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Chris wrote to tell me that ING Direct has launched two programs designed to increase financial literacy. One of the programs targets writers, the other targets teachers:
The Adventures in Saving writing contest invites aspiring authors of all ages to create a children’s story with a savings theme for the chance to win $1,000 and be published. The Planet Orange Financial Literacy Awards will offer $100,000 in grants to kindergarten through eighth grade teachers to implement financial literacy projects and programs into their lesson plans.
Adventures in Saving
The writing contest is actually divided into three age categories: 6-12, 13-19, 20+. Each winner will receive $1,000 and be published. If you enter, you don’t have to illustrate your story — you just have to “address a concept that teaches kids a basic lesson about responsible money management.” The judging criteria are:
- Plot development
- Character development
- Interesting ending
- Appropriate length
- Focus on basic financial concept
- Format, follows rules, spelling, punctuation, grammar
- Lesson(s) learned
- Age appropriate
- Tightness, clarity, impact
Entries are accepted until the end of June, and the winners will be announced in August.
Financial Literacy Awards
ING Direct’s grant program is designed “to help educators teach children about the world of money and personal finance.” The company will be awarding up to $100,000 in grants to fund projects that help kids learn about money management.
Teachers are eligible to apply if they live in the U.S., have been teaching for at least two years, and teach children from from kindergarten to eighth grade. Grants will be awarded in amounts between $200 and $1000. The application deadline is April 20th.
It would be awesome if a Get Rich Slowly reader won the writing contest or obtained a grant. I encourage you to participate if you’re in a position to do so. Be sure to drop me a line if you do enter — at the very least, we can share your work with readers here!
This article is about News, Odds and Ends Monday, 9th April 2007 (by J.D. Roth)
April 9th, 2007 at 10:26 am
I would expect a big company like ING Direct to give a bigger reward for us to contribute to their bottom line (in the end, most of these are a marketing scheme for the company).
The Planet Orange Financial Literacy Awards for the teachers are a better reward and also for a greater cause though.
My Own Millions Blog
April 10th, 2007 at 7:19 am
Here’s a bit of the Official Rules that would make me wary of entering:
“Each Grand Prize winner grants ING DIRECT a perpetual, irrevocable, fully-paid, royalty-free, transferable, non-exclusive, world-wide right and license in and to his/her Story, with rights to sublicense, to use, copy, modify, reproduce, market, publish, distribute, sell and otherwise exploit for any purpose whatsoever, including without limitation, modifying the Story, copying the Story, improving the Story, making derivative works thereto, reproducing the Story and selling or otherwise distributing the Story.”
So, if you win, don’t expect to make more than the $1000 on your idea. While I think this contest is a great motivator and could possibly even allow the winning author some publicity, I can’t help but wonder if a person could make $1000 plus on their story more easily by simply self-publishing somewhere (lulu.com/ comes to mind).
September 11th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
I want to know if you are still giving grants for writers who wish to be published. I am in transitional housing,because my husband had a hear attack. I have written childrens books
and desire to get them published. Many of the parents who have heard them want to know why I haven’t pulbished them. I would really appreciate any help that you can give me. They say that one of them reminds them of Dr.Seuss, though not intentional. I await your response.Thank you!