Year 12 Essay Competition

First prize - $1500   Second prize - $750   Third prize - $250

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." - C.S. Lewis

Lewis claims that the Gospel, what God has done through Jesus, changes how we must view every aspect of life, including work and wider engagement with society.

Write an essay of approximately 1200 words (not including references), addressing both parts below:

  • Explain your understanding of this quote and how it is that the Gospel changes how we "see everything else."
  • With reference to your own plans after graduating from Year 12, how will the Gospel affect your vision of and for the world.

Essays due 30 July 2010

Prizes:

First prize - $1500 and scholarship to Compass Australia summer conference

Second prize - $750 and scholarship to Compass Australia summer conference

Third prize - $250 and scholarship to Compass Australia summer conference

Note: The Compass Australia summer conference is held from 16 – 23 January 2011 in Brisbane.

Completed essay entries should be sent to essay@compass.org.au by Friday 30 July 2010.

Frequently Asked Questions

1.Who is eligible to submit an essay?

An Australian resident or citizen who is currently a student in Year 12 in 2010. If an essay is submitted it is assumed that the author agrees to and has read the conditions and information below.

2.How many words?

The essay should be 1200 words (essays over 1320 will not be accepted). References and the cover page do not count, but headings do.

3.Who can I contact if I have any questions about the essay competition?

If your questions are not answered after reading all the terms and conditions than please email essay@compass.org.au or contact David Yates on 02 6259 0431 or 0411 878 815.

4.When is the essay due?

By 5pm (AEST) Friday 30th July 2010.

5.Where do I submit the essay?

The essay can only be submitted as a Word document attached to an email to the following essay@compass.org.au. Faxes, hardcopies and other formats will not be accepted.

6.How do I address the email?

When emailing the essay the subject of the email must be in the following format:

[First name] [Surname], [School], [State]

For example: Joe Blogs, Calvin Christian College, Tasmania

Emails will be acknowledged within 7 days.

7.What essay format is required?

The essay must be in a Microsoft Word format. References can either be in the footnote style or Harvard system. The font should be a standard font, with double spacing and with standard margins.

8.A cover sheet must accompany the essay.

The essay must have a full cover sheet that is the first whole page of the essay. This cover sheet must contain the following:

Compass Essay Competition 2010

  1. Full Name
  2. Home Address
  3. Home Contact Number
  4. Email
  5. Attending School
  6. Attending School Address
  7. Attending School Phone Number
  8. Number of Words in Essay
  9. Date Essay is being Submitted

9.Is my submission confidential?

Compass operates in accordance with the Privacy Act. All personal data is considered confidential and will not be passed onto any external organisation

10.In submitting an essay what will Compass do with it and who owns the copyright?

Once essays are submitted they are still considered the property of the author and will not be used for any other purpose by Compass, except for below.

Authors must be aware that if their submission wins a prize the author gives the rights to Compass to do the following:

  • Publish the full article, including the name and school of the author, on the Compass website and other related websites.
  • Use the essay, and/or parts of the essay, in future promotions and Compass material.

11.How is the essay marked and assessed?

There are a panel of Compass markers who assess each essay against specific criteria.

12.When are the winners announced?

Each winner will be contacted by phone, post and email after 9am Friday 3 September.

13.Are there any conditions to receiving the prize?

There are no conditions except those in clause 9.

14.How are the prizes given out?

Winners will need to nominate a verified bank account for the transfer of the scholarship monies. In terms of the ACL-Compass summer conference the dates are 16-23rd January 2011. The full value of the conference is $990 and the value of transport to the conference would include up to the value of a return domestic economy airfare booked by Compass in consultation with the winner. Any changes to these flights or other costs incurred beyond the above are at the winner’s expense.

15.What if I win a prize and either don’t want to go to the Compass Brisbane event, or can’t make the dates for 2011?

If a winner is unable to attend the 2011 conference than the conference scholarship can be transferred to the follow year, up to 3 years in advance from 2011. If the student does not wish to attend the Brisbane Conference there is no redeemable or alternate prize.

16.What happens if the winners cannot be contacted?

In the event of a winner being uncontactable after 2 months of the winners announcement date of 3 September 2010 (by fair and reasonable means) the prize money nor the scholarship to the ACL-Compass summer conference will be honoured