The Contest:
The Massachusetts Newspapers in Education Council (MNIEC) is pleased to announce a Photojournalism Contest for students in grades 5 through 8 on the subject of The Five Freedoms of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Teachers and students are invited to contact a participating newspaper to receive free educational materials explaining the freedoms. Discussion questions and photos are also provided to help guide students into thinking visually. Students are then asked to represent what they’ve learned by submitting a photograph depicting their representation of one of the five freedoms to a participating newspaper.

There are two phases of the contest. In the first phase, each participating newspaper will select five winners, one winner for each freedom, whose photo best portrays the freedom they have chosen. The winning photos from each newspaper will then be entered in the second phase of the contest - the state level - to be judged by the MNIEC council.

Five final winners will be chosen, again one for each freedom’s representation. The five winning students, their teachers and families, will be invited to attend at a small state house reception. The five final winning photos will be professionally matted, framed and signed by the governor.

Eligibility:
Students in grades 5 through 8 who are presently enrolled in public, private, parochial, home schools, or charter schools in the readership area of a participating newspaper. Click here for a list of participating newspapers and contact names.

Entry Specifications:

• One entry per student.
• Students must submit their entry to only one participating newspaper.
• Photos may be submitted either digitally (.jpeg format only, provided on CD) or in print form (4 x 6 size) in either color or black-and-white. For digital images, the image should include the student's name in the file name (e.g. sallysmith.jpg), have a maximum size of 5 MB, and a minimum dpi of 300. In the case of prints, the student's name and school information should appear on the reverse.
• Entries, along with a completed Entry Form, must received via e-mail or mail by 5:00 PM on Friday, October 17, 2008 to one of the participating newspapers listed.
• The Newspaper in Education representative of each newspaper will notify winners of the first phase by November 10th. Winners are then submitted to the second phase of the contest.
• Five (5) final winners, one per freedom, will be notified by Monday, December 8, 2008 and their photos will be posted on this website, www.mniec.com.
• An award ceremony at the Massachusetts State House will honor student winners, their families, and their teachers on or near Bill of Rights Day, Saturday, December 15, 2007.
• For more information please contact your local Newspapers In Education representative.