Guidelines & Special Notes for Participating Schools

1. Students from Kindergarten through the 11th grade are welcome to write short, poetic thoughts of 35 words or less about peace, Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King or the special meaning of the World Peace Rose Garden. Poems over the word limit will not be eligible for judging. Words with one or two letters will not be counted when summing the number of words.
2. POEMS MUST BE ORIGINAL THOUGHTS BY THE STUDENTS. Words from other poems, songs, books or sources, such as the internet, are not permissible and are considered PLAGIARISM. We ask that teachers be vigilant and restrict the poem writing to an in-class activity.
3. Each message must be TYPED and have a TITLE, the STUDENT’S NAME, GRADE and SCHOOL. Messages/Poems can be written in any language but need to be translated and submitted in English.
4. Designated judges from your school are asked to pick the Top 8 or 5 messages and submit them to us via email. The poetry submissions are due by February 28th by using the survey link below. This is the only way to submit your poem to the contest.
5. Judges from International World Peace Rose Gardens and the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, will pick the top winner(s) from the finalists. The winner(s) will be announced on April 14, 2023. The runners-up will receive an Honorable Mention certificate.
6. The winning messages will be engraved on individual plaques and placed in the World Peace Rose Garden at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta, Georgia, for one year.
7. Winning students will be invited to attend a celebration at the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church to read their poems and unveil their plaques in the World Peace Rose Garden on May 11, 2023. Their attendance is mandatory.
8. Awards will be presented at your school, prior to the May 11th event. The Winner and Honorable Mention students will receive t-shirts and certificates and each school will receive a Certificate of Participation.