Governor Charlie Crist's Hispanic Heritage Month Essay Contest

UPDATE: The winners have been selected and notified. They will be formally announce on October 14th

Official Rules and Guidelines

Governor Charlie Crist's Hispanic Heritage Month Essay Contest is open to all K-12 students in the state of Florida. Three winners will be selected: one elementary (K-5) student, one middle (6-8) student and one high school (9-12) student. Winners will be notified the week of October 6, 2008.

  • Entries must be mailed to Executive Office of the Governor: Hispanic Heritage Month Committee, 400 S. Monroe Street, Suite LL-10, Tallahassee, Florida 32399, post-marked by Wednesday, October 1, 2008.
  • Essays should address the following topic: "In what ways does the foundation of Florida's Hispanic legacy help to build the future of Florida's innovation economy?"
    (**Tips for younger students, SEE BELOW**)
  • Each student may enter only one essay.
  • Essays should be no longer than 500 words in length, and should be typed.
  • A completed parental waiver form must accompany each essay (available below).
  • Essays submitted must include contestant's name, home address, telephone number, school the student attends, grade level, title of the essay and a word count. Essays should be no longer than 500 words in length, and should be typed.
  • Winners will receive a four-year full tuition scholarship to any Florida state college or university of their choice, provided by Florida Prepaid College Foundation.
  • Winners will be awarded their scholarships at the Governor's Hispanic Heritage Month celebration to be held in Tallahassee in October. All travel and lodging expenses will be paid for the winners and 2 immediate family members.
  • Winners must be Florida Residents and be able to provide a Social Security number.

Download Official Rules, Guidelines & Waivers: English: PDF | WORD Spanish: PDF

Tips for Younger Students:
Younger students could explore the ways that Hispanic culture influences Florida’s economy. Many people have come to Florida from Latin American countries and become business owners, and students could interview a Hispanic business owner and tell the story of how the business owner has developed his or her business. Another idea would be to explain how other Hispanic persons have become educated to participate in one of Florida’s growing industries, including information technology, aviation and aerospace, entertainment, biotechnology and “green” energy. Students could also discuss the economic impact of Florida’s growing Hispanic population.

Contact the Governor's Office at (850) 410-0501 for any further questions.