1. What Are Those Judges Thinking?
Hallmark Awards Writing Tips 8

2. First Steps Consider who will write Determine how to edit
Establish best way to organize & share work
Start with the end in mind:
Judging Rubrics
Deadlines
From beginning of process – make Hallmark Awards reflection, writing and editing part of the Honors in Action process
Remember judges don’t know what you have done. Walk them through the process to help them see you have followed the rubric
Be as specific as possible when talking about the process.
You don’t need to include people’s names, for example, but judges should clearly see the research, planning and reflecting process.

3. Honors in Action Purpose:
Fulfill Phi Theta Kappa mission to encourage scholarship and develop leaders who serve their communities
It’s all about the Process, and…
It’s all about the Honors Study Topic!
Sources with Varied Viewpoints
Direct Connection Between Honors Study Topic Research & Action
Exercise of Leadership versus Leadership Development
Resourcefulness
Writing & Editing Hallmark Awards entries important part of the HiA process.
The process is really important in Honors in Action. When writing Hallmark Awards, it’s important to walk judges through the process. They know Honors in Action, but they don’t know what your chapter did or the process you followed to complete your project.
It’s all about the Honors Study Topic. It’s important to use the topic as the cornerstone of your Honors in Action project. For Hallmark Awards, it’s important to let judges know your team knows the topic and its full title. Use the title at least once in your write-up, and remember to refer to it – even if you are simply using the words “how the world works” – throughout your entry. Your team is studying its theme AS IT RELATES to the Honors Study Topic.
The action component of your Honors in Action project should follow directly from your team’s research. It should be clear from the sources you highlight and from your research conclusions that your team developed the action from the research.
Be sure the sources you use and the ones you highlight in your Honors in Action Hallmark Award entry should that you considered varying viewpoints about the topic.
Exercise of Leadership = those ACTIONS taken by the chapter that during the development, implementation, and reflection about the Honors in Action project.
Leadership Development = specific, intentional TRAINING for chapter members that helps the team successfully complete its Honors in Action project. (NOTE: This is not general leadership development, even though that is important for members. It can be a single training or it can me more, but it should be specifically designed for the team as it conducts its Honors in Action project.)
Resourcefulness is all about stretching what the chapter has done in the past. It’s about working on an ambitious project (for your particular chapter) that helps members grow as scholars and leaders.

4. Honors in Action - Research
Research, Research, Research… specifically about the Honors Study Topic
More is not necessarily better when it comes to sources
Include rationale for linking action to the Honors Study Topic – How are you addressing a need or concern?
(Again) Understand & Use language of rubrics
LANGUAGE OF RUBRICS: Academic research, leadership roles, leadership development, reflection, collaboration
Research first (Don’t begin with the action component of your project in mind!)
Research should be about 1 Theme in the Honors Program Guide
Research question can be taken from the Guide, or you can develop one on your own
Remember you are researching a Theme about the Honors Study Topic. In your research, reflecting and writing, you should always come back to the HST.
One tip: Do some general research about the Honors Study Topic before narrowing your investigation. Take notes about what you learned and how the general sources guided your investigation of your Theme.

5. Honors in Action - Research
Make clear distinction between leadership roles and leadership development
Leadership development should be specific to project (not general leadership development)
Explain how you collectively grew as leaders
Must complete project – or significant part of project
Always remember the judges are looking for evidence you did significant research on the Honors Study Topic and that your research guided the other elements of your project
Leadership Roles:
The types of leadership activities in which the chapter engages for this HiA Project
EXAMPLES -
Organize teams
Write project plan, implement & regularly reflect on plan
Organize publicity
Invite and organize collaborative partners
Meet with college administrators and community leaders
Leadership Development is different:
It should be directly tied to your HiA project.
It should be clear to judges why you chose this particular development and what you learned that helped your successfully complete your HiA project.
Leadership Development would include things like:
Having a research librarian conduct a workshop on how to do academic research.
Having a faculty member conduct training on how to develop a survey so the results are reliable and valid.
Participating in training on project management specifically geared to your HiA project.
Learning specific leadership skills on another project to then use them on your HiA project.

6. College Project Purpose:
1) To foster and improve communication between your college’s administration and your chapter
2) To support your college’s mission
Communication between the chapter and administrators is key.

7. College Project – Best Practices
All about communication with administrators
Quantitative & Qualitative
Collective Growth as scholars & leaders who serve their communities
Resourcefulness
Obstacles Overcome
1500 words
85 points

8. Individual Awards Great people are nominated.
Be specific to help nominees stand out.
Pay attention to the questions and judging rubrics.
Secure great recommendations/support letters.
Celebrate amongst your chapter/team.

9. Show versus Tell – Providing Evidence
Telling a judge something is “true” leaves the judge wondering, “How do I know this is the case?”
It is colder in Latvia in the winter than in Iceland.
Izzie is our hardest worker and the greatest asset.
Show the judge something is “true” by way of a citation or some kind of evidence that shows the assertion has merit.
The online World Almanac (2014) shows that the average high temperature 0f -10 degrees C in January in Riga compares to -2 degrees C in Reykjavik.
Izzie effectively led our Honors in Action team this year by recruiting five members to serve on our research team, by inviting the college’s research librarian to conduct a workshop for the team on academic research, and setting up a dropbox folder and sharing it with all chapter members so they could follow our progress throughout the year.

10. Advice from Dan Pink
Show up. Get to work even when you don’t feel like writing—especially when you don’t feel like writing.
Write every day. Regaining momentum takes three times as much energy as sustaining momentum. (Look it up: It’s a law of literary physics.)
Don’t do anything else until you’ve written five hundred words. I mean it.
Move. Some of my best ideas come when I’m climbing the stairs of my house or running in my neighborhood.
Once you’ve produced a semi-credible draft of a section or chapter, have someone read it to you aloud. Hearing your words can help, even if it hurts. 
Remember that writing, though solitary, is also social. You’re making a promise to readers. Honor that promise.

11. Hallmark Awards Dates to Remember
Wednesday, December 6
Applications for Administrator Awards Due Categories include College Administrator, Gordon, Bennett and Community College State Director Awards
Wednesday, January 10
Applications for Individual Awards Due
Categories include Chapter Officer Team, Chapter Officer, Chapter Member, Chapter Advisor Team, Paragon Advisor, Distinguished Advisor, Continued Excellence Advisor, Regional Officer Team and Regional Officer Awards
Wednesday, January 24
Applications for Chapter Awards Due Categories include Honors in Action Project and College Project Awards
All entries are due by 5:00 p.m. CST on the appropriate due date.

12. Check Out Hallmark Awards Online!
Questions?