the laws of life essay

Sir John Templeton

About the Competition

Since 1987, students in communities around the globe have competed for prizes in essay contests based on the Laws of Life in Sir John Templeton’s writings. Starting in 2009, students in The Bahamas have had a contest of their own, presented by The Bahamas Ministry of Education and the Nassau-based Templeton World Charity Foundation.

Students in primary, junior, senior, and college divisions are asked to select one of Sir John Templeton’s laws of life. To compete in the contest, students submit essays explaining how that specific law is meaningful in their own lives. Secondary students also have the option of creating a short video instead of a written essay. Winners receive cash prizes and are recognized in a popular event. In 2019, over 3,000 students submitted entries.

The current incarnation of The Bahamas Laws of Life Essay Competition, which has become the nation’s most successful student essay contest, celebrated its ten-year anniversary in early 2019.

Important Dates 2025 Competition Launch Date Friday, November 29, 2024

Essay & Video Submission Date Friday, February 7, 2025

Awards Ceremony Thursday, June 5, 2025 (To be confirmed)

Competition News

2024 Award Ceremony

10 June, 2024 — Congratulations to all the 2024 winners !

2024 Competition Announcement

1 Nov, 2023 — The 2024 Laws of Life Essay & Video Competition dates and requirements are now available. Essays are due on Friday, February 9, 2024.

Visit the “ Requirements ” page for more details regarding essay rules and the list of topics by division.

Submission instructions can be found on the “ Submit Your Essay ” page.

Please contact us via email at [email protected] with any questions.

2023 Award Ceremony

13 June, 2023 — Congratulations to all the 2023 winners !

Testimonials

A Successful Public-Private Partnership

In early 2008, the late Dr. John M. Templeton Jr. met with the former Minister of Education, Hon. Carl Bethel to discuss, among other things, his father, Sir John Templeton’s book, Worldwide Laws of Life , and how it could be used by the Ministry of Education. This led to the re-establishment of a successful and beneficial partnership between the Ministry of Education and the Templeton World Charity Foundation, with the annually anticipated Laws of Life Essay Competition now widely accepted as the country’s premier essay competition in public and independent schools across The Bahamas.

The most prestigious essay competition in The Bahamas.

Get Involved

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Law of Life — “The Law of Life”: An Analysis of Jack London’s Short Story

"The Law of Life": an Analysis of Jack London's Short Story

• Categories: Jack London Law of Life

About this sample

Words: 712 |

Published: Sep 7, 2023

Words: 712 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Summary of "the law of life", themes of "the law of life", life, death, and survival, nature and humanity, challenging morality and ethics.

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Consistency

It’s easy to post a list of core values on the refrigerator. It’s much more difficult for parents to be consistent. Consistency lets children know what to expect and what is expected of them. Of course, children will push boundaries  but inconsistency from parents confuses children. 

Everyone involved in your child’s development are critical to modeling and upholding core values. Parents need to work with these important role models to foster the importance of doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right way, and for the right reasons.

Parents need to commit to model and reinforce to their children the core values and character strengths that mean the most to them. They also need to be creative and offer meaningful experiences that illuminate how important these character strengths are to the family’s core values. 

Conversations

We know “We need to talk” freaks kids out, but too often parents avoid having conversations about character, especially as children get older. While it may not be easy to talk sometimes, we know from the research that parents who avoid talking to their children about serious matters quickly lose trust and connection.

Celebration

Parents need to find ways for their children to be active participants in their own character growth. Optimal character development occurs when children begin to make self-motivated commitments to consistently practice a core value (e.g. “I want to be the kind of person who is always honest and shows up on time.”) Parents need to celebrate these moments to shape and define individual character. 

• SCHOOLS OF CHARACTER APPLICATION DEADLINE NOV. 8
• FREE SERVICE-LEARNING eBook
• FREE EARLY CHILDHOOD eBook

Laws of Life Essay Contest

The laws of life essay contest encourages elementary, middle, and high school students, to reflect and write about a core value that means the most to them – and why..

Made possible by a grant from The School for Ethical Education

INVITING ALL TEACHERS

Encourage your students to start the school year reflecting on a core value.

A ll essay writers will be recognized by Character.org with a personalized, printable certificate sent to the   school site coordinator .

“We incorporated the Laws of Life essay as a school-wide writing project for 4th through 8th graders. Our teachers report it’s been a positive and meaningful experience for all our students. Most notably, the project helps our students recognize their unique talents, positive character attributes, and endless potential. I recommend this opportunity to other schools with a focus on character development!”

