November 20, 2003

Essay contest celebrates
women's history in Iowa

Sarah Lawrence
digital iowa staff reporter
Drake University

DES MOINES, Iowa -- In March the United States celebrates Woman's History Month, a month devoted to researching and learning to appreciate women's role in the history of the nation.

As part of the celebration, the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women, a division of the Iowa Department of Human Rights, the Department of Education and the State Historical Society are sponsoring the 20th annual Write Women Back Into History Essay Contest.

Students in grades 6-9 are invited to submit essays with the theme of women inspiring hope and possibility.

"Many times our history books don't have the accomplishments of women, especially if you look at state history books," said Lori SchraderBacher, coordinator of publications and special projects for the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women. "The purpose of this contest then is to research a woman so they can better understand what she's done for the state."

Students are encouraged to write about women from their community who should be written into history, or research an Iowa woman who has played an important part in history. Essays should be submitted by Jan. 23, and should go along with the theme for the year.

The first essay contest was held in 1985, when the celebration of women's history was only given a week.

Winners are selected in mid-February by a panel of judges. The essays are divided into two groups; 6-7th grades and 8-9th grades. Three students win in each group and are awarded a cash prize, a bag full of books and some information on woman's history. The winning students also win resources for their classes at school and attend a celebration day at the state Capitol in March.

"The kids just love it. It's a great day," SchraderBacher said. "That's why this is my favorite project to work on."

The day at the Capitol includes a ceremony with the governor or lieutenant governor, held in the governor's office or the Kennedy conference room, where students are presented their awards.

Three special awards are also given out at the ceremony. The Howard Draper Brayton and Jessie Sellman Brayton award is given by the State Historical Society of Iowa. The Edith Rose Murphy Sackett award for the best essay on volunteerism is presented by the American Association of University Women. The best essays on women in science, technology, engineering and math award is given by the Programs for Women in Science and Engineering at the University of Iowa and Iowa State.

Charlotte Nelson, executive director for the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women, said the age group targeted for this contest is perfect.

"These students are open to understanding," Nelson said. "There's a kind of energy at that age group and it seems an appropriate time to encourage them to become more aware of women and their place in history."

Kathryn Skilton, an eighth-grader at Nashua-Plainfield Middle School, won second prize in the essay contest both last year and the year before. She heard about the contest from the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women newsletter.

"I really like writing, and it seemed really interesting what you could do with this," Skilton said. "I have researched a lot of history, and I have to say that there are some amazing women, but they aren't documented as much as men...In a sense they are neglected, but we're turning the tables a little bit by doing this."

Skilton's winning essays were about women from her community. Her first essay was about Alice Schilling, who was Skilton's babysitter for years.

"I come from a really rural community, so my best friends were raised by her also. She has made a really big impact on the kids in our community," Skilton said.

The following year Skilton wrote her essay about Martha Peterson, who Skilton describes as her "fill-in grandmother", since her real grandmother lives hours away. Peterson was a justice of the peace in Iowa from 1963-1970.

Skilton said the most exciting part of winning the contest was bringing Schilling and Peterson to the Capitol and seeing them get introduced to the Legislature and the governor.

"Both of them say it was one of the most memorable days in their lives," Skilton said. "It was great because both of these women have supported me. I was really happy to give that back to them."

Last year there were 100 essays in the contest. The number of essays in the contest has grown as Women's History Month has become more recognized through the years.

"Women are a huge segment of the population, and if we don't know that history, than we don't know where we've come from," SchraderBacher said. "Great gains have been made through women. They've accomplished wonderful things and if students aren't aware of those accomplishments, they don't have the full history of the state of Iowa."