Essay contest for High School students--First place wins $10,000 cash award!
In Profiles in Courage, John F. Kennedy recounted the stories of eight U.S. senators who risked their careers to do what was right for the nation. These leaders demonstrated political courage by taking a stand for the public good in spite of pressure by interest groups, their political party, or even their constituents. The Profile in Courage Essay Contest challenges students to write an original and creative essay that demonstrates an understanding of political courage as described by John F. Kennedy in Profiles in Courage.
The maximum word count is 1,000 with a minimum of 700, not including citations and bibliography. Use at least five varied sources such as government documents, letters, newspaper articles, books, and/or personal interviews.
All submissions must adhere to contest requirements.
The winner receives a $10,000 cash award. The winner and her/his family are invited to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston to accept her/his award and participate in Profile in Courage Award events from May 18 - 20, 2019. Travel and lodging expenses will be paid for the trip to Boston for the winning student and her/his parents.
The contest deadline is January 18, 2019.
For more information, visit https://jfklibrary.org/essaycontest
As part of All Pikes Peak Reads (APPR), Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) is hosting a Supply Drive from Friday, Sept. 21 to Monday, Nov. 5 for Urban Peak Colorado Springs! Urban Peak serves youth experiencing homelessness in Colorado Springs. Visit your local library to drop off supplies!
A list of their needs is below.
Clothing/Hygiene:
- Ponchos**
- Raincoats**
- Tarps**
- Chapstick**
- Men’s New Boxer Briefs, Size Medium**
Food:
- Coffee**
- Tea**
- Salsa**
- Enchilada Sauce**
- Taco Shells**
- Ranch Dressing**
- Ketchup**
- BBQ Sauce**
- Hot Sauce**
- Canned Vegetables**
- Canned Beans**
- Canned Fruit**
- Canned or boxed soup**
- Velveeta/nonperishable cheese**
- Olive Oil**
- Pam Cooking spray**
- Bulk dry seasoning (chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper)**
Household:
- Shower Curtain and hooks
- Cleaning supplies
- Broom/dustpan
- Laundry detergent
- Paper towels
- Dish washing soap
- Can Openers
- Backpacks
- Flash drives
**indicates greatest need
Matt de la Peña is coming to Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD)!
de la Peña is the author of one of the short stories in our All Pikes Peaks Reads (APPR) title, Flying Lessons and Other Stories, edited by Ellen Oh.
Matt de la Peña is the New York Times Bestselling, Newbery Medal-winning author of six young adult novels (including Mexican WhiteBoy, We Were Here, and The Living) and four picture books (including Love and Last Stop on Market Street). In 2016 he was awarded the NCTE Intellectual Freedom Award. Matt received his MFA in creative writing from San Diego State University and his BA from the University of the Pacific where he attended school on a full basketball scholarship. de la Peña currently lives in Brooklyn NY. He teaches creative writing and visits high schools and colleges throughout the country.
He will be at Library 21c on Thursday, November 8, at 6:30 p.m., with a free presentation that is open to the public.
Don't miss this award winning author!
In 2018, over 70 young authors submitted original stories to PPLD's Teen Fiction Writing Contest. Each story began with the sentence "The letter could not have come at a worse time", which was chosen by New York Times best-selling author Sandya Menon. The young authors in our community took this common beginning and crafted a huge variety of stories that tackled big topics, such as: grief and loss, growing up, building a better world, and the weight of responsibility.
Winners were chosen through anonymous scoring by a group of dedicated PPLD staff members. The three top stories in both the middle school and high school categories were announced at the awards ceremony on July 29, 2018, and will be published in a digital anthology in September.
Middle School Winners:
- 1st Place: "A Girl, A Thousand Shirtwaists, and a Fire" by Molly Heinold
- 2nd Place: "Dear Louella" by Emma Reeves
- 3rd Place: "Elenora" Claire Deeds
High School Winners:
- 1st Place: "The Apiary" by Alexandra Wollinka
- 2nd Place: "An Impossible Choice" by Sophia Mayhugh
- 3rd Place: "A Work-Ruled Vacation" by Shanleigh Glide
Congratulations to all the winners and entrants! Thank you to all the young authors who entered and to those who encouraged them to put their ideas on paper. If you were unable to attend the awards ceremony, your judge's feedback sheet and participation certificate have been mailed to the address listed on your submission form.
Is math homework getting you down? Are finals freaking you out? Do you need to brush up before the ACT, SAT, GRE, or GED? Our experienced math tutors can help you improve your grades and take the stress out of math. Tutoring for all ages and levels.
No appointment necessary, just drop in!
- East Library
- Thursdays, 4 - 6 p.m.
- Library 21c
- Wednesdays, 3:30 - 6 p.m.
- Monument Library
- Mondays, 3:30 - 7 p.m.
AfterMath won't take place during library or school holidays. Times and dates are subject to change. If the school district or library closes because of snow or weather, AfterMath is cancelled.
Beginning Jan. 9, 2017, PPLD will no longer charge fines on overdue children and teen items. Removing overdue fines will provide greater opportunity for children and teens to use the full range of library services. Currently, 15% of children and teen cardholders are blocked from checking out items at the library due to overdue fines.
Also, overdue fines on DVDs and games will be reduced from 25 cents per day to 10 cents per day.
PPLD seeks to foster literacy and life-long learning for children and teens. The Library regularly evaluates policies to see what barriers for service exist and evaluates how to eliminate such barriers. The Library’s Board of Trustees approved the new policy at their December meeting.
Items that will not accrue overdue fines must be designated as “juvenile” or “teen” in the Library catalog. The policy will take effect for any items checked out January 9 or after. Lost item and damage fees will still apply.
Overdue notices will still be sent as reminders to return Library items. Items not returned within 21 days of the due date will be considered lost, and the full cost of the item will be charged to the patron’s account.
Teens and tweens can learn the basics of coding in this self-guided program. Using curriculum from Google CS First, teens/tweens will learn the vocabulary and fundamentals of coding. Each class will start with a short group activity and then participants can move on to the curriculum at their own pace.
For ages 9 - 18. Registration required due to limited space.
- When: Every Tuesday from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. running October 2 through December 4
- Where: East Library Learning Lab, 5550 N. Union Blvd.
