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Nathaniel Tower

Juggling writing and life

How to Host a Writing Contest

Last Updated on March 4, 2024 by Nathaniel Tower

Running a writing contest may seem like a risky undertaking for an individual, a literary magazine, or any other type of publication. In order to get any interest at all, you have to put up some prize money. What happens if there aren’t enough entrants to cover your prize purse? How is a publication supposed to come up with that cash? Well, if money’s the only thing you’re worried about, then you aren’t prepared to host a writing contest.

As managing editor at Bartleby Snopes Literary Magazine , I created and ran the Dialogue-Only writing contest for nine years. During that time, we received thousands of entries and awarded over $10,000 in prize money. The Dialogue-Only contest was one of the best-paying writing contests on the web. How does a contest sponsored by a small literary magazine get to be so big?

Here’s everything you need to know to host a successful writing contest.

Minimizing the Risk

Before getting into the details about how to make your writing contest huge, let’s talk briefly about how to reduce the risk. There are several risks involved when hosting a contest. The two biggest are:

• Losing money
• Dealing with complaints (about judging, submission fees, etc.)

In order to minimize the money lost, I recommend using a formula similar to what we did at Bartleby Snopes . Start with a guaranteed amount that won’t break the bank (we originally started with $250 and eventually guaranteed at least $1,000). Charge a modest submission fee (we always charged $10). Add a little bit of money to the prize pot for each entry over a certain threshold. For example, once you get to 25 entries, add an extra $5-$6 for each new submission. Two warnings here:

• You will need more entries than you think to cover the prize money (if you have a $10 entry fee, you should only count on $9 per entry after processing fees).
• You’ll get the majority of entries near the deadline, so don’t panic if it seems like you’re behind.

Don’t promise an amount that you don’t feel comfortable losing. Always imagine the worst-case scenario. Can you afford to pay the entire prize money out of your pocket? If not, then lower your starting amount (or don’t have the contest at all).

The other major risk you run into when hosting a contest is backlash from the non-winning writers. If you aren’t careful, there may be cries of bias or unfair judging procedures. Writers may ask for their fees to be returned. You may hear complaints that the winning entries weren’t any good. You need to be sure your contest rules are clearly stated, including a bit of legalese. Don’t forget to include these statements:

• All decisions made by the judges regarding the winners are final
• No contest entry fees will be returned
• By submitting, you are agreeing to all contest rules
• Contest rules are subject to change

Additionally, it’s always a good idea to be specific regarding all the various components of the contest. Tell your submitters who the judges are, where the contest fees go, when the winning stories will be published, etc. By taking this proactive and transparent approach, we were able to to stay clear of complaints. None of the writers asked for their fee to be returned (unless there was a glitch), and only one writer ever complained about the results (it was a cry of sexism because one year all 5 winners in our BLIND contest had male-sounding names).

Getting Enough Entries

Our Dialogue-Only contest wasn’t always a big deal. During our first year, we gave out just $450 in prize money. While many writers would be thrilled to win a piece of that, we’re not exactly talking about big bucks. Five years later, our prize pot was over five times that. How were we able to grow so much during that time?

If you want to maximize the number of entries your writing contest gets, you need to do a few things:

• Make the prize worth it
• Establish credibility
• Be transparent
• Advertise and promote
• Do something unique

Let’s discuss each of these elements in detail.

Make the Prize Worth It

A contest doesn’t have to award thousands of dollars to be worth it. Of course, that all depends on what you are asking the writers to do. The higher the fee you are charging, the bigger the prize should be. I recommend a prize-to-fee ratio of at least 20 to 1 (that’s a $100 prize for a $5 entry fee). If the prize is only $25, you aren’t going to get people who are willing to pay $5 or $10 to enter. If your prize-to-fee ratio is on the lower end, be sure to throw in some extra incentive (such as a free issue or subscription). Never  offer guaranteed publication to all entrants.

There are a couple other things to consider when making a prize that’s worth the entry fee:

• What are the odds of winning?
• How much work does the writer need to do to participate?

If you are getting thousands of entries, you need a huge prize. The lower the odds an individual writer has, the more you better hand out.

If you are asking for a very specific story, or if your contest requests a large volume of work, then you need to respect the effort a writer will have to put in to participate. Writers aren’t going to create a story just for your contest if they have only a small chance of winning a small prize.

Establish Credibility

This might sound like it’s impossible to achieve during the first year of your contest, but it definitely can be done. Here are a few suggestions:

• Get an endorsement from a respected figure in the writing community (this could be in the form of a guest judge)
• Get your contest listed by credible publications
• Establish yourself as a respected and professional publisher/editor prior to hosting a contest
• Make sure your contest details are thorough

I wouldn’t recommend launching a contest during the first few months your publication exists. Establish yourself first, then establish your contest. And make sure you have a real website before launching your contest. No one is going to submit if there isn’t clear evidence your contest is real.

Be Transparent

In a world where privacy is becoming more and more of a commodity, people want to know more and more about what they are getting into. Don’t hide anything about your contest. Be forthcoming about everything, including:

• Who the judges are (provide names and links for guest judges)
• Where the money will go (especially if your contest will bring in more money than it awards)
• When and how the winners will be paid
• When and how entrants will be notified
• When the winning stories will be published

Additionally, if you’ve run the contest in the past, you need to make examples of past winners easily available. If the only way to see past winners is by paying money, then you aren’t being transparent. It’s also a good idea to write a blog post or article about the contest. For example, you could discuss the types of stories that generally don’t do well in your contest. Or you could give tips about preparing a contest entry. Naturally, this will also help to establish your credibility.

Advertise and Promote

Advertising your contest can add up quickly. An ad in  Poets & Writers can run you $500 or more. Add in a few other ads and maybe some promoted posts on Facebook and Twitter, and you are easily looking at $800-$1000 just to advertise your contest (which is about what we spent to promote our contest during our biggest years).

If paying big bucks to promote your contest isn’t in the cards for you, then find as many free outlets as possible. Make sure you have a contest listing everywhere you can. There are dozens of lists that compile writing contests for free. Make sure you are on all of them (or at least all the ones you qualify for). Have a separate listing on Duotrope that’s just for your contest. Post about your contest in legitimate writing forums. Reach out to MFA programs and ask if they will spread the word. Be sure to put together a professional announcement regarding the contest. In many cases, your free promotion will bring in more entries than your sponsored ads .

Of course, you should also use social media, but promoting your contest doesn’t just mean you Tweet about it every day. If you really want to promote a contest, you need to find a variety of outlets. The most valuable promotion is anywhere people are already looking for opportunities to make money as writers (online contest listings,  Poets & Writers  Contest Issue, social media groups dedicated to paying publications, etc.).

Do Something Unique

There are thousands of writing contests held every year. If you want people to enter yours, you need to do something different from everyone else. If your guidelines are “Write any story you want and we’ll pick the best one and give you a handful of money,” then no one is going to submit. When I created the Dialogue-Only Contest, I was trying to do something I hadn’t seen done anywhere else before. My “great” ideas included:

• A rolling rejection process
• Unlimited entries for one price
• A growing prize purse
• A very specific format (stories had to be composed entirely of dialogue)

I can’t tell you how many writers contacted me to say they really enjoyed participating in this contest. Every year, I was surprised by how many entrants responded to rejection letters by thanking me for hosting the contest.

Final Notes

Hosting a writing contest is no easy task. There are plenty of obstacles you will deal with along the way, none more difficult than the colossal challenge of sorting through all the entries to pick a winner. If you run your contest the right way, you will find it a rewarding experience. Being able to award almost $2400 to writers is definitely worth the hard work.

How to Host a Writing Contest FAQs

Can anyone host a writing contest.

Yes, in theory, any website or publication can host a writing contest. Before hosting a contest, you should clearly define your contest rules and develop a plan for collecting submissions.

Where can I advertise my writing contest?

You can and should advertise your writing contest in as many places as possible. Some of the best places are Poets & Writers, Duotrope, MFA programs, other online contest listings, and social media. Make sure you have an advertising budget. Promoting your writing contest can get expensive if you aren't careful.

Do I have to award prizes for my writing contest?

If you want people to enter your writing contest, you need to offer prizes. The most appealing prizes are monetary. Publication is also a highly desired outcome. The bigger the prizes, the more entries you'll get.

Can I charge an entry fee for my writing contest?

While some writing contests are free to enter, most require an entry fee. There is nothing wrong with charging a contest entry fee as long as you make the prize worthwhile and you are transparent about where the entry fees go. If you are keeping any of the money as profit, you should disclose this.

What if no one enters my writing contest?

If no one enters your writing contest, or you just don't get many entries, you can try extending the deadline and increasing your promotion efforts. It's always a good idea to include a disclaimer in your contest rules that requires a minimum number of entries for the contest to be held. This way, if you only get a handful of entries, you don't have to award a big prize that will cause you to lose a lot of money.

For writers interested in entering a writing contest

Are you a writer interested in entering a writing contest? Check out these helpful posts:

• How to win a writing contest
• Should I enter a writing contest?
• Everything you need to know before entering a writing contest

Do you have any additional tips for hosting a writing contest? Share your thoughts or questions in the comments. If you are interested in hosting a writing contest, feel free to reach out directly to me for advice. And, as always, please share this post on all your favorite channels.

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2 thoughts on “ How to Host a Writing Contest ”

Recently, I have started using old comics for writing practice. They are public domain and from the WW II era. It is a lot of fun and a challenge since the pictures are already done. Do you have any thoughts on me organizing a writing contest in which writers fill in the blanked dialog balloons. Every entry would have the same eight pages to fill in.

This a great article thank you for being so truthful about the process of build a contest.

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How to Win an Essay Contest

Last Updated: February 28, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Daniel Santos . Daniel Santos is a College Admissions & Career Coach and Prepory's co-founder and CEO. Prepory is a leading college admissions consulting firm that has guided over 9,000 students from 35 countries through the US college admissions process. Prepory is a member of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling and a trusted admissions counseling partner to several competitive high schools across Florida. Prior to founding Prepory, Daniel worked at various leading law firms and the United States House of Representatives. Daniel has been featured as a college admissions and career coaching expert across several major publications, including the Wall Street Journal, FORTUNE, and The Harvard Crimson. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 171,558 times.

If you're hoping to write an essay that will win a contest, there are several ways to make your writing stand out. Before you start writing, make sure you read the essay guidelines so that you're following all of the rules. Come up with a topic that fits the contest's theme and craft a detailed, descriptive, and interesting essay. By making your essay original and error-free, you'll be much more likely to win the contest.

Crafting and Editing the Essay

• If you don’t follow one or more of the rules when writing and submitting your essay, your essay may be disqualified, so make sure to read over the rules several times if necessary.
• It’s a good idea to print out the guidelines so that you can refer to them as you’re writing.

• It’s super important to stick with the theme when you’re writing and not get off-topic.
• For example, if the contest asks you to write about a person who has influenced you, make a list of the people that have had a big impact on your life and choose the person who you can write lots of descriptive examples about.

• It’s okay if you have several different drafts of one essay.
• Make an outline of your essay before you start to help you organize your thoughts.

• Ask a friend or family member to read over your essay to see if it’s interesting and makes sense.
• It may help you to put the essay aside for a day or two after you’ve written it so that you can revise it again with a fresh perspective.

• It may help to ask another person to read over the essay to see if they spot any mistakes.

• Check to see when the submission deadline is in the contest’s guidelines and rules.
• It may help you to put the essay deadline on your calendar so that you don’t forget when it is.
• If you're sending the essay by mail, make sure you send it far enough in advance that it will reach the judges in time.

Making Your Essay Stand Out

• An example of an attention-grabbing introduction might be, “I held my breath for 82 seconds before I was yanked out of the water,” or “Sarah walked slowly up to the door, her body drenched in nervous sweat, before firmly knocking.”

• The title should give the reader a glimpse of what your essay is about while leaving them intrigued.
• For example, if you’re writing an essay about a lemon picker, you might title the essay, "Living with Sour Fingers."

• Instead of saying, “The wheelbarrow fell down the hill,” you could say, “The rusty wheels of the wheelbarrow skidded over smooth rocks and sharp blades of grass until it skidded to a stop at the edge of the water.”

• Read over your essay and look for sentences or ideas that would likely not be found in another person's essay.
• If you're having trouble figuring out if you have an original element, have someone else read over your essay and tell you which parts stand out.

• Review the essay guidelines to see if there’s a special way they’d like the essay formatted.

