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Sponsored by the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, Company A and the Colored Ladies Christian Relief Society

Congratulations to the winning students in the "Remember Me!" Scholastic Awards Essay and Exhibit Competition.

The winners attend Boston Trinity Academy, 17 Hale Street, Hyde Park, MA.
The "Remember Me!" competition winners are:

High School Essay: 1st Prize: Isabel Espinosa

High School Exhibit: 1st Prize Co-winners: Daniel Hill & Samuel Melton

Middle School Essay: 1st Prize: Dylan Elliott-Hart

1st Runner-up: Sarah Guernon Middle School Exhibit: 1st Prize: Daniel Forkner

Thank you to all who participated, and you are invited and we look forward to your participation in the next year's competition.

The Civil War Era in United States History

In the winter of 1862-63, during the US Civil War, a call for "Colored Volunteers" to form a combat regiment was authorized by the US Congress and commissioned by the Massachusetts State Legislature. From that call the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry Regiment was the first regiment formed and the volunteer response was so great that a 55th Regiment and a 5th Cavalry Regiment were also formed. Many years later, in 1992, the 54th Massachusetts Company A was formed by a group of interested and dedicated individuals, to recognize and reenact the heroic contributions of the original 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry to the nation. Some of those reenactors were and are the descendants of the original regimental soldiers.

Today, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, Company A and The Colored Ladies Christian Relief Society seek to continue that work and to expand interest and knowledge in this aspect of history by sponsoring a student scholarship competition to reward students for excellent work which recalls the history of the United States during its Civil War era. In this way the role of the 54th Massachusetts, and other lesser known events in our history, will become better known. Students will gain historical knowledge and have the opportunity to earn prizes for excellent academic work.

1. Participation certificates for all who register and submit an essay or exhibit

2. Two "winning" prizes in each category, for a total of eight monetary awards First place & runner-up for middle school essay First place & runner-up for middle school exhibit First place & runner up for high school essay First place & runner up for high school exhibit

3. Monetary award amounts Middle School: 1st place $275; runner-up $200 High School: 1st place $400; runner-up $300

Remember Me! Student Scholarship Award Competition Judging/Evaluation Criteria:

Middle school student entries will be judged against other middle school entries. High school student entries will be judged against other high school entries. In each category—essay or project; middle school or high school--does the entry… Fulfill the stated requirements of the contest directions Identify a little known or little celebrated contribution to the CW Meet the size or length standards Fall within the stated time period Contain the required component parts Give clarity as to why the topic should be remembered/celebrated Both for an essay or exhibit Exhibit a high level of student industry Sound language grammar and mechanics Thoughtful and creative work Original or unique interpretation of the topic Skillful and neat preparation Demonstrate a creditable and grade level appropriate understanding of the topic presented Students are not expected to or allowed to orally explain their work. The exhibit must "stand alone."

Essay Competition: If your entry is a history essay it must be an individual effort and will reflect your personal opinion and scholarship. You choose the topic, determine why it is important, research and analyze supporting information, and write a persuasive essay about the topic's historical significance. Necessarily, this is a typed or electronically printed essay of original research and it will rely extensively on your correct and effective use of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary to emphasize the importance of the facts you have uncovered and the point of view you present. You may use diagrams, maps, or other drawings to support your points, but the most significant tool will be the informative and persuasive value of your words. Make yours an interesting topic choice and have fun writing history and making history! Remember Me!

Suggested preparatory steps to complete the assignment include:
•Do preliminary investigations to determine a topic of personal interest
•Use concept mapping or an idea web to identify and show connecting points •Read and research to gain information about your topic
•Take notes to retain information •Prepare an outline (preliminary and final) to organize and sequence information
•Write a draft of the information you want to present in the essay
•Edit (for grammar, clarity, etc.) and rewrite

Essay Requirements For Students in Grades 6-8
Use the general information and guidelines given above. Specific requirements include:Write an essay to demonstrate the
importance of the topic you have chosen and give information to show why it too, should be remembered, or be more celebrated in the history of the United States. Your topic must be related to the causes of The Civil War or US history within the time period 1820 to 1867.

1. The essay must be your own research and writing, electronically printed and submitted on standard white, 8.5 x 11 inch paper. Editing and proofreading assistance is allowed.

2. The text length should be between 500 and 600 words, with numbered pages. Pictures, charts, and maps, may be included and if so, their significance should be stated/described in the text. Captions for pictures, charts, etc. should be used but are not counted in the text length requirement.

3. Include a cover page with the title of the essay, name of participant, and school or class. Also include a reference page to list the sources that were used (no minimum required) to gather information including, but not limited to: books, newspapers/journals, websites, personal interviews or other unwritten sources. In your sources list, be sure to include publication information—author, title, date, and publisher. For interviews with individuals be sure to include the name, date and place of the interview. Securely staple all pages together.

