News Release Header
For Immediate Release:
March 25, 2014
Media Contact:
Edith Torres

305-755-7862

The Women's Park Announces 2014 High School Essay Writing Competition with over $1,000 in Cash Prizes

Topic must be related to women’s issues. Deadline to submit is April 30, 2014


(MIAMI, March 25, 2014) - Junior and senior high school students are invited to submit a 500 word essay expressing their views on different topics related to women and gender. Essays should be between 500 and 700 words and must focus on one of the three related topics: reproductive health; gender and media; and violence against women.     

The contest is a joint effort between the Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade, the Women’s Park and FIU’s Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, and will run through April 30, 2014. An award reception will take place at The Women’s Park in late May.  Cash prizes will be awarded for the top three essays.  Awards include:  $500 first place award, $350 second place award, and $200 third place award.  

Please submit entries in PDF or Word format via email to [email protected] by midnight, April 30, 2014.  Entries must include the student’s full name, email address, phone number, their current grade, and the name of their high school.  All papers will go through Turnitin.com for review.  

For more information, please email Rosa Henriquez at [email protected] or the Women’s Park at [email protected]

The Women’s Park, a Miami-Dade County park founded June 16, 1992, was the first park dedicated to women in the United States. It was created to honor all women past, present, and future for their contributions to the betterment of the quality of life in Miami-Dade County. Members of the Women’s Park Founder’s Committee include Roxcy O’Neal Bolton (“Mother of the Park”), Bonnie Lano Rippingille, Molly Turner, Teresa Zorilla Clark, Dr. Dorothy Jenkins Fields, Leona H. Cooper, Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Elaine Gordon, Monna Lighte, and Helen Miller. 

About the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department:

Nationally accredited, a three-time winner of the NRPA National Gold Medal Award and winner of the 2009 Florida Governor’s Sterling Award for excellence in management and operations, Miami-Dade County Parks is the third largest county park system in the United States, consisting of 260 parks and 12,825 acres of land.  It is one of the most unique park and recreation systems in the world.  Made up of more than just playgrounds and athletic fields, it also comprises out-of-school, sports-development, and summer-camp programs; programs for seniors and people with disabilities; educational nature centers and nature preserves; environmental restoration efforts; arts and culture programs and events; the renowned Zoo Miami and the Deering Estate at Cutler; the Crandon Tennis Center, home of the Sony Open; golf courses; beaches; marinas; campgrounds; pools; and more.  For information about Miami-Dade County Parks call 3-1-1, or visit www.miamidade.gov/parks/

About The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade

The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization supporting the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department’s efforts to further develop Miami-Dade County’s world-class parks system for residents and visitors.  Its mission is to create a healthier, more livable and sustainable Miami community by ensuring the implementation of the Parks Open Space Master Plan and the development of year-round park and recreation programs for local children, adults and people with disabilities.  For more information on the Parks Foundation, please visit www.liveaparklife.com

About FIU’s Center for Women’s and Gender Studies:

The FIU Center for Women’s and Gender Studies provides tools for analyzing the construction of women and gender, the relationship between gender and power, and the intersection of gender with sexuality, nationality, race, ethnicity, religion, class, age and ability.

ACADEMICS

The center sponsors and administers academic degrees, courses, and community programming pertaining to the study of women of different ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, religions, abilities, and economic backgrounds. This includes the study of gender expression across time and place, the conventions of femininity and masculinity, and the experiences of transgender persons.