Expert Q&A

• If you don't win, take a look at the winning entries if possible and see what they did that you didn't. Try to learn from this and incorporate it into your next essay. Thanks Helpful 18 Not Helpful 2
• Don't be afraid to ask for help if you have a hard time! As long as your work is original, getting feedback from others is a great way to make your writing stronger. Thanks Helpful 12 Not Helpful 2
• If you have difficulty understanding the topic or the guidelines, try to get in touch with the judges. Thanks Helpful 12 Not Helpful 2

• Failure to follow the format requirements may disqualify your essay. Thanks Helpful 44 Not Helpful 8
• Be aware of the deadline to ensure you get your essay submitted in time. Thanks Helpful 18 Not Helpful 3

You Might Also Like

Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about essay contests, check out our in-depth interview with Daniel Santos .

• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/brainstorming/
• ↑ https://mlpp.pressbooks.pub/writingsuccess/chapter/8-3-drafting/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/revising-drafts/
• ↑ https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/writingprocess/proofreading
• ↑ https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/planning/intros-and-conclusions/
• ↑ https://writing.umn.edu/sws/assets/pdf/quicktips/titles.pdf
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/essay_writing/descriptive_essays.html
• ↑ https://www.oxford-royale.com/articles/write-original-essay/
• ↑ https://facultyweb.ivcc.edu/ramboeng2/handout_essayformat.htm

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How to Organize an Essay Contest

Organizing an essay contest can be fun, but it can also lead to a lot of pressure. Generally essay contests require a strict and straightforward set of guidelines. This way both the writers and judges will have a clear idea of what they're looking for, and ambiguity will be minimized. You also need to direct a lot of energy to actual planning, such as dates, promotion, fund raising, oversight, and prizes. With a little time and patience, though, you can organize a successful essay contest.

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Determine the basic guidelines of the essay contest. Decide if there will be a theme, what the length criteria will be, and any other writing guidelines you believe are necessary for laying out the basic rules of the contest. Most essay contests give the writers a certain starting direction or initiative, such as a topic or category; like current events, childhood, or anything else broad enough to inspire creativity.

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Seek out some help in organizing the essay contest. Talk to friends and other parties who might be interested in volunteering to help out with the process. There are a lot of minor yet important parts of an essay contest that a volunteer can help with. These include mailings, entry fees, marketing and promotional materials such as websites, fliers or posters, and organizing prizes and a judge's panel.

Come up with a judge's panel. Try to seek out established writers or authors who will make confident and competent judges. Having good judges can greatly enhance the quality and popularity of an essay contest. It can also help with any fund raising you might be doing.

Decide on the prizes you'll be giving. Most essay contests either offer cash prizes or publication opportunities in magazines or anthologies. You can also offer trophies if you want, especially if this is a youth or amateur essay contest. It's a good idea to offer at least three main prizes plus some minor runner-up awards to generate more incentive and get more people involved.

Advertise and promote the essay contest ahead of time. Writers need to know about contests far in advance so they can plan accordingly and won't feel pressured or rushed. Advertise the essay contest on websites and in publications that attract a lot of aspiring writers and essayists. You can also put fliers in coffee shops and bookstores around town.

Write an official statement of the essay contest rules, regulations and prizes. If you have a website, post this statement on it. Otherwise, make it readily available to anyone who asks. This will help you avoid any ambiguity or future controversy over rules or stated guidelines.

Asking for two or more copies of the essays can facilitate the judging process. If you can conduct the essay contest entirely in digital format, you will save time, postage and waste. Offer to critique all the submitted essays in the contest, even those that don't win anything. Essays take a long time to write, and entrants will definitely appreciate the feedback.

• Writers of the Future: Free Writing Contest Rules

How to Win Essay Contests: A Step-by-Step Guide

10 Steps to Writing Contest-Winning Essays

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Did you know that you can win prizes with your writing skills? Essay contests are a fun way to turn your creativity and your command of the written word into great prizes. But how do you give your essay the edge that gets it picked from among all of the other entries?

Here's a step-by-step guide to writing essays that impress judges. Follow these steps for your best chances of winning writing contests.

Read the Essay Contest Rules

The first thing that you should do to win essay contests is to read the rules thoroughly. Overlooking one small detail could be the difference between winning the contest and wasting your time.

Pay special attention to:

• The contest's start and end dates.
• How often you're allowed to enter.
• The word or character count .
• The contest's theme.
• The criteria that the judges will use to pick the winners.
• Who the sponsoring company is, and what their branding is like.
• And any other details the sponsor requires.

It might help you to print out the sweepstakes rules and highlight the most important elements, or to take notes and keep them close at hand as you write.

If you summarize the relevant rules in a checklist, you can easily check the requirements off when you've finished your essay to ensure you haven't overlooked anything.

Brainstorm Your Essay Ideas

Many people want to jump right into writing their essay, but it's a better idea to take some time to brainstorm different ideas before you start. Oftentimes, your first impulse isn't your best.

The Calgary Tutoring Centre lists several reasons why brainstorming improves your writing . According to their article, brainstorming lets you:

"Eliminate weaker ideas or make weaker ideas stronger. Select only the best and most relevant topics of discussion for your essay while eliminating off-topic ideas. Or, generate a new topic that you might have left out that fits with others."

For a great brainstorming session, find a distraction-free area and settle in with a pen and paper, or your favorite method to take notes. A warm beverage and a healthy snack might aid your process. Then, think about your topic and jot down quick words and phrases that are relevant to your theme.

This is not the time to polish your ideas or try to write them coherently. Just capture enough of the idea that you know what you meant when you review your notes.

Consider different ways that you can make the contest theme personal, come at it from a different angle, or stand out from the other contest entries. Can you make a serious theme funny? Can you make your ideas surprising and unexpected?

Write down all your ideas, but don't judge them yet. The more ideas you can come up with, the better.

Select the Essay Concept that Best Fits the Contest's Theme and Sponsor

Once you've finished brainstorming, look over all of your ideas to pick the one you want to develop for your essay contest entry.

While you're deciding, think about what might appeal to the essay contest's sponsor. Do you have a way of working the sponsor's products into your essay? Does your concept fit the sponsor's company image?

An essay that might be perfect for a Budweiser contest might fall completely flat when Disney is the sponsor.

This is also a good time to consider whether any of your rejected ideas would make good secondary themes for your essay.

Use a Good Hook to Grab the Reader's Attention

When it's time to start writing your essay, remember that the first sentence is the most important. You want to ensure that your first paragraph is memorable and grabs the reader's attention.

When you start with a powerful, intriguing, moving, or hilarious first sentence, you hook your readers' interest and stick out in their memory when it is time to pick winners.

Writer's Digest has some excellent tips on how to hook readers at the start of an essay in their article, 10 Ways to Hook Your Reader (and Reel Them in for Good) .

For ideas on how to make your essay unforgettable, see Red Mittens, Strong Hooks, and Other Ways to Make Your Essay Spectacular .

Write the First Draft of Your Essay

Now, it's time to get all of your thoughts down on paper (or on your computer). Remember that this is a first draft, so don't worry about perfect grammar or if you are running over your word count. 

Instead, focus on whether your essay is hitting the right emotional notes, how your story comes across, whether you are using the right voice, and if you are communicating everything you intend to.

First drafts are important because they help you overcome your reluctance to write. You are not trying to be good yet, you are trying to simply tell your story. Polishing that story will come later.

They also organize your writing. You can see where your ideas fit and where you need to restructure to give them more emotional impact.

Finally, a first draft helps you keep your ideas flowing without letting details slow you down. You can even skip over parts that you find challenging, leaving notes for your next revision. For example, you could jot down "add statistics" or "get a funny quote from Mom" and come back to those time-consuming points later.

Revise Your Essay for Flow and Organization

Once you've written the first draft of your essay, look over it to ensure that it flows. Is your point well-made and clear? Do your thoughts flow smoothly from one point to another? Do the transitions make sense? Does it sound good when you read it aloud?

This is also the time to cut out extraneous words and ensure you've come in under the word count limit.

Generally, cutting words will improve your writing. In his book, On Writing , Stephen King writes that he once received a rejection that read: "Formula for success: 2nd Draft = 1st Draft – 10%." In other words, the first draft can always use some trimming to make the best parts shine.

If you'd like some tips on how to improve your first draft, check out these tips on how to self-edit .

Keep an Eye Out for "Red Mittens"

In her fantastic book, The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio , Terry Ryan talked about how her mother Evelyn used "red mittens" to help her be more successful with contest entries.

As she put it:

"The purpose of the Red Mitten was almost self-explanatory -- it made an entry stand out from the rest. In a basket of mittens, a red one will be noticed."

Rhyme, alliteration, inner rhyme, puns, and coined words were some of the red mittens that Evelyn Ryan used to make her entries pop. Your essay's red mitten might be a clever play on words, a dash of humor, or a heart-tuggingly poignant story that sticks in the judges' minds.

If your first draft is feeling a little bland, consider whether you can add a red mitten to spice up your story.

Put Your Contest Entry Aside

Now that you have a fairly polished draft of your essay contest entry, put it aside and don't look at it for a little while. If you have time before the contest ends, put your essay away for at least a week and let your mind mull over the idea subconsciously for a little while.

Many times, people think of exactly what their essay needs to make it perfect... right after they have hit the submit button.

Letting your entry simmer in your mind for a while gives you the time to come up with these great ideas before it's too late.

Revise Your Essay Contest Entry Again

Now, it's time to put the final polish on your essay. Have you said everything you wanted to? Have you made your point? Does the essay sound good when you read it out loud? Can you tighten up the prose by making additional cuts in the word count?

In this phase, it helps to enlist the help of friends or family members. Read your essay to them and check their reactions. Did they smile at the right parts? Were they confused by anything? Did they connect with the idea behind the story?

This is also a good time to ensure you haven't made any grammar or spelling mistakes. A grammar checker like Grammarly is very helpful for catching those little mistakes your eyes gloss over. But since even computer programs make mistakes sometimes, so it's helpful to have another person — a good friend or family member — read it through before you submit it.

Read the Essay Contest Rules One Last Time

If you've been following these directions, you've already read through the contest rules carefully. But now that you've written your draft and had some time to think things over, read them through one more time to make sure you haven't overlooked anything.

Go through your checklist of the essay requirements point-by-point with your finished essay in front of you to make sure you've hit them all.

And now, you're done! Submit the essay to your contest, and keep your fingers crossed for the results !

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The National Christopher Columbus Association Essay Contest

Since 1996, the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) has joined with the National Christopher Columbus Association to sponsor an annual national essay contest on Christopher Columbus. The contest is open to students in grades 9 through 12 in public, private, or parochial schools, or to those who are home-schooled. This contest is conducted without regard to race, religion, gender, or national origin.  

2023-2024 Topic

Christopher Columbus’s transatlantic voyages are largely considered the beginning of the Age of Exploration. How did Columbus’s voyages set the stage for the Age of Exploration and impact European commerce and politics?

Essay Criteria

Essays must have a word count between 800-1,200 words and will be judged for historical accuracy, adherence to topic, organization of materials, interest, originality, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and neatness. In addition to the required length, students must include the following elements in their essay:

• A title page with an original title, name, mailing address, e-mail address, phone number, school, grade, and word count
• MLA formatted citations and bibliography
• 3 number of print/non-internet sources

Important dates

• All submissions must be sent via e-mail to [email protected] by the deadline below for consideration.
• Deadline: 11:59 PM EST March 15, 2024
• Notification: June 15, 2024 by 5:00 pm EST

Recognition

First, second and third-place national winners are selected after judging on a national level. To qualify for first place, the winner must be able to go to Washington, D.C. to read his or her winning essay at the Christopher Columbus Celebration. The first-place national winner will receive a $1,200 prize in addition to paid lodging and transportation to Washington, D.C. in October for the winner and one parent or guardian to attend the NCCA’s annual Columbus Day Celebration and read their essay. The second place national winner receives $500, and the third-place winner receives $300.