David Young Writing Lab Director, Ad Prima Charter Schools

The most compelling essays will be recognized in the following categories:

• 2 essays from students in Grades 4 – 6
• 2 essays from students in Grades 7 – 8
• 2 essays from students in Grades 9 – 12

Students from Schools Within the United States

• 5 essays from students in Grades 4 – 6
• 5 essays from students in Grades 7 – 8
• 5 essays from students in Grades 9 – 12

Students from Schools Outside the United States

2025 CONTEST INFORMATION

• Open to students in Grades 4-12
• Free to enter
• Essays should not exceed 500 words
• Essay submissions open September 1, 2024. 
• Essays submissions are due Thursday, February 20, 2025
• Every participant will be recognized by Character.org

Register Your School/Organization!

Each school or organization should identify an adult site coordinator (teacher or leader) to serve as the liaison for their student submissions with Character.org.  Registration must be completed before students can submit their essays.

Download this information to share with your students:

One-sheet (PDF) | Slide (PDF)

Spanish Version

Submission Information

•   Who :   Open to all students in grades 4-12
• Public, private, and home schools, afterschool programs, or student organizations worldwide are welcome to participate.
• When : Deadline: Thursday, February 20, 2025
• What :   Submit a Personal Narrative Essay responding to the prompt, “Reflect and write about a core value that is important to you, and why.” 
• The essay must be the student’s original work. 
• The submission should include a title. Do not include the student or school/organization name in the title.  The title is not included in the word count.
• The essay should be a maximum of 500 words
• Where:   All submissions will be accepted via the online form at Character.org/LawsofLife2025
• Create your essay in your preferred word processing program. Copy and paste the body of your essay in the upload box of the submission form. Check your formatting before submitting. Your essay will be presented to the judges as it appears in the upload box. 
• Do not include the title with the body of the essay. Only put the title in the title box.
• Do not exceed 500 words. Check the word count in your word processing program before submitting. The title is not included in the word count. 
• After students submit their essays, they will receive a confirmation p age to review for accuracy . If students require proof of submission, they can print or otherwise save a copy of the confirmation   page.
• How:   Each school or organization should identify an adult site coordinator (teacher or leader) to serve as the liaison for their student submissions with Character.org.  
• The site coordinator will receive student participation certificates and awards, as well as be the first point of contact for student support.  The site coordinator must create an account for their school or organization before students can submit an essay. 

Site Coordinator registration is open August 15, 2024-February 1, 2025.  Those needing to register after February 1, 2025 should email [email protected] for assistance. 

• Students will need their school/organization identification number from their school/organization site coordinator to upload their essay in the submission portal. 
• If a student wishes to submit an essay in a language other than English, please email us at [email protected]
• If a student requires an accommodation and /or cannot submit a type-written essay, please email us at  [email protected]
• All submissions will be accepted via the online form.

FAQ’s FOR TEACHERS

When is the next submission deadline.

The next submission deadline is Thursday,   February 20, 2025.

Do All Essay Writers Get Recognized?

  All essay writers will be recognized by Character.org with a personalized, printable certificate sent to the school site coordinator.

The Most Compelling entries will be recognized in the following categories:

• 2 essays from students in Grades 9 -12

Students whose essays are selected as Most Compelling Worldwide will each receive a $100.00 cash prize. In addition, their essays will be published on the Character.org website and featured on our social media channels.

• 5 essays from students in Grades 9 -12

Students whose essays are selected as Most Compelling from Schools Within the United States and Schools Outside of the United States will have their essays published on the Character.org website and featured on our social media channels.

Participating Schools • 1 essay from each participating school with 5 or more entries.

The student whose essay was selected as Most Compelling from each Participating School will have their essay published on the Character.org website.

The Laws of Life Writing Program is made possible through a grant from The School for Ethical Education

What Are The Judges Looking For In The Essays They Read?

Personal Narrative Essay – A story from your student’s life involving real people and real experiences that actually happened.

Here’s what we hope you will share with your students: ( Sample Scoring Rubric)

#1 – Content (70%) When thinking about what core value to write about, we encourage you to write “from your heart.” The most inspiring essays either pluck the readers’ heartstrings making them feel or fire the readers’ neurons making them think. 

