The New ReadersÕ Newspaper Project and Readers as Writers Contest
January 27, 2008
Dear Literacy Instructor:
ItÕs time to enter your adult
literacy students in the 2008 Readers as Writers Contest, sponsored by The Wisconsin Technical College System
Board, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Journal Communications, Inc., and, The
Milwaukee Public Library.
Readers as Writers is
designed to recognize the accomplishments of Adult Basic Education, GED/HSED,
Adult High School, and ESL students who use The Key Newspaper to improve their
reading, comprehension and writing skills. Students whose works are chosen by The Key Newspaper judges
will have their entries published in a collection of the yearÕs best work. Think how thrilled and inspired your
students will be to find their compositions in the permanent collection of the
Milwaukee Public Library System.
Of course, each student will receive copies of the book, and they will
be honored, along with their instructors, at an awards ceremony and reception
attended by fellow students, family members, educators and community leaders.
Entries may be submitted at five
levels: Adult Basic Education,
Adult High School, GED, HSED, and ESL.
Students may submit their work in any format on the topic of their
choosing. Essays, Poems,
Commentary/Opinion, Satire/Humor, Letters, Short Stories, Recollections, or
Journal entries are acceptable.
The content must be original and appropriate for a family
publication. We will not accept
entries using profanity, sexual or violent themes, or themes that glorify drugs
or unlawful behavior. Entries will
be checked for authenticity, and instructors may be contacted for
verification. Instructors and
tutors may assist their students in ensuring that entries contain proper
grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
The Readers as Writers editorial committee reserves the right to do
additional editing to make the entries publication-ready.
Each student may submit up to
two entries, but in different writing categories. If it is possible to do so,
please submit the entries as email attachments to Word documents, or on
diskette.
Entries must be no more than
500 words in length. Please make
certain the writerÕs name, home address and phone number, the literacy program
(and location) submitting the entry, and the instructorÕs name and phone number
are printed clearly at the top of each page. Student and
instructor signatures must be on each form.
Attach each composition to an
official entry form signed by the student and his/her instructor. If you email your entries, send the signed entry forms to
the address below, or fax them to us at 414-297-8522 by the deadline. A small supply of entry forms is
enclosed for your convenience.
You may photocopy the entry
form, but please note it is two-sided.
DonÕt forget to complete both sides. An electronic version is available on The Key Newspaper Web
site at www.keynews.org.
The deadline for all entries
is March 14, 2008.
We encourage you to invite
your students to submit writing assignments that represent their best efforts
or to create a project specifically for the event. A committee of professional writers will select the entries
for publication. Judging will be
based on creativity, sincerity, clarity of thought and composition, reader
interest, and the effective use of the media. Depending on the total number received, approximately 50-75
entries will be chosen for publication.
Another 25-35 will receive honorable mention. No work will be returned. We recommend that the writer or instructor retain a file
copy of each entry.
As mentioned above, the event
culminates with a reception and awards ceremony in Milwaukee at the Milwaukee
Public Library on May 6. The
function will include light refreshments, a keynote speaker, an awards
presentation, readings of winning works by local community leaders, and door
prizes.
Send your student entries
to: Readers as Writers, c/o The
Key Newspaper, Milwaukee Area Technical College, 700 West State Street,
Milwaukee, WI, 53233, or email them to balistrv@matc.edu. An acknowledgement will be sent to you
upon receipt of your entries.
If you have any questions,
please direct them to the addresses above, or call me at 414-297-6794. We look
forward to your participation.
Sincerely,
Ginny Balistreri, Editor
THE KEY NEWSPAPER
Enclosures
The Key Newspaper is a
statewide project supported by an Adult Education and Family Literacy Act grant
through the Wisconsin Technical College System Board in cooperation with
Milwaukee Area Technical College and Journal Communication, Inc.
Published by Milwaukee Area Technical College,
Wisconsin Technical College System,
and Journal Communications, Inc.
c/o 700 West State Street, Milwaukee, WI 53233-1433
Phone: 414-297-6794 –
Fax: 414-297-8522 – E-mail: balistrv@matc.edu