Previous Winners

2023 – Logan Kneller

2022 – John Hill

2021 – Joseph Stetson

2020 – Anna Newby

2019 – Margaret Hartigan

2018 – Francesca Testen

2017 – Rachel Elizabeth Grace

2016 – M. Meer

2015 – Claud J.A. Boyd

2014 – Anita Ramaswamy

2013 – Victoria Anne Youngs

2012 – Audrey Lee

2011 – Taylor Barnhart

2010 – Lucas A. Hadley

2009 – Naomi K. Wells

2008 – Christina Jean Moazed

2007 – Hayley Schoeppler

2006 – Catharine Magdalene Wingfield Clayton

2005 – Irtefa Anwara Bibte-Farid

2004 – Monika Grzesiak

2003 – Ami Patel

2002 – Mary Colene Burns

2001 – Winchester Adkins

2000 – Craig L. Bucki

1999 – John Victor Danford

1998 – Ryan A. Stoner

1997- Crissia Ahnna Reay

Annual Celebration

The annual civic Columbus Day Ceremony is set against the backdrop of the National Christopher Columbus Memorial Fountain in Christopher Columbus Circle located in the Nation’s Capital.  One block away from historic Union Station and the United States Capitol, the program features:

• “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band
• United States Joint Armed Forces Honor Guard
• Knights of Columbus Color Corps with Historical Flags of the U.S
• Presidential and Mayoral Proclamations
• Diplomatic Corps from the Embassies of Spain, Italy, Bahamas
• Presentation of National Youth Essay Contest Winner
• Wreath Presentations by Embassies, Fraternal, Civic, Service, and Patriotic Societies

Each year the NCCA creates and distributes a program book at the National Christopher Columbus Celebration. Please consider taking out an ad for yourself, your business, or your organization to help support the ongoing work of the NCCA.

Florist Information

For those organizations participating in the wreath ceremony at the National Christopher Columbus Celebration, the NCCA strongly encourages using Amanda’s Arrangements & Garden Center  to build and deliver your wreath to Columbus Circle.

Directions to Event

United States Institute of Peace

National high school essay contest.

USIP partners with the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) on the annual National High School Essay Contest. The contest each year engages high school students in learning and writing about issues of peace and conflict, encouraging appreciation for diplomacy’s role in building partnerships that can advance peacebuilding and protect national security. 

The winner of the contest receives a $2,500 cash prize, an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. to meet U.S. Department of State and USIP leadership, and a full-tuition paid voyage with Semester at Sea upon the student’s enrollment at an accredited university. The runner-up receives a $1,250 cash prize and a full scholarship to participate in the International Diplomacy Program of the National Student Leadership Conference. 

2023 National High School Essay Contest

The American Foreign Service Association’s national high school essay contest completed its twenty-third year with over 400 submissions from 44 states. Three randomized rounds of judging produced this year’s winner, Justin Ahn, a junior from Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts. In his essay, “Mending Bridges: U.S.-Vietnam Reconciliation from 1995 to Today,” Ahn focuses on the successful reconciliation efforts by the Foreign Service in transforming U.S.-Vietnam relations from post-war tension to close economic and strategic partnership.

Ahn will travel to Washington, D.C. to meet with a member of the Department of State’s leadership and receive a full tuition scholarship to an educational voyage with Semester at Sea.

Niccolo Duina was this year’s runner-up. He is currently a junior at Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Arkansas. Duina will be attending the international diplomacy program of the National Student Leadership Conference this summer.

There were eight honorable mentions:

• Santiago Castro-Luna – Chevy Chase, Maryland
• Dante Chittenden – Grimes, Iowa 
• Merle Hezel – Denver, Colorado
• Adarsh Khullar – Villa Hills, Kentucky
• Nicholas Nall – Little Rock, Arkansas
• Ashwin Telang – West Windsor, New Jersey
• Himani Yarlagadda – Northville, Michigan 
• Sophia Zhang – San Jose, California

Congratulations! We thank all students and teachers who took the time to research and become globally engaged citizens who care about diplomacy, development and peacebuilding.

2023 National High School Essay Contest Topic

In 2024, the U.S. Foreign Service will celebrate its 100th birthday. The Foreign Service is an important element of the American approach to peacebuilding around the world. Over the last century, U.S. diplomats have been involved in some of the most significant events in history — making decisions on war and peace, responding to natural disasters and pandemics, facilitating major treaties, and more.

As AFSA looks back on their century-long history, we invite you to do the same. This year, students are asked to explore a topic that touches upon this important history and sheds light on how vital it is for America to have a robust professional corps focused on diplomacy, development and peace in the national interest.

In your essay, you will select a country or region in which the U.S. Foreign Service has been involved in at any point since 1924 and describe — in 1,500 words or less — how the Foreign Service was successful or unsuccessful in advancing American foreign policy goals, including promoting peace, in this country/region and propose ways in which it might continue to improve those goals in the coming years.

Contest deadline: April 3, 2023

Download the study guide for the 2023 National High School Essay Contest. This study guide provides students with a basic introduction to the topic and some additional context that can assist them in answering the question. It includes the essay question, prizes and rules for the contest; an introduction to diplomacy and peacebuilding; key terms; topics and areas students might explore; and a list of other useful resources.

Learn more about the contest rules and how to submit your essay on the American Foreign Service Association’s contest webpage .

2022 National High School Essay Contest

Katherine Lam, a freshman from University High School in Tucson, Arizona, is the 2022 National High School Essay Contest winner. In her essay, “Competition and Coaction in Ethiopia: U.S. and Chinese Partnerships for International Stabilization,” Lam focuses on how the Foreign Service has partnered with other U.S. government agencies, nongovernmental organizations and — most notably — China to promote peace and development in Ethiopia. Lam will travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with a member of the U.S. Department of State’s leadership and gain full tuition for an educational voyage with Semester at Sea.

Olivia Paulsen was this year’s runner-up. She is a currently a junior receiving a home-schooled education in Concord, Massachusetts. Paulsen will be attending the international diplomacy program of the National Student Leadership Conference this summer.

The 2022 honorable mentions were: Josh Diaz (Little Rock, AR); Grace Hartman (Bethlehem, PA); Elena Higuchi (Irvine, CA); Ovea Kaushik (Oklahoma City, OK); Evan Lindemann (Palm Desert, CA); Percival Liu (Tokyo, Japan); Alexander Richter (San Jose, CA); and Gavin Sun (Woodbury, MN).

USIP congratulates all the winners of the 2022 National High School Essay Contest.

Partnerships for Peace in a Multipolar Era

The current multipolar era poses challenges for U.S. foreign policy but also provides new opportunities for partnership across world powers—including emerging great powers like China and Russia—to build peace in conflict-affected countries. Describe a current situation where American diplomats and peacebuilders are working with other world powers, as well as local and/or regional actors, in a conflict-affected country to champion democracy, promote human rights, and/or resolve violent conflict.    A successful essay will lay out the strategies and tactics U.S. Foreign Service Officers and American peacebuilders are employing to build successful partnerships with other world and regional powers and with local actors in the chosen current situation.  The essay will also describe specific ways that these partnerships are helping to promote stability and build peace.

Contest deadline: April 4, 2022

Download the study guide for the 2022 National High School Essay Contest. This study guide provides students with a basic introduction to the topic and some additional context that can assist them in answering the question. It includes the essay question, prizes, and rules for the contest; an introduction to diplomacy and peacebuilding; key terms; topics and areas students might explore; and a list of other useful resources.

Learn more about the contest rules and how to submit your essay on the American Foreign Service Association’s contest webpage.  

2021 National High School Essay Contest

Mariam Parray, a sophomore from Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Arkansas, is the 2021 National High School Essay Contest winner. In her essay, “Diplomats and Peacebuilders in Tunisia: Paving the Path to Democracy,” Ms. Parray focuses on how the Foreign Service partnered with other U.S. government agencies and NGOs to effect a peaceful democratic transition in Tunisia. She emphasizes the importance of multifaceted approaches as well as the importance of bringing marginalized groups into the fold. Mariam will travel to Washington to meet with a member of the Department of State’s leadership and will also gain a full tuition to an educational voyage with Semester at Sea. Harrison McCarty was this year’s runner-up. Coincidentally, he is also a sophomore from Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Arkansas. Harrison will be attending the international diplomacy program of the National Student Leadership Conference this summer. The 2021 honorable mentions were: Louisa Eaton (Wellesley, MA); Samuel Goldston (Brooklyn, NY); Lucy King (Bainbridge Island, WA); Haan Jun Lee (Jakarta, Indonesia); Khaled Maalouf (Beirut, Lebanon); Madeleine Shaw (Bloomington, IN); Allison Srp (Austin, MN); and Daniel Zhang (Cortland, NY).

USIP congratulates all the winners of the 2021 National High School Essay Contest. 

Diplomats and Peacebuilders: Powerful Partners

What characteristics lead to a successful effort by diplomats and peacebuilders to mediate or prevent violent conflict? The United States Foreign Service—often referred to as America’s first line of defense—works to prevent conflict from breaking out abroad and threats from coming to our shores. Peacebuilders work on the ground to create the conditions for peace and resolve conflicts where they are most needed. 

Successful essays will identify, in no more than 1,250 words, a situation where diplomats worked on a peacebuilding initiative with partners from the country/region in question, nongovernmental organizations, and other parts of the U.S. government, and then go on to analyze what characteristics and approaches made the enterprise a success.  

Contest deadline: April 5, 2021

Download the study guide for the 2021 National High School Essay Contest. This study guide provides students with a basic introduction to the topic and some additional context that can assist them in answering the question. It includes key terms in conflict management and peacebuilding and examples of peacebuilding initiatives, with reflection questions for independent learners to dig more deeply or for teachers to encourage class reflection and discussion. We hope this study guide will be a useful resource for educators and students participating in this contest, and for educators who want their students to learn more about this year’s contest topic.

2020 National High School Essay Contest

Jonas Lorincz, a junior from Marriotts Ridge High School in Marriottsville, MD, is the 2020 National High School Essay Contest winner. In his essay, “Verification, Mediation, and Peacebuilding: The Many Roles of the U.S. Foreign Service in Kosovo,” Mr. Lorincz focused on the importance of interagency cooperation in mediating the crisis in Kosovo – primarily looking into how diplomats and other civilian agencies engaged in peacebuilding throughout the conflict.

Claire Burke was this year’s runner-up. She is a junior at Mill Valley High School in Shawnee, KS. 

The 2020 honorable mentions were: Grace Cifuentes (Concord, CA), Grace Lannigan (Easton, CT), Seryung Park (Tenafly, NJ), Vynateya Purimetla (Troy, MI), David Richman (Norfolk, VA), Madeleine Shaw (Bloomington, IN), Sara Smith (Fargo, ND), and Jack Viscuso (Northport, NY).  USIP congratulates all the winners of the 2020 National High School Essay Contest. 

2020 National High School Essay Contest Topic

Why Diplomacy and Peacebuilding Matter

How do members of the Foreign Service work with other civilian parts of the U.S. Government to promote peace, national security and economic prosperity?

Qualified essays focused on a specific challenge to U.S. peace and prosperity and included one example of the work of the Foreign Service and one or more examples of collaboration between America’s diplomats and other civilian (i.e. non-military) U.S. Government agencies or organizations.

2019 National High School Essay Contest

In its 21st year, the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA)’s National High School Essay Contest encouraged students to think about how and why the United States engages globally to build peace, and about the role that the Foreign Service plays in advancing U.S. national security and economic prosperity.

For the second year in a row, the National High School Essay Contest focused on an important aspect of operating in countries affected by or vulnerable to violent conflict: effective coordination of the many different foreign policy tools the United States has at its disposal. Whether you were addressing the prompt for a second year or new to the contest, the contest will have challenged you to expand your understanding of the role of the Foreign Service and other actors in foreign policy, identify case studies, and provide a sophisticated analysis in a concise manner.

The essay prompt and a helpful study guide are included below; you can find out more information about the rules and how to submit by checking out AFSA’s essay contest page .

2019 Essay Question

The United States has many tools to advance and defend its foreign policy and national security interests around the world—from diplomatic approaches pursued by members of the Foreign Service, to the range of options available to the U.S. military. In countries affected by or vulnerable to violent conflict, peacebuilding tools are important additions to the national security toolkit.

In such complex environments, cooperation across agencies and approaches is challenging, but it can also blend knowledge and skills in ways that strengthen the overall effort to establish a lasting peace. On the other hand, lack of coordination can lead to duplication of effort, inefficient use of limited resources and unintended consequences.

In a 1,000-1,250-word essay, identify two cases—one you deem successful and one you deem unsuccessful—where the U.S. pursued an integrated approach to build peace in a conflict-affected country. Analyze and compare these two cases, addressing the following questions:

• What relative strengths did members of the Foreign Service and military actors bring to the table? What peacebuilding tools were employed? Ultimately, what worked or did not work in each case?
• How was each situation relevant to U.S. national security interests?
• What lessons may be drawn from these experiences for the pursuit of U.S. foreign policy more broadly?

