“How is the Declaration of Independence relevant for today?”  That’s the question for this year’s essay contest hosted by the Constitution Party of Missouri.  The contest is open to high school students in the St. Louis metro area, more specifically, St. Louis City and County and the surrounding counties of Jefferson, St. Charles and Franklin.  With cash prizes of $250 for first place and $100 for the runner up contestant, enthusiastic participation is expected.

     By sponsoring contests such as Essays of Freedom, the Constitution Party hopes to encourage young adults to study our founding documents for themselves and to inspire them to become responsibly active citizens and leaders.  This year’s topic especially seeks to motivate students to look closely at how the document of the Declaration of Independence, though written over two-hundred years ago, is still relevant in the 21st century.

     The cash prizes will be awarded at the We the People…the Proper Response event to be held in the metro area on Friday, June 25, 2010.  The Constitution Party of Missouri is hosting the all-day seminar with key-note speaker, Dr. Paul Jehle, a highly-regarded teacher of the Constitution. The evening session will be a celebratory gathering that will include patriotic music, award presentations, and an inspiring message by Dr. Paul Jehle. Tickets and more details will be available soon at www.WeThePeopleSeminar.com

     Students in grades 9-12 during the 2009-2010 school year are eligible.  Essays are to be 1,000-1500 words in length.   Essays must be postmarked no later than June 1, 2010. An essay application must be attached to each essay and can be downloaded by going to www.EssaysOfFreedom.com.  Many more details, including all applicable rules & guidelines are also available on the web site.    For further details, please call Lisa or Kate at (314) 971-1817