About Us
If you want to learn more about us, you’re in the right place.
Our History
For over 20 years, students of Wyoming have been learning and growing through the American Dream Essay Contest.
In 1987, Sir John Templeton, a world-renowned investment manager, first established the Laws of Life Essay Contest in Franklin County, Tennessee. His vision was to encourage young people to reflect upon and write about one of the laws of life that make an impact on their decisions, goals and attitude. Similar contests now take place in communities and schools throughout the United States and abroad because of his inspiration.
For over twenty years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming has hosted the Laws of Life Essay Contest, now called the American Dream Essay Contest. This year we continue our partnership with James P. Owen, author of Cowboy Ethics, Cowboy Values, and The Try to bring our youth a way to pursue their vision regarding the meaning of their lives and the ethics that guide them.
The thematic transition of the contest has allowed Wyoming’s youth the opportunity to express how they use their ethics and values to achieve their own American Dream. These essays perfectly illustrate what it means to live by the Code of the West and to never give up when faced with adversity when trying to achieve their goals.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming is proud to be a part of this amazing and inspiring opportunity for our youth. The American Dream Essay Contest has become a revered state tradition and we would like to say THANK YOU to everyone who has made it possible, especially the wonderful sponsors who continually support the effort: the Zimmerman Family Foundation, Larry & Margo Bean, John Templeton Foundation, Kevin & Julie Murphy, and Hilltop National Bank.