Still from the film, Glory

Essay Requirements For Students in Grades 9-12 Use the general information and guidelines given above. Specific requirements include: Write an essay to demonstrate the importance of the topic you have chosen and give information to show why it too, should be remembered, or be more celebrated in the history of the United States. Your topic must be related to the causes of The Civil War or US history within the time period 1820 to 1867.

1. The essay must be your own research and writing, electronically printed or typed and submitted on standard white, 8.5 x 11 inch paper. Editing and proofreading assistance is allowed.

2. The text length should be between 750 and 1000 words, with numbered pages. Pictures, charts, and maps, may be included and if so, their significance should be referenced/described in the text. Do not use graphics simply to make your essay longer. Pictures, charts, etc. should be captioned, but captions are not included in the text length requirement.

3. You are required to list at least five (5) different sources for your topic and include at least five (5) citations from the sources in your essay. You may use the standard form for the citation style of your choice—footnotes, endnotes, in-line notation. Be consistent in form; do not mix different forms of citation in your essay. Include a separate reference page (bibliography/works cited) to list the sources you used. Sources may be, but are not limited to: books, newspapers/journals, online, personal interviews or other unwritten sources. In your sources list, be sure to include the author, title, date, and publication information for each source. For personal interviews be sure to include the date and city of the interview. Securely staple all pages together.

Still from the film, Glory

Exhibit Competition: For Students in Grades 6-12 If your entry is a history exhibit, it must be an individual effort and will reflect your personal interpretation. You choose the topic, determine why it is important, and select the media and materials to illustrate and show why the topic should be remembered because of its role in history. Your exhibit may be presented in a single media form—such as a drawing or a painting-- or you may combine several media forms to further dramatize the topic. Here, the use of photographs, artifacts, drawings, models, or text can be combined to make a presentation. You are preparing and presenting your point of view in a project as if it were a project piece for a museum or historical site. You are "picturing" history! Unlike an essay, you are creating a visual interpretation of the topic, so think of topics that best lend themselves to a presentation form such as, but not limited to, a diorama, 3-panel poster, sculpture, interactive participation, or any combination of hands-on or visual components. Your exhibit must be a self-explanatory, stand alone project. The student creator will not be expected or allowed to orally "explain how it works." Research, creation, and assembling of the exhibit must be your own work. Limited assistance in the collection of materials for the exhibit is allowed—with emphasis on "collection of materials" only.

Exhibit Requirements For Students in Grades 6-12 Use the general information and guidelines given above. Specific requirements include:

1. The exhibit is required to be a stand alone, desktop presentation. You are allowed to include an explanatory or descriptive card with the exhibit of no more than 125 words.

2. The exhibit should be able to fit within a 30 inch diameter circle and be no taller than 36 inches (fit on a small table top or desk.) If a poster, it should fit within these dimensions. All exhibits must be self supporting (stand alone).

3. Include a separate "Sources" page to identify the title of the exhibit and creator. List the sources of the media, artifacts, information, etc. used in the exhibit. This page is not counted toward the 125-word limit for the descriptive card.

Making History: There are many well-known events and individuals who contributed to the history of the United States. Many Americans can recite stories of Harriet Tubman, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Compromise of 1850, or Thaddeus Stevens. While these individuals and events are notable and certainly significant, there are many other lesser known individuals and events that are also significant in the history of the United States. There are also important facts about these people and events that are not well known. The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, Company A and the Colored Ladies Christian Relief Society would like to challenge all students to do some historical detective work and discover some of the individuals and events that are not well-known. Other people and events also "made history," and through your investigation you can discover their achievements and make them better known to your classmates and the wider public audience. What event or individual do you think needs to be made better known? Please direct your search to events or individuals who contributed to the causes of the Civil War or the history of the United States between the years of 1820 to 1867. Identify some lesser known event or individual and work to see if you can bring additional information to the subject you chose and show why it should be better remembered in US history. Or, you may choose to describe a different understanding or interpretation of some well-known event. Will you discover an individual's contribution that you had never known; was this event the first one to occur; is this event a scientific achievement; an athletic achievement; a legal or social justice achievement? Choose your topic and show how this individual or event was “making history” and should be better remembered or celebrated.

Two categories: Is writing your strong skill; or are you talented in crafts and drawing? Choose how you would like to present your information: either as a (1) written essay, or (2) in a graphic design (exhibit) or other three-dimensional presentation. Decide whether your topic choice will be best represented in an essay or as an exhibit. Get working and be sure to complete and submit your work by the due dates of the competition. You will be Making History. The competition is extended and open to all middle school students (6-8) and all high school students (9-12) in selected Boston schools. Entry registration is due on or before February 14th, 2011; entry completion/submission is due on or before April 28th, 2011.