STLtoday - CHARACTERplus - Student Essays

Guidelines to Publication

Suggested length: 400-700 words

Format: The essay should be in a word processing document that can be cut and pasted onto the electronic entry form. The essay should have one-inch margins, be single-spaced, and in a twelve-point (12 point), easily read font. There should be one blank line between each paragraph.

Essays are searchable by title, author, grade, topic and tone. Each of these categories must be included at the top of the first page of your essay for your teacher to follow when submitting your essay online.

The body of the essay will be cut and pasted into its own box on the online entry form.

Topics are (choose one): Family, Tolerance, Success, Failure, Relationships, Growing up, Dealing with death/loss, Defining moments

Tones are (choose one): Serious, Sad, Humorous, Inspirational, Call for action

These categories and descriptors are selected from "pull-down" lists when your essay is submitted. Submission cannot be completed without a selection in each category. These categories and descriptors are also noted on the Essay Release Form.

TO SUBMIT AN ESSAY

Submitting the essay indicates that

the essay is original,

it has been revised and edited,

it is ready for publication, and

the essay release form is complete.

Teachers/advisors register as Laws of Life Coordinators and receive instructions to cut and paste essays into an online submission form. Click here to learn how to register.

Students complete the Essay Release Form, including a parent signature. Click here to download form. This form is sent by fax or mail to CHARACTERplus. (Contact information is provided on the form). When the completed form is received, CHARACTERplus approves the essay for publication and it appears on the site.

The CHARACTERplus "Laws of Life" website is designed and hosted by STLtoday.com, a proud supporter of CHARACTERplus. STLtoday.com, the online division of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, is the #1 St. Louis web site.

SEARCH ESSAYS

FOR STUDENTS

Guidelines for publication

How your teacher or advisor can submit your essay

Participating schools