The University has launched the Graham-Roger academic prize for students at secondary schools and FE colleges across Kent and Medway.
It will also provide current University of Kent students with the opportunity to win £1000.
The theme for the inaugural Graham-Roger Prize is based on President John F. Kennedy’s famous 1961 address in which he said, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.’ Kennedy’s address inspired American people and the world to see the importance of civic action and challenged them to contribute to the public good.
On the 70th anniversary of this address, Year 10, 11, 12, 13 and FE college students are being asked to think how his call to action resonates today and how they can make a difference to their local community, society or the world. University of Kent students are being asked to say how they would change the world. Submissions can take the form of an essay, article, poem, speech or video.
Prizes will be awarded in the following categories as judged by the University’s awarding committee. Each category will also have a runner-up prize of a £100 gift voucher.
- Year 10 – Tablet (equivalent to £300)
- Year 11 – Tablet (equivalent to £300)
- Year 12/13 and FE students – £1000
The deadline for submissions is 10 April and the winners will be announced at an event in May 2022.
To help bring the themes of the Prize to life in the classroom, the University’s Outreach & Widening Participation team has created a range of resources for teachers.
The Graham-Roger Prize for International Citizenship is generously supported by the Marchesi-Reggiori Fund and is dedicated to the memory of two men, one from the USA and one from the UK, both of whom survived Japanese prisoner-of-war camps during WWII.
Tim Farrow-House, Kent’s Head of Development, said: ‘We are delighted that the Marchesi-Reggiori Fund has enabled us to provide Kent students and secondary schools and colleges across the county with this wonderful opportunity. We look forward to seeing the many inspiring and thought-provoking submissions over the coming months.’
More details on the Prize and how to enter can be found on the University’s Graham-Roger Prize webpage.