAA.
Essays must be original pieces of work researched and written by the student submitting them.
Essays written as a part of regular coursework are eligible for entry in this competition if they adhere to the topic chosen by the JrBAA.
Essays shall not contain any unnecessarily explicit or vulgar language.
Contestants shall not identify themselves, their city, or their school in the context of their essay.
Charts, diagrams, tables, and other visual aids may be included in the essay. They must be properly cited if necessary, and their captions will not contribute toward the word total.
Plagiarism is a severe offence and will not be tolerated. The use of plagiarized material or quotations and other referenced material without proper credit to the original source will result in disqualification.
The use of AI writing software or any third-party services is strictly prohibited. Submitting essays written using these means will be considered plagiarism and result in disqualification.
An entry plus the cover page must be emailed or postmarked to JrBAA by July 15th of each year.
Creative Writing Competition Preparation Rules
Contestants must be between the ages of 10 and 16 and in grades 5 through 10 or equivalent.
Fiction and non-fiction entries be a minimum of 500 words to a maximum of 1,500 words.
One (1) point will be deducted per 100 words over or under the word limit.
Poetry shall not be fewer than three (3) lines or more than 32 lines.
All submissions shall be typed in 12-point Arial font, 1.5 spacing with 2.5 cm margins.
All submissions shall be submitted with a Title page, with the category and title, for the entry.
The Title page shall contain no indication of the identity of the author. If the entry is forwarded electronically, no identification of the author shall be included in any part of the entry. The identity of the author shall be indicated on the application form only.
One email entry, with one cover page, shall be provided for each category.
Contestants shall be acknowledged of receipt for each entry by email.
Title and reference pages do not count toward the word limit.
All essays must be submitted as a Word .doc or .docx document with a completed application form, available on the JrBAA website.
All entries shall be designated under one of the following categories:
Fiction - Short Stories
Non-Fiction - A feature article: structured expository prose on a topic, issue or event
Poetry - Metrical and Free Verse
If poetry, indicate the type of poetry on the application form and cover pages; haiku, limerick, rhyme, sonnet, free verse, etc.
Selection of the category shall be included in the application.
The topic of the piece may be of the student’s choosing.
Entries must be original pieces of work written by the student submitting them.
The entry shall be unpublished and not previously entered in any writing competition.
Entries shall not contain any unnecessarily explicit or vulgar language.
Contestants shall not identify themselves, their city, or their school in the context of their piece of writing.
Plagiarism is a severe offence and will not be tolerated. The use of plagiarized material or quotations and other referenced material without proper credit to the original source will result in disqualification.
The use of AI writing software or any third-party services is strictly prohibited. Submitting essays written using these means will be considered plagiarism and result in disqualification.
All submissions shall be properly cited in APA 6 edition with a reference page if required.
Judging of the competition shall be separated by category and age group as follows:
Grades 5 -7: Poetry - $250.00
Grades 8 – 10: Poetry - $250.00
Grades 5 – 7: Short Stories - Fiction - $250.00
Grades 8 – 10: Short Stories – Fiction - $250.00
Grades 5 – 7: Short Stories - Non-Fiction - $250.00
Grades 8 – 10 Short Stories - Non-Fiction - $250.00
Judging will be based on the Creative Writing Competition Judging Rubric available in this rulebook under “Judging Criteria and Evaluation Forms.”
Winners for each category will be decided by the judges from all nominations within the category and age group received by the deadline date.
Failure to comply with all established deadlines will immediately disqualify a contestant.
All entries must be emailed or postmarked to JrBAA by July 15th.
Topics for Consideration
The topic for the essay writing competition will be announced by the JrBAA annually, (4) four months prior to July 15th. The topic will be displayed on the JrBAA website until the deadline for the competition.
Compositions for the essay competition must fall under one of the following categories:
expository,
persuasive,
argumentative,
critical,
compare and contrast.
Essays shall not be in the format of a narrative story. During judging, no emphasis or preference shall be given to one type of essay over another. Charts, diagrams, tables, and other visual aids may be included in the essay. They must be properly cited if necessary, and their captions will not contribute toward the word total.
Compositions for the creative writing portion of the competition are distributed between the following categories:
Fiction - Short Stories
Non-Fiction - A feature article: structured expository prose on a topic, issue or event
Poetry - Metrical and Free Verse
Each category shall be judged separately. Entries will be further divided into age groups. All contestants must be between the ages of 10 and 16 and in grades 5 through 10 or equivalent.
Grades 5 through 7
Grades 8 through 10
Students may create a piece on a topic of their choosing for the creative writing competition. During judging, no emphasis or preference shall be given to one type of writing tone over another. This means a humorous story shall hold no more weight than a serious one.
Contest Rules
Competing
Contestants in the essay competition must be between 16 and 19 years of age and in grades 11, 12, or equivalent.
Contestants in the creative writing competition must be between the ages of 10 and 16 and in grades 5 through 10 or equivalent.
No prior competition experience is necessary.
Contestants shall complete and submit an application form and original piece of writing in accordance with the due dates and rules announced in the competing year.
All contestants must identify as of Black African descent.
If a contestant has not attended a JrBAA event within the previous 12 months of the application due date, they shall not be eligible to compete until they do so.
Contestants must be legal residents of British Columbia, Canada, and enrolled in a BC educational program. Homeschooled students are permitted to compete as long as they meet all eligibility requirements.
Contestants shall be respectful to all other contestants at all times. They shall conduct themselves professionally and ethically.
Documentation
The Essay topic will be made available four (4) months prior to the date of submission. Students must visit www.jrbaa.org/writing-competition to receive the essay topic and application form.
Creative writing submissions have no specified topic. Students may compose a piece on the topic of their choosing.
Both competitions use the same Student Application Form.
Each contestant shall complete the Student Application Form and submit it with their original work.
Any applications arriving after the due date established by the JrBAA may be ruled ineligible for the competition.
Judging
A minimum of two judges shall be used, with an additional Alternate Judge whose rubric will be counted only if a tie occurs.
Each Judge shall receive a copy of the Judging Criteria, a Judges Information Sheet, and a Judges Rubric.
Scores and rankings shall not be revealed.
If a tie occurs for first place between two contestants in the points awarded, an Alternate Judge shall also judge each piece of writing and complete a Judges Rubric.
All Judges will evaluate this competition based on the same Judging Rubric.
If the tie-breaker also results in a tie, the Judges will deliberate to determine a winner.
The contestants may request individual Rubric tabulations from the JrBAA after completing the competition.
General
The JrBAA shall have the right to edit and/or publish any of the pieces submitted.
The listed Essay Preparation Rules are also part of the Competition Rules.
The listed Creative Writing Preparation Rules are also part of the Competition Rules.
If any competition rules are broken, the contestant shall be disqualified.
Any protest shall be made in writing and emailed to info@jrbaa.org before the announcement of the winner. These will be investigated and reviewed with the contest judges to ensure a fair evaluation.
Applications will be accepted in the order in which they are received.
The JrBAA reserves the right to limit the number of applicants competing in any event.