“What's Your Smithsonian Story” Contest Rules The purpose of the "What's Your Smithsonian Story” contest is to allow entrants to share the stories of their Smithsonian experiences. Finalists will be selected by a Smithsonian panel of judges and posted on the contest website.  Smithsonian Focus e-newsletter subscribers and visitors to the website will then vote to select a winner. Who is Eligible? The essay contest is open to anyone who is a legal resident of the United States over the age of 18.  Employees and Trustees of the Smithsonian Institutions and members of their families or households are not eligible to participate.  How Do I Enter? 1. Describe for us in an essay using approximately 250 words or less your Smithsonian story, experience, or memory. 2.  The essay must be your original work.  Any essay that has been previously published, is pending publication, or that violates or infringes upon another person’s copyright, is not eligible. 3.  Submit your essay and your name, address, and e-mail address using the online entry form available at http://go.si.edu/smithsonian/smithsonianstory. Entries will be accepted beginning February 19, 2008 and ending at noon Eastern time on February 29, 2008. 4.  You may enter as many essays as you wish, as long as each essay describes a different experience with or memory of the Smithsonian. How is the Winner Selected? A panel of Smithsonian representatives will select up to five essays as finalists. Smithsonian Focus subscribers and visitors to the voting web page will be asked to vote for their favorite essay and the essay receiving the most votes will be the winner. The winning essay will be announced in the April issue of Smithsonian Focus.  Decisions of the Smithsonian panel regarding eligibility and the winning essay will be final. What is the Award? The author of the winner entry will receive a free year-long Contributing Membership at the Sponsor level, with benefits including Smithsonian magazine. What Happens to My Entry? By entering the contest, you grant the Smithsonian Institution a royalty-free, irrevocable, and non-exclusive license to publish and use your essay, name, and hometown in print or electronic form in Smithsonian Focus or another Smithsonian publication, and for advertising, promotion, and other non-profit uses, including educational, exhibition, archival, and research. Any essay reproduced will include your name as author. Who is Sponsoring the Contest? The Smithsonian Institution is sponsoring this contest through the Office of External Affairs, which publishes Smithsonian Focus.  The Office of External Affairs can be reached at Smithsonian Focus, MRC 035, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, or, focus@si.edu. Click here to enter the contest.