Join us this Friday to celebrate this year's Dunwoody High School winners in the Georgia Laws of Life Essay Contest. Heather Van Wyk, our faculty sponsor for several years, will join the students. You have two ways to join - in person at Le Meridien Atlanta Perimeter, 111 Perimeter Center West, Atlanta GA 30346, or via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86202979419

This year 29,977 students from 62 partner high schools shared their Georgia Laws of Life Essay. The contest named 140 School-Level Winners and 7 State Winners, and it presented $17,950 in cash awards to students and teachers. This signature program of the Rotary Clubs of Georgia takes Rotary’s emphasis on ethics, education, peace, and literacy into the classroom. 133 volunteer Rotarians (including some from Dunwoody) representing 41 sponsoring clubs judged essays to select the winners.

As a social and emotional learning tool, the contest fulfills the state-mandated character education requirement and is offered free of charge to high schools. The contest encourages students to select a “law of life” or motto, reflect upon their lives, and express their personal beliefs through writing.

The Rotary Club of Dunwoody has been a huge supporter of this program for almost 20 years. George Stewart has been instrumental in that support from the start - and we present an award to a student in the contest in George's name to recognize his long-time support of the program and Character Education. Proceeds from our weekly raffle raises $2,000 to $3,000 each year to sponsor the contest. Dunwoody Rotarians volunteer to sell raffle tickets and judge essays.

Then in May, we have the privilege of hearing Dunwoody High School contest winners read their essays to the Club. Please give a warm welcome to these students, their parents and teachers at this Friday’s meeting.

You can read the 2021-22 winning essays in a book posted on our website.