Make Your Voice Heard

Skidmore Public Policy Prize 2024

Overview:

Skidmore’s Subcommittee on Responsible Citizenship is pleased to announce the Make Your Voice Heard Skidmore Public Policy Prize 2024 Competition. This competition encourages students to engage with vital public policy issues, the political process, and government officials. Students will write a letter to an official and a proposal about how they would engage the public through a grassroots effort on this important policy issue . They will also submit a one- to two-paragraph rationale explaining their reason for selecting the recipient of this letter.  

This competition is open to any undergraduate student currently enrolled at Skidmore. Students can compete as either individuals or as teams of two.

Entries are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 12. A panel of three judges with significant public policy experience will select one winner and two runners-up. 

Eligibility:

The Make Your Voice Heard Skidmore Public Policy Prize is open to ALL current Skidmore students.

Award:

First Prize: $1,000.00
Runners-up (2):  $500.00

Application, Submission, and Selection Process:

The Letter:

In the letter, students must identify one local, federal, or state public policy problem to be addressed and must analyze how this problem impacts them personally, people in their community, people in their state, or, if it is a federal issue, people across the United States. Students must recommend at least one legislative, administrative, or executive idea that they believe addresses the problem.  In each case, the students must support their proposal with data and examples from at least two outside sources (books, journals, reliable internet sources) and must discuss why their solution is better than other options. All outside research must be properly cited. The body of the letter may not exceed 1,200 words (excluding footnotes and the project proposal).

Rationale Paragraph:

Students must submit a one- to two-paragraph rationale explaining why they selected the person they have chosen as the recipient of this letter. 

Proposal:

Along with writing a letter to an official (such as an elected representative, the head of a federal agency, a cabinet member), students must write a one- to two-page project proposal about how they would use $500 to engage the public on an important policy question. The goal of the students' projects should be to advance their issue. Students could, for example, craft a proposal that involves sponsoring a film screening, followed by a community discussion and a letter-writing campaign; students could bring a speaker to their home community or Skidmore’s campus; students could produce a podcast; or students could engage in any number of creative activities to mobilize people to take action. 

Submission:

Students must submit their letter, rationale, and project proposal by email to Marla Melito  by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 12.  Incomplete applications will not be considered.  Please submit all components in one Word document using your last name as the heading.  

Selection Process:

A panel of three judges with significant policy experience will select the winner and the runners-up from the letters, rationales, and proposals.