INSTRUCTIONS FOR CEOS 2025 ESSAY/POETRY SCHOLARSHIP CONTEST

Collaborate to Educate Our Sons (CEOS) is pleased to announce its 2025 Essay Contest for scholarships for the 2026/2027 Academic year. We will award at least three scholarships to male sophomores, juniors, or seniors in Vocational School, College, and/or Seminary. At least one of the four scholarships will be exclusively for African Americans. These scholarships provide tuition support to help young men achieve their goal of graduating from college/seminary. Please note that for the first time this year, you can submit your entry using poetry or art.

ELIGIBILITY

Entrants must be vocational school, college, or seminary sophomores through seniors, young men.

Contest Themes

In 800-1,250 words, write an original essay discussing the theme(s) in one of the following topics:

In 800-1,250 words, write an original essay discussing the themes in one of the following topics:

1. When you attain your BA degree, you will be more educated than 93% of the world’s population. What does this privilege mean to you, and how will it distinguish you?

2. AI (Artificial Intelligence), is it a blessing or a curse? What should be the ethics of its use, and how do you think humans should use it for the betterment of society?

Instructions

1. All submissions must be original work, have a title and include a word count (word count does not apply to the list of sources). You must cite all sources, including articles you have written. Please note that AI is not a source; if we detect its use, your entry will be disqualified.

2. You must write on one of the topics provided; essays on other topics will not be accepted. Please use the topic as the title of your essay.

3. Entries must be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font with a one-inch margin on all sides of the page. Standards of content and style from MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed., will be expected for (1) documentation of sources in the text of your essay (see pages 123-212); (2) the format of the list of works cited (see sample page at end of the MLA Handbook); and (3) margins and indentation (see sample page also at end of Handbook).

4. A bibliography must be included. AT LEAST three of the sources you cite must be primary sources, i.e., books, periodicals, or newspapers that you have researched. (A primary source is a document, speech, or other sort of evidence written, created, or otherwise produced during the time under study. Primary sources offer an inside view of a particular event. They may be accessed online.) Other sources may be online-only materials, provided they are cited correctly as such. Any submissions lacking three primary sources will be disqualified. We do not consider Wikipedia entries or similar articles acceptable resources. If used, that will disqualify your entry.

5. Do not place your name or your school’s name on any of the pages of the essay. Only the registration form should include this information.

6. Essays MUST be submitted in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format. Essays submitted in any other format will not be considered.

7. Faxed submissions will not be accepted.

HOW TO ENTER

You must submit essays via email in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format by 11:59 pm EST on January 22nd, 2026, to bertram_m@yahoo.com.
• We will notify the 2025 essay winners by mid-February 2026, and we will publish the same in the CEOS Newsletter thereafter
• We will award the Prizes on February 22, 2026.
• Please visit the CEOS website at www.collaborateneducate.org for complete application material and for additional information, if you have not yet received one.

PRIZES

Your essay will become the property of Collaborate to Educate Our Sons (CEOS) once submitted and will not be returned.

The judges’ decisions are final.

Thank you for your essay submission and blessings!

At the end of your essay, please sign and include the following RELEASE:

I, __________________________________, the author of this work, grant permission to Collaborate to Educate Our Sons to use my original entry as described in the competition announcement. I understand that the winning submission becomes the sole property of CEOS. I represent and warrant that I am the sole creator of the work and have full power and authority to grant permission and to make this agreement. I warrant that the work does not infringe on any copyright or violate any property rights. I release any and all intellectual property rights to this entry. I understand that I will not receive compensation for my work, but for the winning entries, as described in the competition announcement.
Signature:_________________________________________ Date: ___________________
NB: If you are younger than 15 years of age, ask your parent(s)/guardian to grant permission for your participation in this contest by signing here: _____________________________________
Date: _______________________
(Plagiarism and use of AI (artificial intelligence) disqualifies candidates from consideration.)

Questions? Contact bertram_m@yahoo.com