History
The Lieutenant Governor’s Writing Awards Program
The Lieutenant Governor’s Writing Awards Program began with Lt. Governor Nancy Stevenson in the Spring of 1979. The first meeting was held with school district superintendents in the Chamber of the SC House of Representatives at the State House. Since that time, awards ceremonies have been held in congressional districts and regional statewide locations.
The contest first started for fifth graders in the fall of 1979, all students wrote on one topic, and awards were certificates for each district winner. The eighth grade was added several years later, students could choose from a variety of topics to write about, and the awards changed to plaques.
Almost 100,000 fifth and eighth graders participate in the writing contest every year, which begins in each classroom where the top essay is selected to compete for the school winner. The school winner is chosen unanimously by a judging committee and sent to the district coordinator who facilitates the selection of a district winner. That district winner will be honored at this ceremony. A judging panel made up of the Lt. Governor’s Writing Award Executive Committee scores the essays from the private and home schools in order to choose the four Regional Winners.
The program has grown each year and now includes a Writing Workshop for district winners, regional winners, and school winners. The educational opportunity this program provides includes personal recognition and encouragement for students to showcase their writing abilities. The overall writing program provides a key teaching tool for teachers and many say this is a highlight of the year for their classes.
The Writing Workshop began about twelve years ago and has expanded and the invitation list now includes regional, district, and school winners. Over 200 students attend each year and deem the day as a great success of learning about writing experiences from well-known artists, including a TV personality, published South Carolina authors, and a remarkable poet!
As Lt. Governor Bauer says: “Our purpose in making these awards is to promote stronger writing skills, greater reading interest, and superior communication skills in our state’s next generation. We are excited that through the generous support of some South Carolina businesses, both the writing awards program and the summer workshop are provided without the use of tax dollars and are free for the children who participate.”