Download the study guide for the 2019 AFSA National High School Essay Contest

2018 National High School Essay Contest

Jennifer John from Redwood City, CA is the 2018 National High School Essay Contest winner, surpassing close to 1,000 other submissions. Her essay examined to what extent U.S. interagency efforts in Iraq and Bosnia were successful in building peace. Aislinn Niimi from Matthews, NC was the runner up.

The 2018 honorable mentions were: Alex, DiCenso (North Kingstown, RI),Alexandra Soo (Franklin, MI), Caroline Bellamy (Little Rock AR), Colin LeFerve (Indianapolis, IN), Elizabeth Kam (Burlingham, CA), Emma Singh (Tenafly NJ), Emma Chambers (Little Rock AR),  Francesca Ciampa (Brooksville, ME), Greta Bunce (Franktown, VA), Isaac Che (Mount Vernon OH), Isabel Davis (Elk River MN), Katrina Espinoza (Watsonvile, CA), Molly Ehrig (Bethlehem, PA), Payton McGoldrick (Bristow, VA), Rachel Russell (Cabin John, MD), Sarah Chapman (Tucson, AZ), Shalia Lothe (Glen Allen VA), Sohun Modha (San Jose CA), Suhan Kacholia (Chandler, AZ), Supriya Sharma (Brewster, NY), Sydney Adams (Fort Wayne, IN), Tatum Smith (Little Rock AR), and William Milne (Fort Wayne, IN).  

2017 National High School Essay Contest

Nicholas Deparle, winner of the 2017 AFSA National High School Essay Contest, comes from Sidwell Friends School in Washington DC. A rising senior at the time, Mr. Deparle covers the Internally Displaced Persons crisis in Iraq and potential ideas to help resolve the issue.  Read his winning essay here . Mr. Manuel Feigl, a graduate of Brashier Middle College Charter High School in Simpsonville, SC took second place.

This year there were twenty honorable mentions: Mohammed Abuelem ( Little Rock, Ark.), Lucas Aguayo-Garber (Worcester, Mass.), Rahul Ajmera (East Williston, N.Y.), Taylor Gregory (Lolo, Mont.), Rachel Hildebrand (Sunnyvale, Calif.), Ryan Hulbert (Midland Park, N.J.), India Kirssin (Mason, Ohio), Vaibhav Mangipudy (Plainsboro, N.J.), William Marsh (Pittsburgh, Penn.), Zahra Nasser (Chicago, Ill.), Elizabeth Nemec (Milford, N.J.), David Oks (Ardsley, N.Y.), Max Pumilia (Greenwood Village, Colo.), Nikhil Ramaswamy (Plano, Texas), Aditya Sivakumar (Beaverton, Ore.), Donovan Stuard (Bethlehem, Penn.), Rachel Tanczos (Danielsville, Penn.), Isabel Ting (San Ramon, Calif.), Kimberley Tran (Clayton, Mo.), and Chenwei Wang (Walnut, Calif.).

2017 Essay Contest Topic

According to the United Nations, 65 million people worldwide have left their homes to seek safety elsewhere due to violence, conflict, persecution, or human rights violations. The majority of these people are refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Imagine you are a member of the U.S. Foreign Service —– a diplomat working to promote peace, support prosperity, and protect American citizens while advancing the interests of the United States abroad – and are now assigned to the U.S. embassy in one of these four countries.

• Turkey (Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs)
• Kenya (Bureau of African Affairs)
• Afghanistan (Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs)
• Iraq (Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs)

Your task is to provide recommendations to address the refugee/IDP crisis facing the country in which you are now posted. Using the resources available to you as a member of the Foreign Service, write a memo to your Ambassador outlining how the United States might help address the current unprecedented levels of displacement. You may choose to address issues related to the causes of refugee crisis, or to focus on the humanitarian crisis in your host country.

A qualifying memo will be 1,000-1,250 words and will answer the following questions:

• How does the crisis challenge U.S. interests in the country you are posted and more broadly?
• Specifically outline the steps you propose the U.S. should take to tackle the roots or the consequences of the crisis, and explain how it would help solve the issue or issues you are examining. How will your efforts help build peace or enhance stability?
• How do you propose, from your embassy/post of assignment, to foster U.S. government interagency cooperation and cooperation with the host-country government to address these issues?  Among U.S. government agencies, consider U.S. Agency for International Development, the Foreign Commercial Service and the U.S. Institute of Peace.

Memo Template

TO: Ambassador ______________________

FROM: Only use your first name here

RE: Think of this as your title, make sure to include the country you are writing about

Here you want to lay out the problem, define criteria by which you will be deciding the best steps the U.S. could take, and include a short sentence or two on your final recommendation. Embassy leadership is very busy and reads many memos a day —– they should be able to get the general ““gist”” of your ideas by reading this section.

Background:

This section should provide any background information about the crisis or conflict relevant to your proposed policy. Here, you should mention why the issue is important to U.S. interests, especially peace and security.

Proposed Steps:

This is where you outline your proposed policy. Be specific in describing how the U.S. might address this issue and how these steps can contribute to peace and security. Include which organizations you propose partnering with and why.

Recommendation:

This is where you write your final recommendations for embassy leadership. Think of this as a closing paragraph.

Companion Guide for the 2017 National High School Essay Contest

It is no easy task to jump into the role of a diplomat, especially when confronted by such an urgent crisis. USIP, in consultation with AFSA, developed a guide to provide a basic introduction to the topic and some additional context that can assist you in answering the question, while still challenging you to develop your own unique response. As such, this guide should be used as a starting point to your own research and as you ultimately prepare a compelling memo outlining recommendations the U.S. government should follow to respond to the refugee and IDP crisis.

In the guide you will find: insights into the role of the Foreign Service; country, organization, and key-term briefs to provide a foundational understanding; and a list of other useful resources. Download the Companion Guide for the 2017 National High School Essay Contest (.pdf).

2016 National High School Essay Contest

USIP first partnered with AFSA for the 2016 contest and was pleased to welcome winner Dylan Borne to Washington in August. His paper describes his role as an economic officer in the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance. He writes about promoting education for girls in Afghanistan through on-line courses and dispersal of laptops. Read his winning essay (.pdf).

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• Writing Tips

7 Essay Writing Contests to Look Out For in 2023

7-minute read

• 28th December 2022

Essay contests are not only a great way to exercise your essay-writing skills but also an awesome way to win cash prizes, scholarships, and internship or program opportunities. They also look wonderful on college applications as awards and achievements.

In this article, you’ll learn about 7 essay writing contests to enter in 2023. Watch the video below, or keep reading to learn more.

1. Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest 

Deadline: Now–April 30, 3023

Who may enter:

This is an international contest for people of all ages (except for residents of Syria, Iran, North Korea, Crimea, Russia, and Belarus due to US government restrictions).

Contest description:

●  The contest is organized by Winning Writers, located in MA, USA.

●  They accept stories and essays on any theme, up to 6,000 words each. This contest defines a story as any short work of fiction and an essay as any short work of nonfiction.

●  Your stories and essays must be submitted in English.

●  You may submit published or unpublished work.

Entry fee: USD 22 per entry

●  Story: First Prize is USD 3,000.

●  Essay: First Prize is USD 3,000.

●  10 Honorable Mentions will receive USD 300 each (any category).

●  The top 12 entries will be published online.

Official website

Please visit the competition’s official website for more information on judges and submissions.

2. 2023 Calibre Essay Prize 

Deadline: Now–January 15, 2023, 11:59 pm

Who may enter: All ages and any nationality or residency are accepted.

●  This contest is hosted by the Australian Book Review.

●  Your essay must be between 2,000 and 5,000 words.

●  You may submit nonfiction essays of all kinds, e.g., personal, political, literary, or speculative.

●  You may enter multiple essays but will need to pay separate fees for each one.

●  Your essay must be unpublished.

Entry fee: AU 30 for non-members

Prize: AU 7,500

Official website:

For more information on this contest, please visit its official website.

3. John Locke Institute Essay Competition 

Deadline: June 30, 2023

●  Students from any country.

●  Students aged 15 to 18 years by the competition deadline.

●  Students aged 14 years or younger by the competition deadline are eligible for the Junior prize.

●  The contest is organized by the John Locke Institute.

●  Your essay cannot exceed 2,000 words.

●  There are seven subjects or categories for essay submissions: Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, and Law.

Entry fee: Free to enter

●  The best overall essay winner receives an honorary John Locke Fellowship, which comes with a USD 10,000 scholarship to attend one or more summer schools or gap year courses.

●  There is also a prize for the best essay in each category. The prize for each winner of a subject category and the Junior category is a scholarship worth USD 2,000 toward the cost of a summer program.

●  All winning essays will be published on the Institute’s website.

For more information about this competition and the John Locke Institute, please visit the official website . Also, be sure to check out our article on all you need to know about this contest.

4. The American Foreign Service Association 2023 Essay Competition 

Deadline: April 3, 2023

●  Students in grades 9–12 in any of the 50 states, DC, the US territories, or if they are US citizens or lawful permanent residents attending high school overseas.

●  Students attending a public, private, or parochial school.

●  Home-schooled students.

●  Your essay should be 1,000–1,500 words.

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●  You will select a country or region in which the United States Foreign Service has been involved at any point since 1924 and describe how the Foreign Service was successful or unsuccessful in advancing American foreign policy goals – including promoting peace – in this country or region and propose ways in which it might continue to improve those goals in the coming years.

●  Your essay should follow MLA guidelines.

●  Your essay should use a variety of sources.

●  The first-place winner receives USD 2,500, a paid trip to the nation’s capital from anywhere in the U.S. for the winner and their parents, and an all-expense-paid educational voyage courtesy of Semester at Sea.

●  The runner-up receives USD 1,250 and full tuition to attend a summer session of the National Student Leadership Conference’s International Diplomacy program.

Please visit the American Foreign Service website for more information.

5. The Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) 2023 Essay Contest 

Deadline: Mid-February 2023–June 1, 2023

Who may enter: High school (including homeschooled), college, and graduate students worldwide.

●  The 2023 essay contest topic is marriages and proposals.

●  High school students may focus on Pride and Prejudice only or bring in other Austen works.

●  Undergraduate and graduate students should discuss at least two Austen novels of their choice.

●  Your essay must be in MLA format and 6 to 8 pages (not including your Works Cited page).

●  Your essay must be written in English.

●  First place wins a USD 1,000 scholarship.

●  Second place wins a USD 500 scholarship.

●  Third place wins a USD 250 scholarship.

●  Winners will also receive one year of membership in JASNA, publication of their essays on this website, and a set of Norton Critical Editions of Jane Austen’s novels.

For more information and submission guidelines, please visit JASNA’s official website .

6. 2023 Writing Contest: Better Great Achievements by EngineerGirl

Deadline: February 1, 2023

●  Students in Grades 3–12. If international or homeschooled, please select your grade level based on if you were attending a public school in the U.S.

●  This contest is organized by EngineerGirl.

●  Students should write a piece that shows how female or non-white engineers have contributed to or can enhance engineering’s great achievements.

●  You should choose one of the 20 Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century as a topic and explore the technologies developed in the last century and the new ones being developed today. Make sure to follow the specific guidelines for your grade level.

●  Essays should be 650–750 words based on your grade level.

●  Please visit the contest’s website to see specific requirements based on your grade.

Winners in each grade category will receive the prizes listed below:

●  First-place winners will be awarded USD 500.

●  Second-place entries will be awarded USD 250 .

●  Third-place entries will be awarded USD 100 .

For more information and submission guidelines, please visit the official website .

7. World Historian Student Essay Competition

Deadline: May 1, 2023

Who may enter: Students enrolled in Grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools and home-study programs worldwide.

●  Your essay must address the following issue: In what way has the study of world history affected my understanding of the world in which I live?

●  Your essay should be 1,000 words.

Prizes: USD 500

For more information and submission requirements, please visit the contest’s official website.

Essay contests are a great way to expand your writing skills, discuss a topic that is important to you, and earn prize money and opportunities that will be great for you in the long term. Check out our articles on writing thesis statements, essay organization, and argumentative writing strategies to ensure you take first place every time.

If you need help with your essays and would like to make sure that every comma is in place, we will proofread your first 500 words for free !

