Essay could send students to D.C.

• Carbon County School District 1 promotes Washington, D.C., conference with essay contest.

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

Answering an essay question could open the door for students to attend a conference in Washington, D.C., as part of an effort to get them involved in battling bullying and other social issues in Carbon County.

The question asks students to draw connections between substance abuse, bullying, domestic violence, community attitudes and community norms. Essays are due April 18.

“The goal is to get kids empowered to be leaders in our schools and have them involved in the solution at several different levels,” said Dave Dingman, a Carbon County School District 1 board member.

Dingman got the idea when he attended February’s Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America conference. He watched as students from across the country spoke and gave presentations on efforts to bridge community gaps caused by substance abuse.

The School Board endorsed Dingman’s idea to take Carbon County students to the 2009 conference. Students would get to represent their county as well as explore the country’s capital.

The competition should be advertised to students in the eighth grade as well as freshmen and sophomores at Little Snake River Valley School, Rawlins middle and high schools, and Saratoga Middle High School. Each school has a representative who promotes the contest and accepts essay submissions.

“(The students) need to show that they have a vision for community in their schools to answer the question and be a part of the solution,” Dingman said. “We as adults have to give them the opportunity to take charge and be who they can be.”