The New Jersey Hall of Fame is calling for entries to its second annual essay contest which is open to all New Jersey students in grades 4 through 12.

Kids, you can nominate potential inductees – living or dead – to the New Jersey Hall of Fame. You can nominate someone famous or an ordinary person who did extraordinary things. You should research or interview, if possible, the person you are nominating and write an essay no longer than 500 words.

The entries will be divided into two age categories: Intermediate (grades 4 through 8) and High School (grades 9-12). All entries will be judged by a panel comprised of teachers and New Jersey Hall of Fame representatives. The winners will be notified in mid-April.

Each winner and three guests will be invited as VIP guests to the New Jersey Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on May 4, 2008, held at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. The winners will also receive gift certificates from the NJHOF.

Essays must be typed and double-spaced. You must include your name, age, grade level as of March 31, 2008, address, phone number, parent/guardian’s name, school name, and school district. If the essay is a school project, please include the name of your teacher who assigned the activity. Nominations must be postmarked by March 31, 2008 to be eligible and mailed to:

NJ Hall of Fame Contest
NJEA
Attn: Dawn Hiltner
PO Box 1211
Trenton, NJ 08607-1211

The winning nominations will be forwarded to the New Jersey Hall of Fame Academy for consideration in the 2008 voting. The Academy, comprised of more than 100 of New Jersey’s most prominent organizations, will review and ultimately select five Hall of Fame nominees in each of five categories: Arts & Entertainment, Enterprise, General, Historical and Sports. The next round of public voting will start in September.