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How to Organize a Writing Competition in Your School

In celebration of the upcoming World Book Day on April 23, 2015, we’ve compiled some ideas and resources for educators, parents and young readers. Below is a suggested activity. Find other ideas here.

First, define the scope of the competition. For example, is it open to a particular grade level, a particular class or is it open to all students in the school? What is the minimum or maximum length of a submission (e.g. the word count)?

Define the writing theme. Do you give them a topic or do they the freedom to choose their own direction? Here are some ideas for particular topics:

• Why is World Book Day important (which could involve some research)?
• Could we live without books?
• A creative book review
• A short story told in the first person
• A fantasy story

Define the judging criteria and select a jury. Some schools might invite the students involved in the school book club to serve on the jury. In other cases, having teachers and staff adjudicate the submissions might be more appropriate.

Define the prize or award associated with the competition. Sometimes public acknowledgement is sufficient. Some stories could be published in the school newsletter or the community newsletter. A book prize might also be appropriate. Wordfest might be able to help out by providing books to award.*

Optional: one approach might be to contact local businesses to sponsor your competition and donate giveaways.

Clearly define the submission process. If it must be typed or hand written, who collects the submissions and how are they collected (e.g. by email or drop box location in the school)?

Finally, announce the competition, the key dates, the submission criteria, any prizes and the general rules of the competition. The jury then selects a winner, makes the announcement and celebrates.

Optional: a second-round of the competition could challenge students to adapt the winning story from the first round for younger grades, by hosting a an illustration competition.

Happy writing!

One age-appropriate book from Wordfest can be donated to the first 10 schools who request it. email [email protected] for more information.

Related Posts

• Wordfest is gearing up for World Book Day
• How to Organize a Book in a Can Project
• How to Organize a Book Swap

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

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The Best Student Writing Contests for 2023-2024

Help your students take their writing to the next level.

When students write for teachers, it can feel like an assignment. When they write for a real purpose, they are empowered! Student writing contests are a challenging and inspiring way to try writing for an authentic audience— a real panel of judges —and the possibility of prize money or other incentives. We’ve gathered a list of the best student writing contests, and there’s something for everyone. Prepare highly motivated kids in need of an authentic writing mentor, and watch the words flow.

1.  The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

With a wide range of categories—from critical essays to science fiction and fantasy—The Scholastic Awards are a mainstay of student contests. Each category has its own rules and word counts, so be sure to check out the options  before you decide which one is best for your students.

How To Enter

Students in grades 7-12, ages 13 and up, may begin submitting work in September by uploading to an online account at Scholastic and connecting to their local region. There are entry fees, but those can be waived for students in need.

2.  YoungArts National Arts Competition

This ends soon, but if you have students who are ready to submit, it’s worth it. YoungArts offers a national competition in the categories of creative nonfiction, novel, play or script, poetry, short story, and spoken word. Student winners may receive awards of up to $10,000 as well as the chance to participate in artistic development with leaders in their fields.

YoungArts accepts submissions in each category through October 13. Students submit their work online and pay a $35 fee (there is a fee waiver option).

3. National Youth Foundation Programs

Each year, awards are given for Student Book Scholars, Amazing Women, and the “I Matter” Poetry & Art competition. This is a great chance for kids to express themselves with joy and strength.

The rules, prizes, and deadlines vary, so check out the website for more info.

4.  American Foreign Service National High School Essay Contest

If you’re looking to help students take a deep dive into international relations, history, and writing, look no further than this essay contest. Winners receive a voyage with the Semester at Sea program and a trip to Washington, DC.

Students fill out a registration form online, and a teacher or sponsor is required. The deadline to enter is the first week of April.

5.  John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

This annual contest invites students to write about a political official’s act of political courage that occurred after Kennedy’s birth in 1917. The winner receives $10,000, and 16 runners-up also receive a variety of cash prizes.

Students may submit a 700- to 1,000-word essay through January 12. The essay must feature more than five sources and a full bibliography.

6. Bennington Young Writers Awards

Bennington College offers competitions in three categories: poetry (a group of three poems), fiction (a short story or one-act play), and nonfiction (a personal or academic essay). First-place winners receive $500. Grab a poster for your classroom here .

The contest runs from September 1 to November 1. The website links to a student registration form.

7. The Princeton Ten-Minute Play Contest

Looking for student writing contests for budding playwrights? This exclusive competition, which is open only to high school juniors, is judged by the theater faculty of Princeton University. Students submit short plays in an effort to win recognition and cash prizes of up to $500. ( Note: Only open to 11th graders. )

Students submit one 10-page play script online or by mail. The deadline is the end of March. Contest details will be published in early 2024.

8. Princeton University Poetry Contest for High School Students

The Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize recognizes outstanding work by student writers in 11th grade. Prizes range from $100 to $500.

Students in 11th grade can submit their poetry. Contest details will be published this fall.

9. The New York Times Tiny Memoir Contest

This contest is also a wonderful writing challenge, and the New York Times includes lots of resources and models for students to be able to do their best work. They’ve even made a classroom poster !

Submissions need to be made electronically by November 1.

10.  Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

The deadline for this contest is the end of October. Sponsored by Hollins University, the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest awards prizes for the best poems submitted by young women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school. Prizes include cash and scholarships. Winners are chosen by students and faculty members in the creative writing program at Hollins.

Students may submit either one or two poems using the online form.

11.  The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers is open to high school sophomores and juniors, and the winner receives a full scholarship to a  Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop .

Submissions for the prize are accepted electronically from November 1 through November 30.

12. Jane Austen Society Essay Contest

High school students can win up to $1,000 and publication by entering an essay on a topic specified by the Jane Austen Society related to a Jane Austen novel.

Details for the 2024 contest will be announced in November. Essay length is from six to eight pages, not including works cited.

13. Rattle Young Poets Anthology

Open to students from 15 to 18 years old who are interested in publication and exposure over monetary awards.

Teachers may choose five students for whom to submit up to four poems each on their behalf. The deadline is November 15.

14. The Black River Chapbook Competition

This is a chance for new and emerging writers to gain publication in their own professionally published chapbook, as well as $500 and free copies of the book.

There is an $18 entry fee, and submissions are made online.

15. YouthPlays New Voices

For students under 18, the YouthPlays one-act competition is designed for young writers to create new works for the stage. Winners receive cash awards and publication.

Scroll all the way down their web page for information on the contest, which accepts non-musical plays between 10 and 40 minutes long, submitted electronically. Entries open each year in January.

16. The Ocean Awareness Contest

The 2024 Ocean Awareness Contest, Tell Your Climate Story , encourages students to write their own unique climate story. They are asking for creative expressions of students’ personal experiences, insights, or perceptions about climate change. Students are eligible for a wide range of monetary prizes up to $1,000.

Students from 11 to 18 years old may submit work in the categories of art, creative writing, poetry and spoken word, film, interactive media and multimedia, or music and dance, accompanied by a reflection. The deadline is June 13.

17. EngineerGirl Annual Essay Contest

Each year, EngineerGirl sponsors an essay contest with topics centered on the impact of engineering on the world, and students can win up to $500 in prize money. This contest is a nice bridge between ELA and STEM and great for teachers interested in incorporating an interdisciplinary project into their curriculum. The new contest asks for pieces describing the life cycle of an everyday object. Check out these tips for integrating the content into your classroom .

Students submit their work electronically by February 1. Check out the full list of rules and requirements here .

18. NCTE Student Writing Awards

The National Council of Teachers of English offers several student writing awards, including Achievement Awards in Writing (for 10th- and 11th-grade students), Promising Young Writers (for 8th-grade students), and an award to recognize Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines.

Deadlines range from October 28 to February 15. Check out NCTE.org for more details.

19. See Us, Support Us Art Contest

Children of incarcerated parents can submit artwork, poetry, photos, videos, and more. Submissions are free and the website has a great collection of past winners.

Students can submit their entries via social media or email by October 25.

20. The Adroit Prizes for Poetry & Prose

The Adroit Journal, an education-minded nonprofit publication, awards annual prizes for poetry and prose to exceptional high school and college students. Adroit charges an entry fee but also provides a form for financial assistance.

Sign up at the website for updates for the next round of submissions.

21. National PTA Reflections Awards

The National PTA offers a variety of awards, including one for literature, in their annual Reflections Contest. Students of all ages can submit entries on the specified topic to their local PTA Reflections program. From there, winners move to the local area, state, and national levels. National-level awards include an $800 prize and a trip to the National PTA Convention.

This program requires submitting to PTAs who participate in the program. Check your school’s PTA for their deadlines.

22. World Historian Student Essay Competition

The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international contest open to students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, as well as those in home-study programs. The $500 prize is based on an essay that addresses one of this year’s two prompts.

Students can submit entries via email or regular mail before May 1.

23. NSHSS Creative Writing Scholarship

The National Society of High School Scholars awards three $2,000 scholarships for both poetry and fiction. They accept poetry, short stories, and graphic novel writing.

Apply online by October 31.

Whether you let your students blog, start a podcast or video channel, or enter student writing contests, giving them an authentic audience for their work is always a powerful classroom choice.

If you like this list of student writing contests and want more articles like it, subscribe to our newsletters to find out when they’re posted!

Plus, check out our favorite anchor charts for teaching writing..

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Best 2024 Competitions for Students in Grades K-12

Competitions in STEM, ELA and the arts, and more! Continue Reading

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National Day on Writing®

Celebrate writing October 20 — and every day!

To draw attention to the remarkable variety of writing Americans engage in and to help make writers from all walks of life aware of their craft, the National Council of Teachers of English has established October 20 as the National Day on Writing®. It’s important for everyone to share their knowledge about writing, organize participating groups in our schools and/or communities, and transform the public’s understanding of writing and the role it plays in society today.

Commit to celebrating with us!

We are looking forward to the celebration of NCTE’s National Day of Writing® in 2023. Stay tuned for more information soon!

#WhyIWrite Social Media Conversation

Tell us about what compels you to pick up a pen, sharpen your pencils, dust off the chalk, find a marker that works, or tap your keyboard to share why YOU write. Use the hashtag #WhyIWrite on your favorite social media platforms on Friday, or join NCTE for a slow chat all week.

We’ll reshare some of our favorites all week!

If you’re looking for a simple but effective way to celebrate the National Day on Writing, this toolkit is for you! Flip through the pages here.

Purchase your National Day on Writing® shirt to show #WhyIWrite!

The National Day on Writing® celebrates writing—and the many places, reasons, and ways we write each day—as an essential component of literacy. Since 2009, #WhyIWrite has encouraged thousands of people to lift their voices to the things that matter most to them. Check out these titles from NCTE to support you in the teaching of writing.

A Place to Write: Getting Your Students out of the Classroom and into the World

What Works in Writing Instruction: Research and Practice, Second Edition

Growing Writers: Principles for High School Writers and Their Teachers

Lightning Paths: 75 Poetry Writing Exercise

Speak for Yourself: Writing with Voice

Becoming Writers in the Elementary Classroom: Visions and Decisions

Teachers Talking Writing: Perspectives on Places, Pedagogies, and Programs

Teaching Guided Writing: Scaffolding for Success QRG

Featured blogs — ncte books on writing.

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John Estey Student Writing Competition

5th Annual Student Writing Competition

2024 Competition Prompt

“Tradition was safety; change was danger.” — Mary Doria Russell, The Sparrow

Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow is a visionary work that combines speculative fiction with deep philosophical inquiry. The Sparrow tells the story of a charismatic Jesuit priest and linguist, Emilio Sandoz, who leads a scientific mission entrusted with a profound task: to make first contact with intelligent extraterrestrial life. The mission begins in faith, hope, and beauty, but a series of small misunderstandings brings it to a catastrophic end.

The Sparrow is recommended for ages 16 and up.

This prompt is a quote from Russell’s The Sparrow and can be used as a first line, a last line, a jumping-off point, an inspiration for your students’ work. They can use the entire quote or portions of it to write a fiction or nonfiction story, poem, song, scene, short monologue or other form of writing. Submissions should be 1,000 words or less regardless of format.

Prizes for the John Estey Student Writing Competition are as follows:

• 3 Winners from the Elementary Grade category will receive $500 each
• 3 Winners from the Middle School Category will receive $1,000 each
• 3 Winners from the High School category will receive $2,000 each

Homeschoolers are welcome to participate in the competition. Please indicate school name as ‘Homeschool’ while filling out the form.

International students may participate in the competition. Please indicate your school’s city and country clearly in the school name field when filling out the form. Be advised, the AWM requires a teacher email and name to participate. 

