This year, HSLDA is announcing all four student contests at once. Although submissions for each contest will only be accepted during the dates specified on our website, students can now spend more time working on their entries.

The first contest in line will be essay, with submission deadlines of October 1 through November 1, 2007. But students can start working on their essays right away!

Please visit our contest web page at www.hslda.org/contests for contest deadlines, rules, and more information. You will also find that the pages have been revamped with a whole new look to make these
contests even more fun and educational (including suggestions from past judges on how to give your piece that final tweak that could make the difference in the final round).

Because students will now have a longer period to work on their entries, we hope they can spend more of that time studying the art/writing form showcased by each contest. Additionally, we have chosen themes that we hope will be thought-provoking and provide room for further study.

These contests could be a great launching pad for unit studies by groups or individual families. Perhaps you can spend a month studying different American artists and practicing shadowing and lighting
techniques, and then use the contest entry as a final project for students to use what they have learned.

All four of our contests are now divided into three age categories. Please encourage younger children to participate--their creativity is often inspired by challenges such as this.

We are excited to see your response to the new themes, and we hope you enjoy exploring them as well!

The proceeds from this contest go to the Home School Foundation's Special Needs Children's Fund.

Sincerely,

Mike Smith
HSLDA President