Thanks to all the kids who participated in the writing contest on the topic of “What is courage?”. We have had an awesome turnout.
After much deliberation by our panel of judges, there is a 4-way tie for the first place. While all submissions were awesome in their own way, these 4 were found to be the best in terms of originality, writing technique and idea clarity.
Total prize money of $200 will therefore be split 4 ways and each of the above winners will get $50. For those who have participated in the contest but did not win this time, they will get a $10 participation prize. We will have other contests coming up so there will be more chances to win. Keep practicing in the meantime!
Winning compositions below. Enjoy!
Ok. When someone hears the word ‘brave’, they would think of words like ‘heroic’, ‘strong’, ‘powerful’, and maybe even ‘invincible’. But those words do not describe what ‘brave’ properly means. The words above are not synonyms for ‘brave’ but synonyms of describing superman. The word ‘brave’ is a powerful word that can mean anything, really. Being brave can also mean doing simple things like standing up for yourself, telling your opinion about something your friends like but you don’t, or even telling the truth. Think about it. Harry Potter showed courage by risking his life for his friends and the people he loved. Oliver Twist wanted his right to have an opinion, so he went on a long journey to get his right. In a book called ‘ Out Of My Mind’, it is about a girl that could not walk nor even talk. She tried telling people that not to judge a book by its cover because with all these disabilities, it doesn’t mean she’s stupid. Even in the book ‘ Fantastic beasts and where to find them’ shows bravery. It’s about a boy traveling around the world for something important. People misjudge him because of all the creatures he has, but he shows them that these creatures can help others. These are examples of people who showed courage for their own freedom. Many people also all over the world are fighting for freedom and right. With Some courage, you can make things right for others. You’re a true Gryffindor, and be proud of yourself for being brave!
Lola J. – 11 years old
What does it mean to be brave? This is a question asked worldwide, and not many people know the true answer, or at least, what I think it is. A lot of people think that bravery is doing something when there is a risk, to show someone else that they will not chicken out, and that they are “brave”. I think that a person doing this is not brave, rather, they are stupid. Being brave doesn’t mean to risk your health or something of importance just to prove yourself, instead it should be for a real cause. It is when you do something because there is a true reason or cause to contribute to, even when you don’t know what will happen. For example, sticking your hand into a squirrel’s nest for $20 is not brave, it is stupid. Yeah, you might be just fine, and you can walk away with your $20, but there is also a chance of you getting bitten or hurt by the squirrel. And getting that fixed will probably cost a lot more than $20.
Now an example of being brave is something like going into a war and not knowing whether you will walk away with your life or not. This isn’t stupid because you are contributing to a real cause, like defending your country or your people or something that means a lot to you, rather than something unimportant like $20. Of course there are many different things that show bravery, but this is one that comes to my mind first. That is what I believe, and people might disagree which is fine. Being brave is part of a person’s character, and you’d be surprised how many people on this planet do not have this trait. The people that do however, are usually the hard workers that are ready to sacrifice themselves for people and things they love or for a cause they believe in. I personally do my best to show bravery when needed, and I will certainly respect anyone with this trait greatly.
Nikola S. – 12 years old
A person who is brave faces dangerous or difficult situations with courage.
For example, a firefighter is brave because they put there lives on the line everyday even though they know that they are not invulnerable. Another sign of bravery is standing up to a bully or asking out a girl that you like.
Bravery is also important in life because, we need bravery to face our fears and overcome obstacles in life. Facing fears can help you succeed. For example, you could be able to speak in front of a big crowd and with confidence. Some common symbols of bravery include lions, arrows, circles, dragons, eagles and anchors. One very interesting symbol of bravery is the ant and it symbolizes strong workers. The lion symbolizes ferocity, power and strength. Arrows symbolize power, knowledge and swiftness. The qualities of a brave person are Courage, Determination, being helpful, being honest and having moral integrity. Some good words for being brave are, bold, fearless, courageous, dauntless, and gallant. Overcoming obstacles in life could help in many ways. Courage is the first of human qualities because it’s the quality that guarantees the others. Without courage you can’t make a difference. For example, superman is not brave because he is invulnerable so he can not die. But captain America is brave because he knows that he can die. If you want to be brave you must face your fears, think positively, reduce your stress, demonstrate courage and cope with risk and uncertainty.
Being courageous means overcoming your fears so you can live the best life possible.
Tomo D. – 11 years old
What is Bravery? Bravery is the state of showing mental or physical strength to face danger, fear, or difficulty. It is the ability to confront something that requires a certain level of courage without having any fear of doing it. It’s the courage to do something that a normal person is not willing to do for themselves or others. It is the ability to be strong and fierce while faced with danger or fear. For example, running into a burning building to save the lives of loved ones or others in general, helping out a person who is being robbed. Even smaller things can count as an act of courage or bravery. For example, confronting your school bully, asking out a person you secretly like out on a date, or even taking the game-winning shot in a sports game without any fear all require certain levels of bravery and courage. What would happen if you got caught in the fire? What would happen if the robber pulled out a gun on you? If you got rejected by the person you like? What if you missed the game-winning shot? That is what most people fear, but, brave people do it anyway, for the sake of others, and themselves. In return, people would often be called heroes or champions for the brave and courageous things they’ve done for others. Let’s look at war veterans. War veterans are treated very well by others because of what brave things they’ve done to protect others while risking their life and knowing that they have a very high chance of being killed in battle. Some brave people even risk their lives for others and that is why they are heroes and should be respected. In conclusion, I hope whoever is reading this learned something in this paragraph because, in my opinion, that is what it means to be brave.
Nick J. – 12 years old
Project Courage 