Steps to submit your students’ written pieces:

• Fill out the intent to participate form below.
• Submission links will be sent out to you directly. Note: Submissions will be accepted only via our submission link.
• Once you submit your written piece, you will receive an automated email.
• Winners will be contacted by August 30, 2024 before the names are announced to the public.

Submission deadline: June 7, 2024 at 11:59 PM CDT*

Winner announcement: September 10, 2024

* Not eligible to participate: Past winners of the competition, relatives of AWM staff or board.

The OnWord Student Writing Competition intent to submit form has closed.

Winners of the 2024 contest will be announced at the American Writers Museum's annual gala, OnWord 2024 in September 2024. Information about winners can be found on the competition page .

*To submit your student’s work, please fill out the intent to participate form and you will receive a submission link from the education team at a later date. Submissions will ONLY be accepted through the submission link.

• The 3  winners of the Elementary Grade category will receive $500
• The 3 winners of the Middle School category will receive $1,000
• The 3 winners of the High School category will receive $2,000

Category Selection

• Elementary Grade Level (Grades 3-5)
• Middle School Grade Level (Grades 6-8)
• High School Grade Level (Grades 9-12)
• Only 3 entries per category from one school.
• Teachers will be allowed to submit entries for multiple categories.
• A school with K-8 students can submit 6 entries (3 for Elementary and 3 for Middle School).
• A school that is a stand alone middle school, or a high school can submit only 3.
• If multiple teachers in a school have their students compete, the school needs to pick the top 3 for the school.
• Winners agree to be filmed reading their work and to be featured in a press release and on the American Writers Museum website.

Contact [email protected] with any questions

Previous Winners

• Siaansh Singh Bhadauria – Deerfield Elementary School, CA
• Aydin Soner – Homeschool, SC
• Aiza Liya Vattoth – Forest Park Elementary, AR
• Olivia Bakal – Oakwood School, CA
• Evelyn Basken – Alcott College Prep Elementary School, IL
• Catherine Huang – Collegewood Elementary School , CA
• Chloe Truong – Norwood Park School, IL
• Sophiya Subba – Whittier Elementary School, IL
• Raymond Cai – Keystone School, TX
• Audriana Giudice – Lazar Middle School, NJ
• Taylor Haase – The Rhoades School, CA
• Chloe Lind – Ashley Hall School, SC
• Alessandra Giordano – Lazar Middle School, NJ
• Alisha Walker – Lincoln Middle School, IL
• Taskin Arisha – Castle Hill Middle School, NY
• Aisling Panjwani – Skinner North Classical School, IL
• Brooke Elwell – Eastern Camden County Regional High School, NJ
• Anita Raj – Eastern Camden County Regional High School, NJ
• Charity White – Carlisle School, VA
• Elizabeth Boguslavsky – Glenbard South High School, IL
• Lana Olarte – Durham School of the Arts, NC
• Katie Liske – Marian High School, NE
• Adina Tanner – Yeshiva University High School for Girls, NY
• Nina Artwell – Niles North High School, IL
• Ysa Quiballo – Niles North High School, IL
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2024 Civics Essay Contest Rules

Contest rules and regulations.

The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) Civics Education Essay Contest is open to students in grades 3-12. Students must reside in the United States and be enrolled in either a public, private or home school program. Students must also have the permission of a parent, guardian or teacher over the age of 18 years of age in order to enter the contest.

Each student must answer the essay question in their own words. Plagiarism is unacceptable and is cause for contest disqualification. Elementary (grades 3-5) school students should draft essays not to exceed 100 words. Middle (grades 6-8) and High (grades 9-12) school students should draft essays not to exceed 250 words. Essays longer than the stated lengths per grade level categories will be disqualified.

All essays must be submitted by midnight ET on March 22, 2024 . There is no fee to enter. 2023 winners are not eligible to apply. Students must use the electronic portal provided by NCSC to submit their essay. For special accommodations, please email Molly Justice .

All portions of the online entry form must be completed. Failure to submit required information or any false statements or misrepresentations made by the student, shall constitute a violation of the official contest rules and lead to disqualification.

Submitted essays are judged by NCSC staff, members of the court community and friends of the organization. Judging is based on the student’s ability to answer the essay question clearly and concisely, understanding of the topic, creativity and originality of thought pertaining to the topic, as well as grammar, spelling and style. Students agree to be bound by the official contest rules and decisions of the judges.

Students who submit an essay to the contest grant NCSC and its partners, including the news media, the right to use their names, photographs, statements, quotes and testimonials for advertising, publicity and promotional purposes without notification or further compensation. This includes, but is not limited to, NCSC’s social media accounts, as well as print or electronic publications. NCSC maintains the right to reproduce, reprint, distribute, perform, display or exhibit the project for advertising, publicity and promotional purposes on its website, at conferences or other venues.

Click HERE to Submit your essay.

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Essay Writing

Writing prompts one to think hard thoughts and to own the thought before penning it down. One has to re-think what one may have read in the past and reconcile with conflicting thoughts or arguments i.e. “critical thinking”. Then, one has to write it down in a well-organized and concise manner. Good writing is the ultimate form of achieving perfection in communication and a hallmark of a good leader!

To succeed in today’s competitive world, one must be equipped with excellent spoken and written skills. The North South Foundation Leadership-in-Writing Contest, which began in 2005, is intended to encourage good writing skills with brevity, emphasis on creativity, language, and unique personal style.

Preparing for this contest will help the student to communicate effectively, think quickly, write persuasively and present well-connected ideas in a concise manner.

For help to prepare for the Essay Bee, please go to Preparation.

For any questions regarding the Essay Bee, go to FAQ.

The primary goal of North South Foundation contests is to foster the spirit of competition and learning among the youth. Parents and children should focus on the joy of learning and interacting with other writing participants rather than on the possible outcome of the contest. Specifically, the North South Foundation Essay contest is intended to encourage writing skills, which demand quick thinking, good organization of ideas and cohesive writing style.

In addition to all the general contest rules stated by North South Foundation, the following rules are applicable for Essay Writing Bee (Leadership In Writing) Competition.

• Essay Writing Level 1 (EW1): Grades 3, 4 and 5
• Essay Writing Level 2 (EW2): Grades 6, 7 and 8
• Essay Writing Level 3 (EW3): Grades 9, 10, 11 and 12
• A 1st rank winner at the National Finals of the North South Foundation Essay Writing Level 3 (EW3) contest is not eligible for competing in this and future essay contests conducted by the Foundation (National winners of EW1 and EW2 can participate ONLY in EW2 and EW3 bees, respectively.) A contestant who participated in a higher level bee cannot participate in a lower level bee in subsequent years.
• Essay bees (EW1, EW2 and EW3) are only held in one phase: Phase I (written). Parents are not allowed in Phase I.
• Phase I is a written test. The essay topic will only be announced 10 minutes before the contest begins. Thus the contestants will not know the essay topic ahead of time. The contestants will have 60 minutes to complete an essay on the “given topic.”
• The essay must be an original composition written by the contestant, onsite (i.e., in the Contest Room), and must be written in English.
• An essay submitted will not be returned under any circumstances. North South Foundation shall reserve the right to publish the essay, name, school and photo of any participant in any manner it deems fit.
• Guidelines for judging criteria:    Junior    Intermediate    Senior
• Announce Ranks 1, 2 and 3, if and only if there are at least 10 contestants;
• Announce Ranks 1 and 2 ONLY, if there are 8 or 9 contestants;
• Announce Rank 1 ONLY, if there are 5-7 contestants;
• DO NOT announce any ranks if there are less than 5 contestants.
• The tie-breaker rules for ranks apply ONLY if there are at least 5 or more contestants participating in a given center.
• In case of a tie, the participant of lower (or lowest) grade will be the winner.
• If two are tied for the 1st place, skip rank 2 and announce rank 3 for the third contestant.
• If two or more are tied for the 2nd place, skip rank 3.
• If three or more are tied for the 1st place, skip ranks 2 and 3.
• Invitation to National Finals is ONLY for EW3. All contestants at the regional level will be invited to the National Finals subject to an upper limit of 30. First come first serve rule will apply for registration at the National Finals.
• Basic Guide to Essay Writing: http://members.tripod.com/~lklivingston/essay/
• Another useful website: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/internet/resources/genre.html
• Sample essay topics: Samples
• The Basics: The Anatomy of a Good Essay
• Harvard College Writing Center: Resources
• MIT Comparative Media Studies/Writing: Resources
• JLV College Counseling

The North South Foundation Leadership-in-Writing is the latest addition to the suite of annual North South Foundation contests. It is intended to encourage good writing skills while nurturing creativity, the ability to think quickly, and present well-connected ideas persuasively and succinctly. It is designed to be in line with the "timed writing" component of current standardized tests (SAT). Good writing style will be the key differentiating characteristic in identifying the winners.

The essays will be scored by a qualified panel of North South Foundation Essay Contest judges (three judge will score each essay). Every submitted essay will be read and ranked by every judge on the panel. Depending on the number of contestants, winners will be identified based on North South Foundation Leadership in Writing Contest judging rules. The decisions by the judges shall be final and shall not be subject to any further appeal.

Results will be announced within 2 to 3 weeks after the contest. All regional and national contest results shall be posted on the North South Foundation website.

Online registration via North South Foundation homepage is generally available, starting early January. You can also refer to the North South Foundation Contest Calendar or ask your Regional Coordinator about registration deadlines and contest dates.

Currently, the national finals will be held only for the senior level. In the future, they may be held for all levels.

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by Writing Workshops Staff

2 years ago

• #Anthology Submission
• #Free Writing Contests
• #Submitting
• #Submitting Flash Fiction
• #Submitting to Literary Journals
• #Writing Contest
• #Writing Contests

34 Writing Contests You Can Submit to Now (June - July 2022)

Find 34 excellent writing contests below with deadlines between June 2022 and July 2022. Polish your manuscript and submit it to one of these great writing contests (and, if you're looking for a class in fiction , poetry , nonfiction , or screenwriting , we've got you covered):

Writer’s Digest

Annual writing competition.

A prize of $5,000, an interview in Writer ’ s Digest , and an all-expenses-paid trip to the Writer's Digest Annual Conference held in New York City during...

Western Connecticut State University

Housatonic book awards.

Three prizes of $1,000 each are given annually for books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction published in the previous year. The winners also receive $500 in travel expenses to...

Omnidawn Publishing

Poetry chapbook contest.

A prize of $1,000, publication by Omnidawn Publishing, and 100 author copies is given annually for a poetry chapbook. Ruth Ellen Kocher will judge. Submit a manuscript of 20 to...

Towson University

Prize for literature.

A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction by a current resident of Maryland who has lived in the state for at least three years...

42 Miles Press

42 miles poetry award.

A prize of $1,000, publication by 42 Miles Press, and 50 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Current and former students of Indiana University in South...

University of Akron Press

Akron poetry prize.

A prize of $1,500 and publication by University of Akron Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Adrian Matejka will judge. Using only the online submission system,...

Bitter Oleander Press

Library of poetry award.

A prize of $1,500 and publication by Bitter Oleander Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 80 pages with a $28 entry fee between May 1...

Bard College

Bard fiction prize.

A prize of $30,000 and a one-semester appointment as writer-in-residence at Bard College is given annually to a U.S. fiction writer under the age of 40. The recipient must give...

New American Press

New american fiction prize.

A prize of $1,500, publication by New American Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a book of fiction. Weike Wang will judge. Using only the online submission...

Pulitzer Prizes

Prizes in books.

Five prizes of $15,000 each are given annually for books of poetry, fiction, general nonfiction, U.S. history, and biography or autobiography (including memoir) first published...

Maine Arts Commission

Maine artist fellowship.

A fellowship of up to $5,000 is given annually to a poet, a fiction writer, a creative nonfiction writer, or a writer working in a genre beyond these categories who has lived...

Willow Springs Books

Spokane prize for short fiction.

A prize of $2,000 and publication by Willow Springs Books is given annually for a short story collection. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of three...

Great Lakes Colleges Association

New writers awards.

Three prizes are given annually for first books by a poet, a fiction writer, and a creative nonfiction writer. The winners each receive an all-expenses-paid trip to several of...

Lascaux Review

Prize in flash fiction.

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Lascaux Review online and in print is given annually for a work of flash fiction. Previously published stories are eligible. Using...

