Judges and Judging
The selection committee for the awards is comprised of social studies and language teachers, librarians, and officers of the Society, who will judge the papers based on grade level of the writer, factual information, proper citations, difficulty and depth of research, writing mechanics, illustrations, and
telling of the story. These factors are also posted on the Society website. Judges have the discretion to determine the number of winners and the dollar amount of each award. Past awards have ranged from $1000 to $1500 for first place, $750 to $1000 for second, $500 to $750 for third, and $50 for honorable mentions.