April 9, 2007

High School Essay Contest Winner Announced

CHICAGO — Sarah Schewe, a high school senior from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, was selected as the overall winner in the American Planning Association's 2006–2007 High School Essay Contest.

Her essay, "Affordable Housing Plan for Eden Prairie, Minn.," detailed why a hypothetical piece of vacant property in her town should be used for a new housing development. Schewe's proposed development included a mix of market-rate and affordable multi-family housing units, a co-op day care and preservation of existing wetlands.

Schewe's essay was selected from more than 200 submissions. She is a senior at The Blake School in Minneapolis. As the overall winner, Schewe receives a $5,000 scholarship to the university or college of her choice, a one-year subscription to APA's Planning magazine, and a $100 gift certificate to APA's PlanningBooks.com store. Additionally, Schewe can attend one of APA's National Planning Conferences for free.

"Sarah demonstrated knowledge of her community's overall planning goals and created a proposal that not only fit within Eden Prairie's comprehensive plan, but addressed a growing need within her community in a creative and intelligent manner," said Paul Farmer, FAICP, Executive Director and CEO of the American Planning Association. "Our judges were very impressed by the thought and creativity students brought to this topic."

Ten students received honorable mentions for their essays and each will receive a one-year subscription to APA's Planning magazine and a $100 gift certificate to APA's Planningbooks.com store. Students receiving honorable mentions are:

Kelsey Anderson, Kailua High School, Kailua, Hawaii
Colleen Bianco, Avon Grove High School, Landenberg, Pennsylvania
Josephine Deahl, homeschooled, San Antonio, Texas
Cady Fontana, Ithaca High School, Ithaca, New York
Chelsea Garner, Choctawhatchee High School, Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Karim Hassanein, Cairo American College, Cairo, Egypt
Maryl Moilov, Palos Verdes High School, Rancho Palo Verdes, California
Daniel Montelongo, J.M. Hanks High School, El Paso, Texas
Allison Parker, Clark College, Vancouver, Washington
Gavin Wandrey, Kenston High School, Chagrin Falls, Ohio

The essays were judged by a panel of planning and education professionals on research and analysis, creativity and quality of the development proposal, and writing quality and organization.

APA's High School Essay Contest was open to junior and senior students during the 2006-2007 academic year. Students were asked to respond to a hypothetical situation in which they advocated for affordable housing within their community. The contest was launched during APA's National Community Planning Month celebration. The subject of the next essay contest will be announced in the fall.

Contact

Roberta Rewers, APA Public Affairs, 312-786-6395; rrewers@planning.org