NMEW News:New Mexico Ethics Watch (NMEW), a nonprofit dedicated to promoting ethics in governance and public life, announced its annual high school ethics essay contest.
Open to high school juniors and seniors across the state, in public and private high schools, as well as home-schooled students, the contest topic asks students, “What does being ethical mean to you?”
In the three years NMEW has been in existence, the organization has produced reports and materials based on research regarding the Financial Disclosure Act (requiring elected and appointed officials to report financial information on a form both provided by and reported on as part of a database by the New Mexico Secretary of State), as well as concerning the state ethics commission constitutional amendment approved by voters in November 2018 and the enabling legislation passed by the legislature in 2019 and signed by the governor yesterday.
NMEW has also participated in forums and gatherings related to ethics, and is a frequent contributor on commercial and public radio and television, as well as to the state’s flagship newspapers. The organization plans to increase its educational ethics offerings, to both students and adults. The announcement of NMEW’s annual ethics contest signals the advancement of the organization’s education offerings and participation.
The contest’s guidelines and submission instructions can be found on NMEW’s website, as well as in the flyer submitted to high schools statewide. Details include the following:
- The deadline for submission of completed essays to NMEW is midnight, April 30, 2019.
- Cash prizes will be awarded for 1st place ($500), second place ($250), 3rd place ($150) and honorable mention (two prizes of $50)
- Essays will be judged blindly for relevance to theme, clarity, creativity and grammar/spelling
- The contest is open to New Mexico residents only
While still in the planning stages, NMEW will conduct an event in the summer of 2019 at which winners will be announced. Details concerning the event will be provided to all entrants, as well as to the high schools and the press, as soon as they have been finalized.
“We’re excited to be extending our reach to New Mexico students, who will be the foundation of our ethical culture for decades to come,” NMEW Executive Director Kathleen Sabo said. “We look forward to seeing the brilliant work and creativity of students and choosing the first winners in NMEW’s inaugural annual ethics essay contest.”
New Mexico Ethics Watch is a non-partisan organization founded in 2016 dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life. NMEW advances its mission through research, compliance actions, policy advocacy, public education and media outreach.
