During Black History Month, Whitefield Academy announced the topics for the annual Carver-Wheatley essay contest, an annual contest which reflects the school’s ongoing commitment to both furthering Christian academic excellence and celebrating the racial, ethnic, and economic diversity within the body of Christ.
The award was established three years ago to promote deeper thinking among the student body about the integrated lives that Christians are called to live. This award is named in honor of George Washington Carver, acclaimed scientist and researcher, and Phyllis Wheatley, noted 18th century poet and author, both of whom were profound contributors to American life.
George Washington Carver was an educator and agricultural researcher who grew up in Missouri with the white family that originally kept his mother as a slave. After earning his master’s degree in agriculture from Iowa State College in 1896, he headed the agricultural department at Booker T. Washington’s all-black Tuskegee Institute for nearly 20 years. Carver is best known for developing a variety of uses for crops such as cow peas, sweet potatoes and peanuts. In addition, he developed innovative educational programs that helped induce farmers to replace expensive commodities.
Phyllis Wheatley was a noted 18th century poet and author as well as the first black poet in America to publish a book. A slave, Phyllis was purchased by John Wheatley of Boston as a servant for his wife. The Wheatleys took an interest in Phyllis’ education, teaching her to read and write. She began writing poetry at age thirteen, modeling her work on the English poets of the time. She studied the Bible, astronomy, geography, history, British literature, and the Greek and Latin classics of Vergil, Ovid, Terence, and Homer. In "To the University of Cambridge in New England," likely her first poem, Wheatley wrote about how her spirit yearned for the intellectual challenge of an academic atmosphere. By the time she was eighteen, Wheatley had gathered a collection of twenty-eight poems.
The topics for this year’s essay contest are:
Upper School Carver-Wheatley question:
What steps can a student at Whitefield Academy take to encourage unity among Christian believers? For example: the Syrian refugee crisis? Racial divides in society? Political philosophy differences? Theological differences?
Middle School Carver-Wheatley question:
What are two issues that divide students at Whitefield Academy, and show a need for greater unity?
Essays are due on March 4. The winning essay writers will be announced in the Upper School and Middle School awards ceremonies at the end of the year. For details on how to submit an essay, please log in to the Parent Portal.
The award was established three years ago to promote deeper thinking among the student body about the integrated lives that Christians are called to live. This award is named in honor of George Washington Carver, acclaimed scientist and researcher, and Phyllis Wheatley, noted 18th century poet and author, both of whom were profound contributors to American life.
George Washington Carver was an educator and agricultural researcher who grew up in Missouri with the white family that originally kept his mother as a slave. After earning his master’s degree in agriculture from Iowa State College in 1896, he headed the agricultural department at Booker T. Washington’s all-black Tuskegee Institute for nearly 20 years. Carver is best known for developing a variety of uses for crops such as cow peas, sweet potatoes and peanuts. In addition, he developed innovative educational programs that helped induce farmers to replace expensive commodities.
Phyllis Wheatley was a noted 18th century poet and author as well as the first black poet in America to publish a book. A slave, Phyllis was purchased by John Wheatley of Boston as a servant for his wife. The Wheatleys took an interest in Phyllis’ education, teaching her to read and write. She began writing poetry at age thirteen, modeling her work on the English poets of the time. She studied the Bible, astronomy, geography, history, British literature, and the Greek and Latin classics of Vergil, Ovid, Terence, and Homer. In "To the University of Cambridge in New England," likely her first poem, Wheatley wrote about how her spirit yearned for the intellectual challenge of an academic atmosphere. By the time she was eighteen, Wheatley had gathered a collection of twenty-eight poems.
The topics for this year’s essay contest are:
Upper School Carver-Wheatley question:
What steps can a student at Whitefield Academy take to encourage unity among Christian believers? For example: the Syrian refugee crisis? Racial divides in society? Political philosophy differences? Theological differences?
Middle School Carver-Wheatley question:
What are two issues that divide students at Whitefield Academy, and show a need for greater unity?
Essays are due on March 4. The winning essay writers will be announced in the Upper School and Middle School awards ceremonies at the end of the year. For details on how to submit an essay, please log in to the Parent Portal.