For
Immediate Release
Contact: Jay Wiley
March
14, 2001
803 734 2080
Columbia
– Lt. Governor Bob Peeler will present the 2000 Lt. Governor’s Writing
Awards to fifth and eighth grade students from across the state on Wednesday,
March 14, during a ceremony in Godbold Auditorium on the Columbia College
campus. Students representing each of the 46 counties in both public
and private schools competed in the Lt. Governor’s essay contest last fall.
187 students were recognized as district winners out of 110,000
participants statewide.
Peeler praised the award winners for their
exceptional writing skills, “These students have demonstrated a unique ability
to interact creatively through the written word. As our society becomes more communications oriented, these
skills will become more and more valuable every day.”
Each participating class submitted three winning
compositions and then one winner from each school was chosen for district level
competition. Judging panels
consisting of parents, teachers and members of the business community selected
the district winners.
The writing awards program was started during former
Lt. Governor Nancy Stevenson’s administration to encourage children to express
themselves through writing.
Lt. Governor Peeler expanded the competition to allow
all South Carolina fifth and eighth graders a chance to participate.
In addition, Peeler initiated the first Lt. Governor’s Young Writer’s
Workshop providing winners an opportunity to attend a tuition-free writing
workshop in the month of June.
Topics for this year’s competition included: “You
are to meet with the presidential candidates.
What advice would you give them on improving education in the United
States?” and “There is something special about my area of South Carolina
that everyone should know. What
would you tell someone to convince him/her to visit your area?”
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