YCEEC [Youth Creative English Essay Contest]
Introduction
English Language and Literature Department has been organizing the Youth Creative English Essay Contest, which is in coordination with Hëna e Plotë (Bedër) University and British Council Albania since 2014. For each contest there have been participating approximately 400 pupils from private and public high schools in Albania. In their essays high school students have addressed global challenges and proposed potential solutions based on their own perspectives.
The Youth Creative English Essay Contest winners participate in the award ceremony, which are held at Hëna e Plotë (Bedër) University, Tirana, have the opportunity to visit British Council and Hëna e Plotë (Bedër) University, to participate in discussions and to share their ideas and listen to their peers from all around Albania.
The aim of this contest is to provide a chance for young writers from around the country to engage each other in discussion and to advance cross-cultural understanding.
Objectives
The objectives of the YCEEC encourages all students in Albania;
- to help young minds define problems related to stable peace and social harmony, discuss them, and offer possible solutions from their own perspectives
- to contribute a positive impact on society by building social skills
- to improve research and writing skills that are so essential for college years
- to create a lifetime opportunity for high school students to exchange ideas with their peers.
Writing Guidelines
The essay should
- be written in English;
- be original, unpublished, and written entirely by student;
- contain student’s original opinions and recommendations based on research;
- be at least 1,500 words in length but no more than 2,000 (Citations and bibliography are not included in the word count);
- be typed, double-spaced with margins: left: 1.5", right: 1", top: 1", bottom: 1", page-numbered;
- include a bibliography;
- comply with standards regarding citations and bibliography
Judging Criteria
The decision of the judges is final as relating to all contest matters.
- Address the topic; Essay addresses the topic competently.
- Focus; Essay is focused and purposeful.
- Statement of the main idea; Main idea is stated clearly.
- Discussion and support; Essay discusses the topic and supports the main idea.
- Considerable research; Essay is based on a considerable research.
- Eloquence; Essay displays an eloquent style in terms of sentence structure and word choice.
- Conventions; Use of language is proper in terms of grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
- Organization; Essay is well organized in terms of transition and paragraph order.
- Length; Between 1,500 and 2,000 words
- Referencing; References are proper and adequate, and indicated in a bibliography.
- Originality; Overall, the essay is original.
Awards
| 1st Place | 10.1 inch Tablet |
| 2nd Place | 8 inch Tablet |
| 3rd Place | 6 inch Tablet |
| 1st to 20th Places | will take APTIS for free and be awarded with scholarships from Beder University |
| All Participants | will recieve their PARTICIPATION CERTIFICATES |
[PS: The awards along with certificates are distributed at the Award Ceremonies.]
Application
The applicants should submit their essay papers to the e-mail below;
Important Dates
| 24th DECEMBER 2015 | Call for Essays |
| 24th DECEMBER - 05th MAY 2016 | Writing Period |
| 05th MAY 2016 | Deadline for Essay Submission |
|
10th - 16th MAY 2016 |
Announcement of Results - the Winners + [free] APTIS Exam for the FIRST 20 |
| 26th MAY 2016 | Award Ceremony |