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Maryland Fourth Graders Invited to Submit Essays for Maryland Municipal League's 2014 "If I Were Mayor" Contest

Entries Must Be Received by Monday, March 31; 11 Regional Winners to Be Honored in Annapolis;

Student Submissions Should Address Contest’s 2014 Theme of ‘Engaging My Community’

Fourth graders throughout Maryland are invited to take part in the Maryland Municipal League’s (MML) annual “If I Were Mayor…” essay contest. The contest, which draws nearly 3,000 essays annually, challenges Maryland fourth graders to share their thoughts on how they would engage with citizens to make their municipality a better place to live and work if they were mayor. Students must submit their essays to MML no later than Friday, March 31.

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Since 2001, MML’s “If I Were Mayor…” essay contest has given fourth graders the opportunity to learn about municipal government through sharing their thoughts on how they would govern as mayor.  Each 275-word essay must open with the line: “If I Were Mayor, I Would…” and answer three questions that address the theme, “Engaging My Community.” All Maryland students enrolled in the fourth grade during the 2013-2014 school year may participate in the contest. Entries must be submitted by the student’s teacher. The 11 regional winners will be presented with a $100 cash prize and a Governor’s Citation at the Maryland State House in front of their immediate family, their teacher, their municipality’s mayor and other local dignitaries on May 16.

“This contest is a testament to the value we place on building our next generation of local leaders by helping students learn more about how their municipality works,” said Scott A. Hancock, executive director of the Maryland Municipal League. “Engaging My Community is a fantastic theme that will frame these fourth grade students’ vision for how communities can work together better.”

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The contest is sponsored by Maryland Municipal League, in partnership with the Maryland Mayors’ Association, Local Government Insurance Trust, and Injured Workers’ Insurance Fund. Essays are judged based on: essay relation to contest topic; displayed knowledge about municipal government and the role of a mayor; creativity; and proper use of grammar.  To apply, download a form from www.mdmunicipal.org/essay

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