Harvard Book Prize
Harvard Inspire
April 26, 2019
Harvard Book Prize
The Harvard Book Prize is awarded to outstanding students in the next-to-graduating class selected by the Executive Board of the Harvard Club of Ghana, based on academic excellence, exceptional personal qualities, significant contribution to school or community and a written response to an essay prompt. Each winner receives a personally inscribed copy of “The Harvard Book”, an anthology of essays written by Harvard alumni spanning three centuries.
Since 1910, the Harvard Book Prize has been an important way for Harvard Club members to help attract talented young people to Harvard and the opportunities in Cambridge. Harvard Book Prize books are presented annually in more than 1,900 high schools around the world and are made available through generous donations from individual Harvard Club members. Harvard Prize Books are awarded without regard to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, or political beliefs. Through the Harvard Book Prize program, we, at the Harvard Club of Ghana hope to raise the visibility of Harvard University among local secondary schools in Ghana, and to encourage outstanding students throughout Ghana to consider applying to Harvard
Essay Prompt for 2021
Climate change is one of the most crucial global concerns in our planet today. Young people have inherited a big, unprecedented climate problem to solve and the eco-anxiety to go with it. Below are some facts and comments related to the issue.
“As the world works to ensure that everyone can get vaccinated, nobody wants to think about the next crisis. But unfortunately, we do not have the luxury not to. As bad as the pandemic has been, climate change will be even worse if we do not start applying the same spirit of global collaboration right now to address it. Within decades, climate change impacts could kill nearly three times as many people per year as COVID did in 2020, and its economic costs will be as bad as having a COVID-sized pandemic every 10 years.” – Mark Suzman, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
“As climate change continues unabated, parents, teachers and medical professionals across the country find themselves face-to-face with a quandary: How do you raise a generation to look toward the future with hope when all around them swirls a message of apparent hopelessness? How do you prepare today’s children for a world defined by environmental trauma without inflicting more trauma yourself? And where do you find the line between responsible education and undue alarmism?” – Jason Plautz, The Washington Post Magazine.
“Over the past few years climate change has increasingly brought a sense of anxiety. With the current crises being experienced throughout the world, you just need to look at the uncontrollable bushfires ravaging Australia - the impact is finally being seen as ‘real’. Increasingly, students are wanting to help but not sure how and this leaves them confused and anxious” Sam Tarca, Trinity Church of England School.
According to a 2020 national YouGov poll commissioned by the climate campaign group, Friends of the Earth, 70 percent of 18 to 24 year-olds are more worried about climate change than they were a year ago.
References
https://www.voicesofyouth.org/blog/how-youth-can-help-fight-climate-change https://www.gatesfoundation.org/ideas/articles/mark-suzman-climate-adaption https://www.ted.com/talks/clover_hogan_what_to_do_when_climate_change_feels_unstoppable/footnotes?language=en https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2020/02/03/eco-anxiety-is-overwhelming-kids-wheres-line-between-education-alarmism/ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ec405510f879d0420d5581d/t/603d35823bcb991173f60819/1614624142358/Force+of+Nature+%28THE+RISE+OF+ECO-ANXIETY%29.pdf https://www.globalactionplan.org.uk/news/transform-our-world-press-releaseturning-anxiety-into-action https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/over-twothirds-young-people-experience-ecoanxiety-friends-earth-launch-campaign-turn#:~:text=A%20massive%2070%25%20of%2018,group%20Friends%20of%20the%20Earth.&text=%E2%80%9CWe%20can%20all%20experience%20climate,responsibility%20to%20save%20the%20planet.
In 500 words or less, write a letter to your community leader, sharing your perspectives on climate change and outlining specific ideas that young people can implement to reduce the impact of climate change, as well as ideas on how to manage eco-anxiety.
Eligibilty
The eligibility for the book prize is secondary students in their penultimate year (SHS 2 / 11th Grade / Lower 6th Form )
Application Instructions
Please email the following materials to harvardclubghana@gmail.com with the subject line “Harvard Book Prize” no later than November 30, 2021.
- Your response to the prompt. Please pay attention to the strict limit of 500 words, any essays longer than 500 words will be disqualified. Your letter must be your own work. Plagiarism will result in an automatic disqualification.
- A scanned copy of your grades/school transcript
- A copy of your CV / Resume
- A letter of recommendation from a teacher or your school guidance counselor
Deadline
The deadline is 30th November 2021
2021 Winners
- Nigel Akwasi Sarpong (Ghana International School)
- Kwabena Adom Oteng-Agyei Kankam (Faith Montessori School)
- Damini Ahuja (The Roman Ridge School)
- Jharna Budhrani (Ghana International School)
- Carmila Owusu-Ansah (SOS-Hermann Gmeiner International College)
- Brianna Boafo (Roman Ridge School)
- Kofi Darko (Morgan International School)
- Shambhavi Verma (Ghana International School)
- Valerie Ackon (Wesley Girls School)
- Katelyn Owusu (Roman Ridge School)
- Carl Awuku (Roman Ridge School)
- Afua Ansah (Achimota School)
2020 Winners
2019 Winners
