The BBB of Akron Laws of Life Essay Contest is a competition for character-related essays that challenges youth to reflect on and write an essay about their personal values, particularly principles that are essential and universal, encourage self-reflection and self-understanding. Students develop a concept of who they are and what they stand for, a process that promotes learning and self-confidence in addition to developing writing skills. The BBB of Akron sponsors this contest to recognize the achievements of these exceptional youth and to encourage schools and communities in our service area to engage in this enriching and valuable experience.

The Laws of Life Essay Contest can be used to meet essay writing requirements of the Ohio English Language Arts Academic Content Standards and is aligned to Common Core. The contest also provides students with valuable practice in preparing for the written portion of the SAT and ACT exams, as well as college application essays. 

The Laws of Life Essay Contest is for students in grades 9-12, and need to write about ethical principles based on the UncommonSense® FRAMEWORK or a "law of life."

Click here to learn more about the UncommonSense® FRAMEWORK and ethical principles.

Special Theme Award for 2022

The special theme for 2022 is Transformation. We ask students to reflect on what Transformation means to them, why it is an important Law of Life, how they learned the trait, and how they have changed their behavior to live up to that law. The best essay on this topic will be awarded $250.00.  Students are not required to write about this topic, but if students choose to write about ethics, the best essay on that topic may be submitted as an additional entry for that school. For further assessment for this award click here.