SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION RULES & REGULATIONS  

Process - SEE ABOVE, REGISTRATION AND NEW ENTRIES NOW CLOSED. 

Participants were asked to:   

1. View entire site to gain full understanding of Our Voice Our Country's premise, purpose and process. 

2. Register for the competition. 

3. Recommend a Topic (an urgent, underlying national problem) and at least two accompanying ProblemSolvers, able to propose a solution for the Recommended Topic. Find instructions for each at the 'participate' page.

Please note: ProblemSolvers are individuals outside of government (that you know of or find through research) whom you believe would be ready to articulate an achievable plan of action.  

4. Follow up with your ProblemSolver(s) as needed, until he/she posts a ProblemSolver Solution for the national problem your Recommended Topic presents. 

5. Encourage everyone in your networks to create a log in account, then to rate Recommended Topic(s) and accompanying ProblemSolver Solutions.   

Based on ratings by the public and selection committee review of finalists, we will announce and award the winner in January, 2010.   

Please note: the opportunity to get more ratings decreases over time -- act soon to increase your chances!  Finalist entries will be considered for later implementation as Topics of The Month and ProblemSolver Solutions, for voting by users at this website.  

Eligibility 

All registered full or part-time college students who are U.S. citizens -- at any accredited 2 or 4 year college in the United States are eligible. 

Immediate family members of Our Voice Our Country employees, interns, volunteers or board members are not eligible. 

All content is expected to show respect toward others, and must meet the site'sTerms of Use.  

No limitations are placed on the views, ideologies or agendas that may be expressed or advocated by entries, as long as they do not violate our Terms of Use.  

Take a chance and see what flies in the court of public opinion! 

Selection Criteria   

• Entries cannot be duplicative of prior, existing Recommended Topics,  ProblemSolvers and ProblemSolver Solutions.  

• At least one of your two ProblemSolver nominees must have posted a ProblemSolver Solution.  

• Combined public rating for your Recommended Topic and ProblemSolver Solution(s). 

• Urgency and clarity of posted Topics.  If your Topic statement includes any claims, you should reference in your statement the trusted source on which your claim is based (i.e. a publication, study or book, with name of author etc.).  

• ProblemSolver Solutions must be achievable and concise plans of action that could be used to fix a national problem. The solution they propose should be solid enough to be given serious consideration by Congress.  

Rules  

Participants are not allowed to rate their own entries. 

One rating only will be allowed per user for each entry shown in the catalog. Scholarship winner must provide invoice(s) or receipt(s) to show the award has been spent for college-related expenses.   

Guidelines   

Ratings are intended to be the genuine opinions of unbiased individuals who have taken time to consider and compare other options posted at the site. 

To get ratings and be competitive, articulate your entry clearly and compellingly. 

The basis for entries: identify our greatest problems and solutions that are in the best interests of The American People. 

For a good example of what success in this competition looks like, check out Summer 2009 competition winner Kelsey Price's Recommended Topic and ProblemSolver Solution (see below).  

Summer 2009 Competition Results  

Winner - Kelsey Price (University of Utah) for her entry 'US Policy and the FATA Region of Pakistan', with Dr. Hassan Abbas (Kennedy School of Government/Harvard) as her ProblemSolver. 

Honorable Mention - Kelly Novinski (Wilkes Honors College/Florida Atlantic University) for her entry 'Protect Our Wetlands', with Phyllis Hand (Kelly's High School AP Environment teacher) as her ProblemSolver.  

Visit the 'participate' page to watch watch Videos in Support about Kelsey and Kelly's experience; and to view/rate Recommended Topics and ProblemSolver Solutions by Kelsey, Kelly and hundreds of others from across the country! 

Join A Discussion About Getting ProblemSolver Solutions Posted  

Visit the Discussion Board to participate in a discussion created to help participants get their  ProblemSolver nominees to respond and post their ProblemSolver Solutions. 

To do so log in, then go to Brainstorm tips and strategies.  

Inquiries/Contact Information  

For general inquiries, email scholarship@ourvoiceourcountry.org