QUEENS — A Forest Hills pharmacy has a prescription for paying it forward — encouraging children to do something positive and improve their writing skills by launching a contest for the best essay on their good deeds with an iPad mini as the award for the winner, the pharmacy said.

Austin Pharmacy, at 67-01 Austin St., is asking kids to write an essay about good things that they have done. The essays should be at least three to five paragraphs long and should describe the deed and its benefits.

The winner will receive a free mini iPad worth about $350, the pharmacy said.

“It gives a chance for kids under the age of 18 to write a good deed essay and talk about how they have done something in the past,” said Alex Pinhasova who works at the pharmacy. “And it gives them a chance to work on their writing skills.”

Pinhasova said the goal is also to inform the parents that the pharmacy can “help not just with medicine but with everyday things in life.”

Participants have to be under 18-years-old. There is no other requirements.

Kids can submit their essays online. The contest ends on March 23.

In the past, the pharmacy also launched a free vitamins program for kids and held a food drive for the victims of Hurricane Sandy.