Year One Review of Laws of Life in Mexico Shows Success
3/3/2005

The first year of Leyes de Lavida contest was very successful as strategic partnerships developed with Senator Fernando Margain, Monterrey Tec and one of Mexico’s most prestigious youth leadership organizations, SELIDER, helped to produce over 4,000 essays. Contests took place in Monterrey, Queretaro, Mexico City, and Xalapa with thirteen high schools participating. In addition, the first Junior High Leyes de Lavida Essay Contest took place in Monterrey.

Queretaro conducted the first regional high school contest in the fall of 2004. Under the direction of Armando Velasco and with the critical assistance of Carolina Bolivar (of the Instituto Cultural Ludwig von Mises) nine different high schools participated in this exciting new program.
Erika Garza, of the faculty of Prepa Tec Santa Catarina, concurrently conducted the contest at Campus Santa Catarina and at eight Monterrey Junior Highs. Also with inspiration and coordination from Erika Garza, two of Mexico City’s most prestigious high schools, Prepa Tec Sante Fe and Prepa Tec Ciudad Mexico, also conducted the Laws of Life Essay Contest. Additionally, under the direction of Gert Vanhaecke Medina, Colegio Las Hayas of Xalapa conductd a contest for 6th through 12th graders in the spring of 2004.

SELIDER, with the support of the Templeton Foundation, developed a 2005 calendar for distribution featuring twelve Laws of Life Essays that were written during the national SELIDER conference in July of 2004. All SELIDER regional conferences scheduled for winter and spring of 2005 will conduct the essay contest with the top twelve again being used for a 2006 calendar.