The Arlington Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee announces its annual Sharing the Dream Student Art and Essay Competitions. The entry deadline is 4 p.m. Friday, October 24.

The Sharing the Dream Essay Contest is open to all high school seniors who attend Arlington schools or who reside within the city limits of Arlington. The essay theme is "It was Only A Dream, But It Woke Up the World."

Scholarships to help defray the cost of college tuition and books will be awarded to winning essay writers. The first place winner will receive $1,000, the second place winner will receive $750 and the third place winner will receive $500.

The Sharing the Dream Art Contest is open to all junior and senior high school students within Arlington city limits. The winning art design will be selected to appear on all Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration material, including T-shirts, programs, posters and flyers that promote the four-day celebration, which starts January 16, 2004.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the winners. The first place Sharing the Dream Art contest winner will receive $1,000, the second place winner will receive $750 and the third place winner will receive $500.

Essay and Art Contest winners will be recognized during the Sharing the Dream Banquet on Friday, Jan. 16. During the banquet, the winning essay will be read aloud by the student writer.