The American History Essay Contest was established to encourage young people to think creatively about the nation’s rich history and learn about history in a new light, according to a press release.

“This contest is open to students in public, private and parochial schools and registered home-study programs,” officials said in a press release. “Students in grades five through eight are encouraged to participate. Each year, a selected topic for use during the academic year is announced, and contest instructions are published online and sent to schools by participating DAR chapters. This year’s topic was ‘Celebrating a Century: America’s National Parks.’ All Prince Edward and Cumberland (schools) were invited to participate and only students from Fuqua School and Cumberland Middle School participated.”

Essays were judged for historical accuracy, adherence to the topic, organization of materials, interest, originality, spelling, grammar, punctuation and neatness.

“Participating chapters send one winning essay from each of the four grades for judging on the state level. The state will send one winning essay from each of the four grades to be judged on a divisional level. The winning essay from each of the four grades will then be judged on the national level and the winners are announced.”

Each student participant received a certificate of participation from the chapter at the chapter’s scholarship and awards celebration at the Historic Farmville Train Station on March 14.

“Winners from Cumberland Middle School were fifth-grader Hannah Marie Willa Bean Layne, sixth-grader Sarah Jackson and grade seven winner was Emilia Czeizinger. Fifth-grader Carter McCarty was runner-up for the fifth-grade award.”

Chapter member Dr. Nancy Vick chaired the committee, according to the release.