ATTENTION HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: WIN A RIDE ON A TALL SHIP!
SAIL TRIUMPHANTLY INTO PORT WITH A FLEET OF TALL SHIPS
Operation Sail, Inc., the national non-profit organization that produces tall ship events commemorating patriotic American milestones, announced its sponsorship of an essay contest and an art contest for high school students in association with the USS Constitution Museum, the National Maritime Historical Society, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard. The prize, awarded in each of six ports, will be a ride on the Coast Guard tall ship Eagle. OpSail has partnered with the Navy, Coast Guard, and navies around the world to commemorate the bicentennial of the writing of The Star-Spangled Banner and the War of 1812. Some of the world’s largest sailing ships will sail into six major east coast ports from April through July, 2012. Tall ships and navy warships will form up in parades of sail to begin week-long festivities this spring and summer in six cities: New Orleans LA, New York NY, Norfolk VA, Baltimore MD, Boston MA and New London CT.
Essay contest entrants will write a 1,000-word essay on one of three topics:
• THE ROLE OF USS CONSTITUTION AND THE U.S. NAVY IN THE WAR OF 1812
• WHAT THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER MEANS TO ME
• THE ROLE OF THE REVENUE CUTTER SERVICE IN THE WAR OF 1812
Essays must be submitted as a Microsoft Word attachment in 12 point, Times New Roman font, double spaced, with one-inch margins. The entrant’s name, email and port of interest must appear on the top right-hand corner of the front page. Essay entries should be emailed to [email protected].
Art contest entrants must submit a copy of their original watercolor, oil, or pencil drawing/painting, no greater than 18 inches x 18 inches depicting one of three topics:
• WHAT THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER MEANS TO ME
• A MARITIME SCENE FROM THE WAR OF 1812
• A REVENUE CUTTER IN ACTION DURING THE WAR OF 1812
Copies of original artwork must be submitted in JPG format under 6 mb in file size. The entrant’s name, email and port of interest must appear in the body of the email. Art entries should be emailed to [email protected]. Winners must agree to submit original artwork for display.
Contestants must follow specific deadline and submission requirements. The contests are open to students enrolled in public, parochial or private high schools and who will be at least 12 years old by date of the event for which their work is submitted. The prize is passage on a tall ship for a day during OpSail 2012.
One prize will be awarded in each OpSail event city: New Orleans LA, New York NY, Norfolk VA, Baltimore MD, Boston MA, and New London CT. Entrants must name the one port for which their work is competing (see table below) and meet the deadline for that port city. Deadlines for essays and artwork:
| Port | Due Date (2012) |
| New Orleans, LA | March 16th |
| New York, NY | April 20th |
| Norfolk, VA | May 4th |
| Baltimore, MD | May 11th |
| Boston, MA | May 25th |
| New London, CT | June 1st |
Essays will be judged by a panel of experts led by William H. White, historian and author, and members of the National Maritime Historical Society. Art will be judged by a panel of experts from the USS Constitution Museum. One winner (and one parent/guardian) will be invited to ride the U.S. Coast Guard barque Eagle or a comparable tall ship as the vessel participates in an OpSail Parade of Sail, weather permitting. Winners must arrange for their own transportation to the city where the tall ship sails. Winners may be asked to video record their essays for use by OpSail and must agree to media interviews. Winners agree that their essay or art work may be used for promotional purposes. Submissions become the property of Operation Sail, Inc. for use in print or other media as Operation Sail in its sole judgment determines.
For student/teacher questions about rules, contact:[email protected].
For more information about OpSail, please visit their website.
