Run by the Royal Commonwealth Society for over 100 years, this is the world’s oldest and largest schools’ writing competition.

Choose from a list of topics (below) and write us an essay, story, poem, film script, or play… the possibilities are endless!  We ask only that it must be your own original work. Send us your entry by 1 May 2011. Calculate how old you will be on 1 June 2011 to determine which Class you need to enter.

Essay Topics for Class A (age 16-18) and Class B (age 14-16)

1. EITHER Tell us about a woman who has been an agent of change in your community or country OR Discuss the statistic that 51% of the world are women but only 8% of countries have an elected female leader.
2. And so she made her case…
3. “If you educate a boy, you educate an individual but if you educate a girl you educate the whole nation.” Do you agree?
4. EITHER Girl power! OR, Boy power!
5. JUBILEE QUESTION: A day in the life of… Pick a day from the last sixty years and tell us what happened in your family, in your community or your country.Essay Topics for

Class A (age 16-18) and Class B (age 14-16)

1. EITHER Tell us about a woman who has been an agent of change in your community or country OR Discuss the statistic that 51% of the world are women but only 8% of countries have an elected female leader.
2. And so she made her case…
3. “If you educate a boy, you educate an individual but if you educate a girl you educate the whole nation.” Do you agree?
4. EITHER Girl power! OR, Boy power!
5.  JUBILEE QUESTION: A day in the life of… Pick a day from the last sixty years and tell us what happened in your family, in your community or your country.

How to Submit your entries

Online: Please upload your entries to

www.thercs.org/youth/competitions.

By post:

Send your entry to us or to the regional office closest to you: directly to us: FAO Young Commonwealth Competitions, 25 Northumberland Avenue, London, WC2N 5AP, UK.

Americas / Caribbean:
FAO Young Commonwealth Competitions, The British Council,19 St. Clair Avenue, St. Clair, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Africa:
FAO Young Commonwealth Competitions, Baobab College, PO Box 350099, Chilanga, Zambia or: FAO Young Commonwealth Competitions. The British High Commission, P.O Box 296, Accra, Ghana.

Asia:
FAO Young Commonwealth Competitions, The British High Commission, 185 Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Pacific:
FAO Young Commonwealth Competitions, The British High Commission, P O Box 1812, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.

If you have a query, please call +44 (0)20 7766 9204.