Letter Review

Name:   Letter Review Prize for Short Stories

Prizes:   $1000 USD total prize pool. $600 first place plus publication. $250 second place plus publication. $150 third place plus publication. Twenty writers are Longlisted. All entries considered for publication, and for submission to the Pushcart Prize.

Entry Fee:   $20 USD.

Dates:   Open now until 30.6.23 11:59 pm ET.

Word Length:   999 - 3000 words.

Details: Open to anyone in the world. There are no genre or theme restrictions.  

Enter Here:   https://letterreview. com/information/

Name: Letter Review Prize for Flash Fiction

Prizes: Winning entries are published at Letter Review. $400 USD for First Place, $250 for Second, and $150 for Third. 20 entries are Longlisted. All entries considered for publication, and for submission to anthologies such as the Pushcart Prize. 

Entry Fee: $15.

Dates: Open now, closing 30th June 11:59 pm ET. 

Words: Up to 999. 

Enter Here: https://letterreview.com/ information/

Name: Letter Review Prize for Poetry  

Prizes: Winning entries published at Letter Review. $400 USD for First Place, $250 for Second, and $150 for Third. 20 entries are Longlisted. All entries considered for publication, and for submission to anthologies such as the Pushcart Prize. 

Lines: 70 lines max per poem.  

Details: Open to anyone in the world. There are no style or subject restrictions. 

Los Angeles Review

Literary awards.

Four prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Los Angeles Review are given annually for a poem, a short story, a short short story, and an essay. Joshua Rivkin will...

Barrow Street Press

A prize of $1,500 and publication by Barrow Street Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Tina Chang will judge. Submit a manuscript of 50 to 80 pages with a $25...

Finishing Line Press

New women’s voices chapbook competition.

A prize of $1,500 and publication by Finishing Line Press is given annually for a poetry chapbook by a writer who identifies as a woman and has not yet published a full-length...

Bauhan Publishing

May sarton new hampshire poetry prize.

A prize of $1,000, publication by Bauhan Publishing, and 50 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Rebecca Kaiser Gibson will judge. Using only the online...

Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry

Griffin poetry prize.

Two prizes of $65,000 Canadian (approximately $51,123) each are given annually for poetry collections by a Canadian poet or translator and by an international poet or...

University of North Texas Press

Katherine anne porter prize.

A prize of $1,000 and publication by University of North Texas Press is given annually for a collection of short fiction. Using only the online submission system, submit a...

International Short Story Prize

A prize of €3,000 (approximately $3,423) is given annually for a short story. A prize of a weeklong retreat at Circle of Misse in Missé, France, with a €250 (approximately $285...

Twyckenham Notes

Joe bolton poetry award.

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Twyckenham Notes is given annually for a poem or group of poems. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission...

University of Pittsburgh Press

Drue heinz literature prize.

A prize of $15,000 and publication by University of Pittsburgh Press is given annually for a collection of short fiction. Writers who have published at least one previous book...

Hidden River Arts

William van wert memorial fiction award.

A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a short story or a novel excerpt. Using only the online submission system, submit up to 25 pages of fiction (and a synopsis if...

Poetry London

Poetry london prize.

A first-place prize of £5,000 (approximately $6,762), a second-place prize of £2,000 (approximately $2,705), and a third-place prize of £1,000 (approximately $1,353) will be...

Winning Writers

North street book prize.

A grand prize of $8,000 and seven additional prizes of $1,000 each are given annually for self-published books of poetry, fiction, genre fiction, creative nonfiction, children’...

Cider Press Review

Editors’ prize book award.

A prize of $1,000, publication by Cider Press Review , and 25 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. The editors will judge. Submit a manuscript of 48...

Claremont Graduate University

Kingsley & kate tufts poetry awards.

The $100,000 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award is given annually to honor a book of poetry by a midcareer U.S. poet. The winner will spend one week in residence at Claremont Graduate...

Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

Barbara mandigo kelly peace poetry award.

A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation website is given annually for a single poem that explores “positive visions of peace and the human spirit...

Conduit Books & Ephemera

Marystina santiestevan first book prize.

A prize of $1,500, publication by Conduit Books & Ephemera, and 30 author copies is given annually for a debut poetry collection. Bob Hicok will judge. Submit a manuscript...

Poetry Prize

A prize of $15,000 and publication in Rattle is given annually for a single poem. A Reader’s Choice Award of $5,000 is also given to one of ten finalists. Submit up to...

Cincinnati Review

Robert and adele schiff awards.

Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Cincinnati Review are given annually for a poem, a short story, and an essay. Rebecca Lindenberg will judge in poetry,...

Bellevue Literary Review

Prizes in poetry and prose.

Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Bellevue Literary Review are given annually for a poem, a short story, and an essay about health, healing, illness, the...

Regal House Publishing

Petrichor prize for finely crafted fiction.

A prize of $1,000 and publication by Regal House Publishing is given annually for a novel. The editors will judge. Submit a manuscript of 100 to 350 pages with a $25 entry fee...

Fordham University at Lincoln Center 

Poetic justice institute prizes.

Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication by Fordham University Press are given annually for poetry collections. The winners also receive a publicity consultation and headline...

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National essay contests.

If you’re a high school student who enjoys writing, there are plenty of national essay contests you can participate in – many of which include large rewards for the winners and finalists!

Awards range from monetary scholarships, cash amounts, all-expenses paid trips, and even donations to school libraries. For example, the JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest combines scholarships, cash awards and travel: the winner receives a $5,000 cash award, $5,000 to invest in a college savings plan, and travel and lodging expenses to attend the ceremony in Boston.

Each contest has its own requirements, including the deadline, and the topic and length of the essay.. There are a variety of categories for these essay contests, including Literary Analysis, Politics & History, Personal Reflection, and those geared to specific career fields such as science or journalism.

Literary Analysis

Literary analysis essay contests are based on a specific piece of literature, and they are judged on both writing style and content. Judges look for writing that is clear, articulate and logically organized. Student should demonstrate a solid grasp of the themes and messages in the novel or play about which they’re writing. For example, the Ayn Rand Institute hosts yearly essay contests for students from 8 th grade through graduate school. Currently, topics center on three of Rand’s popular novels, Anthem (8 th , 9 th , 10 th ), Atlas Shrugged (12 th grade, college and graduate), and The Fountainhead (11 th , 12 th ).

Penguin’s national essay contest, The 19 th Annual Signet Classics Student Scholarship Essay Contest is offered to students in 11 th or 12 th grade. This contest focuses on the plays Pygmalion and My Fair Lady and requires students to choose one of six topics. The topics include questions about character relationships, alternate endings, and the role of song and expanded scenes.

Politics & History

Common themes of national essay contests include modern-day politics, past figures, and historical ideals or philosophies. These essays are analytical in nature and tend to be an opportunity for students to develop and enhance research, writing and critical thinking skills.

The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation invites high school students to “consider the concept of political courage by writing an essay on a US elected official who has chosen to do what is right, rather than what is expedient” through   The Profile in Courage Essay Contest . Students ar required to write an essay of 700 to 1,000 words, and to use at least five varied sources.

Open to all high school students, the Sons of the American Revolution offers the George S. & Stella M. Knight Essay Contest . The topic should deal with an event, person, philosophy, or ideal associated with the American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence, the Magna Carta or the framing of the United States Constitution. Sources must include published book sources, and the essays are judged on historical accuracy, clarity of thought, organization, grammar, and documentation.

Personal Reflection

A plethora of essay contests allow students to submit reflections of a more personal – rather than historical or literary – nature. Many offer opportunities to reflect on a personal hero, such as the essay required for the National World War II Museum’s Annual Essay Contest . This competition  asks the question, “How do you define a hero?” and requires students to use World War II as a starting point. Though based in a historical context, essays should be written using examples from students’ own lives and experiences.

The Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) hosts an essay contest for students in 7 th through 12 th grade. The essay only 350 words, and has the theme “Why I am proud to be an American.” Similarly, the Joe Foss Institute’s Hayes C Kirby Essay Scholarship Contest asks students to respond to “I love my country because…” with a minimum of 1500 words. It encourages entrants to be creative, while developing a clearly defined theme.

Specific Career Fields

Some essay contests focus on a specific field of study or career path. For example, The DuPont Challenge is a science essay contest for 6 th through 12 th graders. It offers four focus areas, with topics including economics growth, nutritious food sources, a secure energy future, protecting people and the environment, and research-oriented STEM innovations.

For those interested in writing and journalism, the Society of Professional Journalists offers a high school essay contest in order to “increase high school students’ knowledge and understanding of the importance of independent media.” In a 300-500 word essay, students respond to the topic, “Why is it important for journalists to seek the news and report it?”

Students with an interest and talent in writing should explore the many opportunities that lie within national essay contests. With such a wide range of topics, there’s something for everyone, and you may even start to build up some funds for college!

Of course, there are many more essay competitions and scholarship opportunities than are mention here. If you’d like to learn more, contact Collegiate Gateway – we’re always happy to help.

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Like the environment? Like to write? Here are 10 environmental writing contests for students!

Posted November 10, 2020 by Jessica Fahrenholtz

As the education system pushes to add science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM, to the curriculum, we must remember the importance the arts play in a child’s development and success into adulthood.

According to the business resource Inc., 73% of employers in today’s workforce want to hire someone with strong written and communication skills.

With writing skills being a top priority, the question then becomes, how do we encourage students to foster a love of the arts alongside increasing their skills in STEM?

A great way to encourage both the arts and STEM education while also building a strong work ethic and life skills is participating in one of these 10 environmental writing contests.

Nicodemus Wilderness Project Apprentice Ecologist Awards

This program has received many awards for its economic impact, and the skills it teaches its participants are noteworthy too. Students who participate in the Apprentice Ecologist Initiative will get the chance to improve the environmental or social well-being of their own community. Its design is unique because it allows students to assert their leadership skills in an area that means the most to them – whether that’s their local wildlife, education, or community activism.

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

In this competition, teens in 7th – 12th grade can apply in 29 different art and writing categories. Student submissions are scored on their originality, technical skills, and their personal vision or voice. This gives participants the freedom to think outside the box and truly artistically express themselves.

Tunza Eco Generation Environmental Essay Competition

This competition is all about encouraging young people to think about the natural world’s importance. Students will complete an original work of writing that conveys their perspective on mother nature and how they believe we can improve our care for the planet.

Young Reporters for the Environmental International Competition

This competition is unique in that it allows students to think about the environment on a global scale. Participants submit their most inspiring entries surrounding the theme of littering less. Winners of each national competition will then get to compete against one another in the international finals. These winners will gain global recognition for their creative thinking and environmental problem-solving—what a great way to start a student’s resume off right.

Siskiyou Prize for New Environmental Literature

This competition inspires students to get creative and develop an original literary masterpiece. Whether they are into mysteries, thrillers, or dramas, students can write a story that interests the reader and promotes environmental and animal protection.

The Wainwright Prize for UK Nature Writing

Participants in this writing competition must write a book that inspires its readers to explore the great outdoors and respect the world we live in. For students who dream of writing their own books one day, this is a great place to learn the process and understand the work that goes into writing an inspiring piece of literature.

Gingko Prize for Eco poetry

This international competition helps demonstrate the power poetry can have in inspiring a better world. Participants will create an original poem that highlights the natural world and raises awareness of various environmental issues.

PEN Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction

If your student is into fiction, this is a great competition for them to participate in. This organization believes in inspiring students to consider writing fiction as a career by demonstrating to them the power their fictional stories can have on social justice and their own community’s culture and politics. This competition is an excellent balance of inspiring students to find a love of writing and making a difference on issues that are impacting their communities.

Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Student Contest

This platform is designed to teach students about the issues plaguing our oceans through art and creative communication. Participants will also get the opportunity to explore how what happens to our oceans impacts the rest of the world and what action we can take to make a difference.

River of Words Contest

This competition is a beautiful blend of science and art for students to explore. Students are free to create an original poem or work of art that demonstrates a respect for the environment and teaches about a specific region.

Whether your student is interested in the oceans, making an environmental impact, or advocating for social justice issues in their community, competing in one of these writing competitions will inspire them to action.

These competitions will reinforce the STEM learning happening in the classroom and teach students the importance of the arts and creative communications to impact the world around them. Combining STEM skills and the ever-important writing skills is a great way to help students get ready for college and successful careers.

Interested in one of the exciting competitions above? Head to our competitions page to see what academic competitions are coming up. Set up your account to follow competitions that excite you and stay up-to-date on all the news with academic competitions.

