Stanton College Preparatory School Student
Named Finalist in First Freedom Student Competition
Jacksonville - Sarah McIntyre, a junior at Stanton College Preparatory School, has been named one of the top 10 national finalists in the First Freedom Student Competition and will receive an honorable mention.
The First Freedom Student Competition offers students the opportunity to compete for monetary awards as they explore history, assess current events and reflect upon the right to freedom of religion.
“It is paramount that our young people understand the significance of religious freedom as a basic human right,” said Isabelle Kinnard Richman, JD, Ph.D., Vice President for Education at the First Freedom Center. “It is equally important that we equip them with knowledge and respect for the diverse religious beliefs of others.”
The competition challenges students to write a well-researched essay on the current school year’s religious freedom topic. Three successive rounds of judging draw on a pool of more than 80 judges from across the country to identify the winning essays.
The first round of judges is comprised of historians, historical-site and museum professionals, retired educators and business executives. The semi-final round consists of constitutional law and religious freedom scholars who determine the top 10 essays. The final round, comprised of experts in the fields of higher education and law, determines the first-, second- and third-place national winners.
This year, more than 2,200 ninth – 12 grade students from public, private, parochial schools and home-schooling regions competed nationwide, with participation from American students as far away as Hong Kong, Poland and Sweden.
The competition is hosted by the First Freedom Center, a politically and religiously neutral 501(c)(3) education organization that provides programs to increase understanding and respect for religious freedom. The 2009-2010 competition was funded by the Richard S. Reynolds Foundation.
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