Deadline for essay contest is Tuesday

VERMONT - Senator Bernie Sanders has launched his 12th annual State of the Union essay contest.
Each year the President of the United States delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress, which outlines priorities for the coming year. Sanders knows that great ideas can come from everyone - not just those in power - which is why he created the State of the Union essay contest to encourage young people to become engaged in the political process.
The contest is an opportunity for Vermont high school students to describe a major issue facing the country and propose what they would do to solve it.
The 250 to 500 word essays can be on any issue of national importance. A volunteer panel of Vermont teachers will judge the essays on the students’ ability to articulate an issue and propose a solution, without regard to the students’ political views. Sanders will enter the essays of the finalists into the Congressional Record - the official archive of the US Congress. Nearly 5,000 students from high schools throughout Vermont have written essays in the past 11 years about critically important issues, including climate change, racial justice, access to mental health care, the state of the democracy, and much, much more. Last year, William Taggard, from Brattleboro Union High School, was the winner for his essay on the presidential election process.
The deadline is Tuesday, January 11. More information can be found at http://www.sanders.senate.gov/stateoftheunion or by calling (800) 339-9834.