Welcome to 2011 Educational Page for Festival Of India

FOI hopes that large number of high school students would participate. Besides giving the students an opportunity to showcase their writing skills, a prelude to making applications to colleges, they will be eligible for prizes and have pictures taken with visiting celebrities

Who Is Eligible?
High school students in grades nine through twelve are eligible to participate

How Will Your Essay be Judged?
Well-researched ideas. Reflects a student’s ability to organize complex facts and ideas, to bring in his/her own interesting perspectives and ideas and to pay attention to writing style and mechanics (grammar, syntax, and punctuation).

What are the Essay Requirements?
Theme for the Essay Contest is “Unity in Diversity”.

Your Essay Should Have the Following Structure:

1. Introduce the subject. Demonstrate that you understand the essay contest topic and have addressed it. Specifically addressing these aspects would be desirable- What do you understand from the subject “Unity in Diversity”. How can a group be diverse and still be united? What challenges and opportunity does Diversity provide? Are there any advantages or disadvantages in being Diverse? Do you have any recommendations?
2. The essay should be free from typographical and grammatical errors.
3. Be sure to identify the sources of your information or ideas using a standard citation method.
4. Essay should be the writer’s own work.
5. Selected essays will be read out loud by the writer at the Festival.
6. Web pages should not be the only source of information for your essay. When citing Internet sources, include the following information: author(s), title of work, Internet address, and date information was accessed.
7. Your essay must be in English no more than 1,500 words. The word count limit includes all words in the text, but does not include the bibliography and endnotes.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You may submit the essay by e-mail or regular mail in a sealed envelope. Last date of submitting the essays is Sept. 15, 2011.

For any questions or comments please contact:
Vishwa Bhargava, friend@asianamerican-va.com
2011.foi.cultural@gmail.com
1702 Tunbridge Drive, Henrico, VA 23238-4127