TICONDEROGA, N.Y. — The Ticonderoga Historical Society invites high school students in New York and Vermont to participate in its “Steamboats in the Champlain Valley” Essay Contest. This contest is designed to foster an understanding of the importance of steamboats in the development of the Champlain Valley as well as foster excellence in research and writing through the use of primary sources.
Participation is open to any student within Vermont or New York who will be in the 10th, 11th or 12th grade (or equivalent for home schools or independent study) as of September 2017. Cash prizes of $300, $200 and $100 will be awarded in both fiction and non-fiction categories. The deadline for receipt of entries is Friday, Oct. 1,  at 5 p.m.
The essay topic should address steamboats and their impact on the Champlain Valley. The Champlain Valley includes Lake Champlain, Lake George and the Champlain Canal, as well as the shoreline communities that touch those bodies of water. Possible topics could include: How steamboats spurred economic development; steamboats and their impact on tourism; the life of a steamboat captain, or; the challenges of women steamboat captains. Students, however, are encouraged to think creatively and choose a unique topic related to steamboats.
Additional information on the competition is online at:
http://steamboathistory.ticonderogahistoricalsociety.org/index.html.