• Your essay should be so authentic that the judge right away will feel that no one else but you could have written it. 
• Finally, your essay should inspire the reader to think: Shouldn’t I practice this core value wherever I go and whatever I do in life?

#2 – Structure (20%) Your essay should be easy to read. The reader can tell exactly what you were trying to communicate. The ideas and paragraphs flow smoothly. 

#3 – Grammar and Spelling (10%) Please edit your essay for grammar and spelling.

What Are The Benefits of Writing a Laws of Life Essay?

These are just some of the benefits students, teachers, and their school communities have shared with us about writing a Laws of Life essay:

• Provides an authentic opportunity for students to share their voice on a worldwide platform.
• Motivates students to reflect and “write from the heart” to produce excellent narratives
• Highlights core values as aspirational goals to share with peers,​ teachers, parents, and others
• Encourages students of all writing abilities to participate
• Integrates the writing process with effective character education
• Provides an annual opportunity to reflect on and affirm/anchor one’s personal core values
• Provides schools a positive opportunity to recognize students’ values and promote community
• Provides rehearsal for the writing process on standardized assessments (outlining, drafting, editing, publishing) .

How Can I Help Students Generate Ideas?

The prompt for the Laws of Life Essay Contest is:  “Reflect and write about a core value that is important to you, and why.”  Students should respond with a personal narrative essay–a story from one’s life involving real people and real experiences that actually happened.

Students should think about a specific moment in their life when they realized a certain core value was important to them.  What did they experience that made them realize the core value was important?  The following questions can help students in a pre-writing phase to identify their topic for a  Laws of Life  essay. At the heart of this writing program is the student’s reflection on why the core value they have chosen is foundational to them and to their personal experience –  writing from the heart.

Here are some great probing questions for idea generation:

• ​Describe a personal experience that has helped you develop a particular core value.
• Describe a time in your life when someone has helped you. How has this made you aware of a particular core value?
• Share a situation where you realized you needed to practice a particular core value in order to have a better outcome. 
• When you become a parent, what story will you share from your childhood to teach your child   an important core value?
• Imagine that you have lived a long and meaningful life. As you look back on your life, what experience are you most proud of? What core value did you demonstrate?
• Think of a family member or a friend whom you admire. What core value does that person demonstrate? How have they impacted your life?
• Think about the core values of your school.  Share a time when you put one of them into action.  What did you learn about yourself?
• Think about the core values of your school.  Share a time when you did not live up to one of the core values. What lesson did you learn? 

Whatever the writing catalyst may be, the greatest benefit of the Laws of Life process is realized when students have the opportunity to engage in the full writing process (rehearsing, outlining, drafting, peer/family reviewing, editing, publishing). 

How Do I Host A Local Laws of Life Essay Contest?

Many schools have chosen to implement the Laws of Life Essay contest as a school-wide reflection and writing activity to enhance their Character Education and SEL program.  Schools are welcome to host their own school-level contests. Character.org will support school-level contests with a scoring rubric and editable certificates.  Schools hosting school-level contests are encouraged to submit their local winners to our worldwide competition.  Please email Wendy @character.org for more information.

Wendy Horbinski

Laws Of Life Coordinator

I hope you will reach out to me with any questions about our Laws of Life writing program. I can be reached at [email protected] .

Our 2024 honorees, we are pleased to highlight six students whose essays were judged  “most compelling.” we invite you to read their inspiring work..

Julian Marius Hermanos

Grade 4 Southville International School and Colleges Las Piñas City, Philippines

Julian’s essay: The First Lesson I Ever Learned Was to Never Give Up

Grade 6 Rose Hill Middle School Redmond, Washington

Aishi’s essay: The Wonder of Being Kind

Grade 7 Valley View Middle School Snohomish, Washington

Maggie’s essay: Optimism – The Key to Success

Kathleen Frey

Grade 8 Our Lady of Good Counsel Home School Modesto, California

Kathleen’s essay: Hard Work Pays Off

Ayela Maryam

Grade 11 Beaconhouse PECHS Campus Karachi, Pakistan

Ayela’s essay: Unlocking Freedom:  Embracing Forgiveness

Mathyas Cerda-Siezar

Grade 12 Southwest Miami Senior High School Miami, Florida

Mathyas’ essay: Compassion is a Cornerstone of My Life

We also celebrate these Exemplary Essays:

Students from the u.s.a., grades 4 – 6.

