RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- High school juniors and seniors are invited to participate in an essay writing contest focused on the achievements of outstanding African Americans as part of Dominion's 2010 "Strong Men & Women: Excellence in Leadership" series.

The contest is open to students in Dominion's service areas in North Carolina and Virginia.   Students research and write a 400-word essay about the achievements of state and national leaders who have been honored during the series' 20-year history. Four winners will receive notebook computers, and their schools will receive a $1,000 cash award. Entries must be submitted online by Nov. 9.

"Nurturing and guiding the next generation is vital to the well-being of our society," said Paul D. Koonce, chief executive officer of Dominion Virginia Power.  "The Strong Men & Women series brings African-American leaders to the forefront so that today's impressionable youth can learn what it takes to succeed and achieve."

Strong Men & Women highlights the accomplishments of selected African-American role models and tells their stories in an educational series distributed in February during Black History Month. More than 20,000 sets of learning materials are sent to schools and libraries in northeastern North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony in Richmond on Feb. 3, 2011.

Contest guidelines, entry form and a list of individuals being honored are available at Dominion's website, www.dom.com, keyword: contest.  Teachers also are encouraged to use the lesson plans posted on the website.

Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 27,600 megawatts of generation. Dominion operates the nation's largest natural gas storage system and serves retail energy customers in 12 states.  For more information about Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com. 

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SOURCE Dominion