The Charlie Brown Initiative, or CBI, is hosting the inaugural Charlie Brown Youth Essay Competition.

The CBI is a grassroots initiative founded to promote and commemorate the life of Charlie Brown, a former slave who became wealthy in Brazoria County in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The topic of the competition is “Charlie Brown’s Impact on Brazoria County and the State of Texas.” The competition is open to county students from grades five to eight.

Submission deadline is 6 p.m. Dec. 16. Cash prizes from $20 to $50 will be awarded. Winners will be notified by Dec. 23. No entry fee is required. Essays will not be returned.

HOW TO ENTER: Submit one essay — PDF format preferred, but not required — by email to wisdomwordpublishing @yahoo.com by 6 p.m. Dec. 16. Subject line should be “2017 Charlie Brown Essay Competition.”

Here are the rules:

n Essays should be between 300 and 375 words, typed, doubled-spaced with 12-point font size.

n Include page numbers on top right corner.

n Handwritten not accepted.

n Each essay should contain a title page to only include: title, student’s name, phone number and word count.

n Plagiarism is prohibited.

n Essays should be typed in English on letter size paper (8.5-by-11).

n Adult assistance, advice and guidance are encouraged and acceptable. But the actual production and opinion must be student’s own work.

n Include student’s name, school name and school district.

Here is the criteria:

n 50 percent content — interpretation and adherence to the subject

n 20 percent expression — word selection, imagery and style

n 10 percent mechanics — grammar, spelling, neatness and punctuation

n 10 percent form — idea development, organization of essay

n 10 percent overall presentation — interest, appeal, clarity and adherence to essay competition rules

Contact Larry Thomas at wisdomwordpublishing@yahoo.com.