Braelynn Blair Grade 6 Old High Middle School Bentonville, AR Courage:  The Core Value That Drives Me Forward

Brooklyn Cunningham Grade 5 Wolcott Street School LeRoy, NY The Importance of Gratitude

Pace Labuda Grade 5 Lynnwood Elementary School Schenectady, NY Perseverance: A Young Athlete’s Story

Shanae Mills Grade 4 Ad Prima Charter School-Overbrook Philadelphia, PA Kindness Is The Key

Samanvitha Swaminathan Grade 4 Fulton Science Academy Alpharetta, GA Generosity

Elisha Williams Trevizo Grade 6 Angevine Middle School Lafayette, CO Time Management for Healthy Living

Grades 7 – 8

Manasvi Dokiparthi Grade 7 Fulton Science Academy Alpharetta, GA Guardians of Character: The Value of Authenticity

Rebekah Goodman Grade 8 Henderson Middle School Jackson, GA Responsibility

D’Angelo Hernandez Grade 7 Gulfview Middle School Naples, FL Perseverance: The Light in the Dark Path

Avik Roy Grade 8 Rose Hill Middle School Redmond, WA The Relationship Between Discipline and Success

Claire You Grade 8 Thomas Jefferson Middle School Fair Lawn, NJ Courage: The Cause of Metamorphosis in the World

Grades 9 – 12

Natalie Eibeck Grade 9 Pen Argyl High School Pen Argyl, PA The Power of Love

Daniel Jackson Grade 10 Flower Mound High School Flower Mound, TX Understanding Begins With Gratitude

Heather Korth Grade 11 Clear Lake High School Houston, TX No Matter What Heather I Am

Gracie Sacks Grade 10 Golda Och Academy West Orange, NJ The Most Important Thing?  Showing Up

Nathan Schwartz Grade 11 Newark Academy Livingston, NJ Selflessness is Human Nature

Natalie Yung Grade 11 Trinity School New York, NY To Listen Is To Love

Students Outside the U.S.A.

Maria Ana Grade 6 International Computer High School of Bucharest Bucharest, Romania The Superheros of Friendship: Loyalty & Trustworthiness

Mihrimah Balikci Grade 4 Nile Academy Ontario, Canada Empathy

Audrey Javier Grade 4 Southville International School & Colleges  Las Piñas City, Philippines Shine But Stay Grounded: Why Humility Matters

Jacob Liu Grade 4 Ivanhoe Grammar School –  Victoria, Australia Embracing Courageous Acts

Cristian Rotaru Grade 6 Școală Gimnazială Internațională Spectrum Ploiești Prahova, Romania The Power of Hard Work

Bermet Tilenbaeva Grade 6 Akyltai Primary School Chuy, Kyrgyzstan The Importance of Self-Discipline in Achieving Success

Dalal Altanji Grade 7 Spectrum School Constanta Constanta, Romania Tolerance Against Racism

Daria Ana Niță Grade 7 International Computer High School Bucharest Bucharest, Romania Self-trust, the Foundation of Life

Miguel Dos Santos Pereira Grade 8 CEL Intercultural School Rio De Janeiro, Brazil A Lesson of Empathy

Ingrid Durla Grade 7 International Computer High School Bucharest Bucharest, Romania Integrity: The Guiding Light in a Complex World

Nyayang Manyal Ding Grade 8 F. W. Begley Ontario, Canada From Walls to Trust

Bruna Pagiato Bovolenta Grade 8 Colégio Petrópolis São Paulo, Brazil The Game of Honesty

Ella Surka Grade 7 Ivanhoe Grammar School Victoria, Australia Being Balanced

Danah Al Bahar Grade 11 Al Bayan Bilingual School Hawally, Kuwait Kindness Matters

Júlia Depizol Grade 11 Colégio Petrópolis São Paulo, Brazil I Swear It Was Not My Fault

Chrisma Fabin Grade 12 International Community School Ashanti, Ghana Dear Grandchildren

Bridget Nyhira Osei-Buifu Grade 12 Sunyani Senior High School Sunyani, Ghana Integrity: A Core Value for Life

Nuriye Dilara Selcuk Grade 10 Nile Academy Ontario, Canada Open-Mindedness: An Asset for Our Future

Daenielle Tuico Grade 11 Southville International School & Colleges  Las Piñas City, Philippines Daring to be Different

Congratulations to the Writers

From these participating schools, schools with 5 or more submissions.