Are you interested in more than one academic competition? Upgrade to a premium account so you can track your progress in competitions, get insider information on academic competitions, access the ICS competitions concierge, and gain exclusive discounts on ICS-managed programs.”

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Essay Writing Contests: Organizing and Judging for Middle School Students

Nov 24, 2023 | Education , Family

Essay writing contests are a fantastic way for middle school students to hone their writing skills and express their creativity. These contests can challenge students to think critically and articulate their thoughts coherently, fostering a love for writing at an early age. For educators and organizers, the challenge lies in creating a contest that is both encouraging and fair, helping young writers develop their skills in a supportive environment.

While some students might be tempted to seek an essay writing service to write me a paper , essay contests offer a more enriching experience. They provide an opportunity for students to engage in creative and analytical thinking, develop their writing style, and gain confidence in their abilities.

Organizing the Contest

Planning and preparation.

Theme Selection : It’s crucial to select a theme that resonates with middle schoolers, sparking their imagination and creativity. The theme should be broad enough to allow various interpretations yet specific enough to provide some direction.

Inclusivity in Themes : Consider themes that cater to a wide range of interests and backgrounds, ensuring every participant feels included and excited to write.

Rules and Guidelines : Rules should be clear but not overly restrictive. Balance between providing enough structure for quality submissions and allowing creative freedom is key. Accessibility of these guidelines is crucial. Consider multiple platforms for dissemination.

Promotion and Participation

School Involvement : Actively engage with school administrators and teachers. This could include informational sessions in classrooms, distributing flyers, and digital announcements via school platforms.

Incorporating into Curriculum : Teachers can weave the essay contest into their teaching plans, perhaps aligning it with relevant topics being covered in class.

Diverse Participation : Reach out to various student groups and clubs to ensure broad participation. Encourage students from different backgrounds to bring their unique perspectives.

Preparatory Workshops : Organize workshops focusing on essay writing skills, idea generation, and research methods to help students prepare.

Judging the Essays

Setting criteria.

Comprehensive Criteria : Along with creativity and structure, include criteria like relevance to the theme, use of language, and persuasive power of the argument. This helps students understand different facets of good writing.

Transparency in Judging Process : Communicate the judging process to participants to ensure transparency and build trust in the contest’s integrity.

Diverse Judging Panel

Expert Inclusion : Include experts in children’s literature or education to bring a professional perspective to the judging process.

Student Judges : Involve older students as junior judges to provide a peer perspective, which can be particularly encouraging for participants.

Feedback and Evaluation

Constructive Feedback : Detailed feedback helps students understand not just what needs improvement but also what they did well.

Individualized Attention : Try to ensure feedback is personalized, reflecting an understanding of each student’s writing style and effort.

Promoting Learning and Growth

Skill-Building Sessions : Prior to the contest, conduct workshops focused on enhancing writing skills, research methods, and creative thinking. This provides all participants with a level playing field and equips them with essential writing tools.

Guest Speakers : Invite authors, educators, or journalists to share insights and tips on effective writing, storytelling, and research techniques.

Post-Contest Workshops : After the contest, offer workshops based on the common areas of improvement noticed in the submissions. This can be an ongoing educational initiative to continuously nurture writing skills.

Leveraging Technology

Online Forums : Create online platforms where students can discuss their ideas, seek peer reviews, and share resources. This fosters a collaborative and interactive learning environment.

Utilizing Writing Software : Introduce students to writing software and online tools that can aid in drafting, editing, and refining their essays. This helps them become more self-sufficient and technologically adept writers.

Online Readings and Discussions : Host virtual events where students can present their essays and participate in discussions. This not only showcases their work but also builds public speaking and presentation skills.

Engaging the Community

Involving parents and guardians.

Workshops for Parents : Conduct sessions for parents on how they can assist their children in the writing process without taking over their work.

Regular Updates : Keep parents informed about contest progress and their children’s involvement, fostering a sense of community investment.

Community Events

Showcase Events : Along with reading events, consider exhibitions or publications (like a booklet or a school magazine) featuring the best essays.

Celebrating All Participants : Acknowledge every participant’s effort, not just the winners, to foster a positive and encouraging atmosphere.

Collaboration with Local Organizations

Partnerships for Resources : Collaborate with organizations for resources like writing guides, access to libraries, and expert talks.

Broader Community Involvement : Engage the broader community in the contest, perhaps through public readings or local media coverage, to celebrate young talent.

Essay writing contests for middle school students are more than just a competition. They are a platform for growth, learning, and self-expression. By organizing these contests thoughtfully and judging them fairly, educators and organizers can make a significant impact on the development of young writers. Remember, the goal is to nurture a generation of thinkers, creators, and communicators who are confident in their ability to express themselves through the written word and do not rely on the best paper writing service platforms.

Such contests equip students with vital skills that will serve them well throughout their academic journey and beyond, laying the foundation for effective communication and creative expression.

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This Pride Month, celebrate Queer Youth of Faith Day

(Unsplash/Christian Lue)

by Emma Cieslik

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Sid High wants Beloved Arise — the five-year-old organization dedicated to empowering queer youth of faith — to be available in every school, therapist's office, mental health website and worship space across the country.

With  Queer Youth of Faith Day and National Day of Prayer for LGBTQ+ Youth right around the corner on June 30, it seems like a lofty goal, but trans Christian and Beloved Arise youth ambassador High, who organized the first day of prayer with fellow ambassador Sabrina Hodak, argues that this organization is essential suicide prevention for queer young people across the United States.

According to a 2009 Statista research study,  47.1% of gay men and 46.5% of lesbian women report growing up in a moderately or somewhat religious environment, and many of these religious spaces and values their families attend and hold influence the queerphobia they encountered at home.

"Due to so many people and families pushing this traditional mindset of you have to marry a man or a woman, you have to be a certain way," High shared, "it makes people get depressed and a lot of people end up, sadly, killing themselves." It's an all-too-true story captured in the recent  podcast series Dear Alana .

In fact, despite this persistent queerphobia, religion remains a key part of many LGBTQ+ people's lives. According to a 2020 research report from UCLA's Williams Institute,  5.3 million or half of all LGBTQ+ adults in the United States are religious, and many queer people need not only community among LGBTQ+ individuals but also among queer people of faith. There are more resources today for queer people of faith than 50 years ago, like New Ways Ministry and Outreach, but few of these organizations specifically cater to youth. Beloved Arise seeks to change that.

"Beloved Arise established Queer Youth of Faith Day," Beloved Arise founder Jun Young explained, "not only to celebrate these young lives, but to raise awareness among allies, especially those in faith communities to care for and uplift their queer youth." 

This year, during Pride Month, Beloved Arise will share testimonials from LGBTQ+ young people of faith, all of whom shared their experiences through Beloved Arise's essay contest. National Day of Prayer for LGBTQ+ Youth does the same, countering the weaponization of prayer for queerphobic ends.

Unlike the National Prayer Breakfasts and prayer events, such as collective rosaries and novenas for America's faith that often further far-right political ends, this day seeks to empower queer young people, religious leaders and allies to pray for a future where queer young people are free to be themselves, talk about themselves and their families, and envision their futures, regardless of their faith.

This day of celebration and joyful prayer fights the forced dichotomy of LGBTQ+ identity and faith in the United States. This was a key part of Young's own coming out story — 45 years in the making.

Young grew up in a Catholic household in the Philippines. Although he first recalls being attracted to other boys at age 12, he repressed these feelings. "It was my 'burden' to bear," Young explained. Raised in a church where he was taught that being gay was sinful, he felt that coming out would mean giving up his faith. He and his family converted to Protestantism when they immigrated to the United States but unfortunately, no church they attended affirmed LGBTQ+ identities.

At the age of 45, Young came out as a gay Christian. Years earlier, he had explored queer liberation theology, which gave him the language to acknowledge that "my queerness is not a curse, but a gift from God." It also allowed him to challenge and deconstruct this dichotomy between LGBTQ+ identity and Christian faith. In many religious communities, LGBTQ+ people are told that living authentically means choosing themselves over God, and they face intense persecution or are totally cast out of their churches, synagogues and mosques when they come out.

In the LGBTQ+ community, religion is a traumatic topic for these very reasons, so it sometimes feels like another coming out experience when a queer person shares with other LGBTQ+ friends that they are also religious. LGBTQ+ people of faith can struggle to find community or face backlash from some in the LGBTQ+ community for staying in these institutions that hurt many other queer people.

"I wanted to challenge this narrative," he explained, "especially among queer youth growing up in faith spaces where this binary thinking is taught. I want the next generation of queer folks to know that they do not have to accept the tyranny of 'OR' — they can embrace the power of 'AND.' "

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Young founded Beloved Arise to celebrate and empower queer youth of faith. The first Queer Youth of Faith Day was held in June 2021. In 2023, Beloved Arise held the first National Day of Prayer for LGBTQ+ Youth. With this goal of increasing visibility, Beloved Arise selects youth ambassadors like High and Hodak to serve as spokespeople for the organization and representatives of queer youth of faith. 

High was not raised Christian, but when he came to the faith at age 14, he encountered many people who said that God would reject him, that his identity was a sin and that he was not welcome in church. High connects this religious bigotry to the death threats that trans people like him receive daily in the United States. In response, he started a letter writing campaign in which he answered questions about being gay and Christian, mental health, and his faith via handwritten letters or email — if the recipient felt unsafe to receive the letter at home.

Beloved Arise loved his idea and in 2022, he joined the organization as a youth ambassador. Not only did the organization supply High with more stamps for his letters, but also encouraged him to fight the erasure of queer people of faith.

Mia Miller, a youth ambassador who joined the organization in April 2024, hopes to bring another critical perspective on queering traditional religion. A nonbinary BIPOC Muslim, Miller was raised Christian but converted to Islam in high school. Miller argues that just as Allah is genderless and defies gendered descriptors, they too see themselves made in the image of Allah and thus in the vision of what is divine and holy.

Hodak, who joined the organization in 2022, was raised in an Orthodox Jewish household and has Moroccan Jewish ancestry. She didn't learn much about the LGBTQ+ community growing up, even when she started attending public school once her family moved to Florida. She first encountered LGBTQ+ discrimination in her youth group, where her religious mentors encouraged people to fight their desires. She acknowledged she was attracted to another girl in middle school but didn't come out to her supportive friends until high school, and to her family several years later.

In 2020, Hodak was researching queer Jewish communities and encountered the Jewish Queer Youth app.

"The way that I queer my relationships with faith," she explained, "is sort of not like creating, but forging my own path and finding ways that aren't just like these mitzvahs that are put on a pedestal almost, just finding ways to really connect with Torah learning."

It was on this app that she first saw the advertisement for Beloved Arise Youth Ambassadors and applied several months later.

Hodak has been instrumental in representing and raising awareness for queer Jewish young people, hosting a video series on the Jewish holidays and live conversations with queer Jewish creators. In her experience, not only did she feel isolated and without community, but she also struggled to find answers about mitzvahs for queer people, like Shomer Negiah, which involves not touching the opposite sex until marriage.

"Being a youth of faith ambassador is listening to the needs of the queer faith community and for me at least, trying to be the representation that I didn't see growing up," Hodak said.

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Student winners of Fargo’s “Mayor for a Day” essay contest introduced

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - Two Fargo students are seeing what it takes to be “Mayor for a Day.”

Nathan Asgedom, who recently finished fifth grade at Kennedy Elementary, and Alex Zhao, who recently finished third grade at Longfellow Elementary were picked as this year’s winners. Both got to hang out with Mayor Dr. Tim Mahoney for a day and tour city hall as part of their prize. The essay contest they won required them to answer what they would do if they were the mayor. Their answers ranged from fixing infrastructure to helping the homeless.

When Asgedom was asked about his infrastructure plan, he said he’d “like to improve the potholes and stuff on the roads.”

Meanwhile, Zhao talked about how he would like to help the homeless. Telling Valley News Lve:

“Giving them a little more of feeling like home for them.”

In addition, their classmates had their own ideas.

“Some of them wanted to start school at 10 a.m. Some of them wanted to take care of the homeless. Work very hard and some of the people wanted to make sure everybody is taken care of,” said Fargo Mayor Dr. Tim Mahoney.

“They felt it was an important city that we take care of each other.”

Essays were judged based on their content, grammar, and originality. Zhao and Asgedom got to read their essays during Monday’s city commission meeting.

If you would like to read their essays, you can click here.

Copyright 2024 KVLY. All rights reserved.

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