For the second year in a row, Stonehill College will sponsor a Social Justice Essay Contest honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The contest is open to public and parochial school students in grades nine through 11 in the Archdiocese of Boston and the Diocese of Fall River, with one winner chosen from each of the three grades.

Each of the three winners will receive a laptop computer.

The essay topic is “Walking with Jesus in Confronting Injustice: What Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Did and What I Can Do Today.”

The contest asks students to combine King’s message of social justice with the mission of Stonehill College, which is to educate the whole person so that each Stonehill graduate thinks, acts, and leads with courage toward the creation of a more just and compassionate world.

The 2008 Martin Luther King Jr. holiday comes 40 years after King’s assassination and is expected to bring added attention to his life teachings. Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act in 1994, designating the King Holiday as a national day of volunteer service.

On Jan. 21 Americans will once again honor King’s legacy of nonviolence and social justice. Stonehill’s essay contest is timed to coordinate with the nation’s celebratory events around King’s life and teachings.

The essay contest guidelines are:

This essay contest is open to ninth, 10th, and 11th grade public and parochial school students in the Archdiocese of Boston and the Diocese of Fall River.

One prize (a laptop computer) will be awarded for the best essay in each grade, for a total of three prizes.

Essays are to be typed using a Times 12 font, double-spaced, and be no longer than four pages in length.

One submission per student is allowed.

All essays must be submitted no later than Jan. 15, 2008.

Essays can be sent either to Lorna DesRoses, Archdiocese of Boston, Office of Cultural Diversity, 2121 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02135-3193; or to the Office of Intercultural Affairs, Stonehill College, 320 Washington Street, Easton, MA 02357.

A panel of essay readers will include members of the Stonehill College Office of Intercultural Affairs, the English Department, Admissions and Enrollment, and Campus Ministry.

The winners from each grade will be notified no later than Feb. 7, 2008.

The winners from each grade level will be invited to read their essays at Stonehill College on Feb. 25 at 7 p.m.

For further information or clarification regarding the contest, please contact Lorna DesRoses at 617-746-5810 or ldesroses@rcab.org; or Father Paul Pudussery, CSC at 508-565-1339 or ppudussery@stonehill.edu.