world history essay contest

World Historian Student Essay Competition

Congratulations to Joshua Hangartner of La Jolla Country Day School, the winner of the 2023 World Historian Student Essay Competition for his essay, "World History: A Vehicle for Understanding Ourselves."

2023 World Historian Student Essay Competition Winner: Joshua Hangartner (La Jolla Country Day School)

• The WHA is pleased to announce that Joshua Hangartner of La Jolla Country Day School (La Jolla, CA) is the winner of the 2023 World Historian Essay Competition for his outstanding essay, "World History: A Vehicle for Understanding Ourselves." Focusing on its broad and deep complexities, Mr. Hangartner ably demonstrates how World History's vast and complex scope connects us personally to the sweeping historical themes that shaped the present day and serves as a "uniquely powerful tool" that allows us to discover ourselves in an incredibly complicated world. Congratulations, Joshua!

The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international competition open to students enrolled in grades  K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs. Membership in the World History Association is not a requirement for submission. Past winners may not compete in the same category again.  Finalist essays will be checked against AI internet components and will be automatically disqualified should stock answers be detected.

The World History Association established this $500 prize to recognize young scholars. A one-year membership in the WHA will also be included with each prize.

Each competitor will submit an essay that addresses one of the following topics and discuss how it relates to you personally and to World History:  Your view of a family story related to a historical event or your personal family cultural background, or an issue of personal relevance or specific regional history/knowledge, such as "My ancestor walked with Abraham Lincoln from Illinois to fight in the Black Hawk War of 1832." 

The committee will judge papers according to the following criteria:

• clear thesis;
• elaboration on the thesis with specific, concrete, personal example(s);
• evidence of critical-thinking, such as synthesis and evaluation, when reflecting on the essay question;
• organization and fluency; and
• overall effectiveness of the student’s ability to communicate his or her personal connection with the study of world history—in other words, how well has the student described the experience of being changed by a better understanding of world history?

To view some of our past winning essays, please click on the links below.

2023 Paper Prize Winner

2019 Paper Prize Winner

2018 Paper Prize Winner

2017 Paper Prize Winner

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Length & format.

Length:  Submissions for the  K–12  World Historian Award should be approximately 1,000 words.

Formatting:  Number all pages except for the title page. All pages are to be double-spaced. Use 12-point Times New Roman Font. Margins are to be 1 inch left and right, and top and bottom.

Submissions must be composed in Microsoft Word.

The author’s identity is to appear nowhere on the paper.

A separate, unattached page should accompany the paper, identifying the author, title of paper, home address, telephone number, e-mail address, and name of school.

Papers that do not adhere to these guidelines will be disqualified.

Entries must be emailed or postmarked by the annual deadline of 1 May.

Winning papers will be announced during the summer.

The  WHA  reserves the right to publish in the  World History Bulletin  any essay (or portion thereof) submitted to the competition. It will do so solely at its discretion, but full acknowledgment of authorship will be given. If someone’s essay is published in whole or in part, the author will receive three (3) copies of the  Bulletin.

E-mail submission

Send the following materials as separate attachments (formatted in  MS  Word) in the same e-mail, with the subject line  World Historian Student Essay :

• the paper, and
• a page with identifying information (author, title of paper, home address, telephone number, e-mail address, and name of school).

E-mail to:  Susan Smith <[email protected]> .

Postal submission

Send five copies of the paper and five copies of the page with identifying information. In the lower left hand corner on the front of the envelope write:  World Historian Student Essay.

Susan Smith Maple Grove Senior High 9800 Fernbrook Lane  N. Maple Grove,  MN  55369-9747

WORLD HISTORIAN STUDENT ESSAY COMPETITION COMMITTEE:

• Susan Smith, chair
• Paul Richgruber

PAST WINNERS

• Joshua Hangartner, La Jolla Country Day School (La Jolla, CA) "World History: A Vehicle for Understanding Ourselves"
• Amanda Zhao, Pacific Ridge School (Carlsbad, CA) “History: An Ode to the Bricks of Progress”
• Akram Elkouraichi, Yonkers Middle High School (Yonkers, NY) “The Realization of Impermanence: Ephemerality in World History as a Conceptual Framework”
• Steven Chen, Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School (Vancouver, BC, Canada) “A Human Story: World History as an Optimist”
• Juliana Boerema, Cary Christian School (Cary, North Carolina) “Brilliant Painting: How the Study of World History Changes Perspective”
• Ahmad Aamir, Lahore Grammar School (Lahore, Pakistan) “Learning from History: Cooperation, Belief, Scholarship, & Words”
• Vivian Liu, International School of Beijing (Beijing, China) “History: Bread of the World”
• Vanessa Yan, Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School (Bradenton, Florida) “World History: The Great Macroscope”
• Rachel Hughes, Webber Academy (Calgary, Canada), “Fostering a Universal Understanding of World History is the Key to a Brighter Tomorrow”
• Campbell Munson, The Episcopal School of Dallas, “How History Has Affected My Worldview: Economies, Migration, Causality and Disease”
• Jacob Cooper, North Oconee High School (Bogart, Georgia), “World History: The Basis for Self-Determination, Democracy, and Religion“
• Luke J. Hamilton, Sword Academy (Bridgeport, Nebraska), “The Present: Living History”
• David Kim, Wydown Middle School ( St.  Louis), “History: The Shadow of the World”
• Elizabeth Mello, Dartmouth High School (Dartmouth, Massachusetts), “Out of Many Threads, One Cloth”

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History Contest

Visit the hershey story museum in hershey, pa.

The Hershey Story, The Museum on Chocolate Avenue

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Our History in Your Words

The Purpose of The Hershey Story History Contest for Young Writers

The Hershey Story offers this writing contest as a way to encourage students to communicate their interest in and knowledge of history in a creative and coherent manner. Awards are presented in support and acknowledgement of students’ efforts and for public recognition of their success.

View the Winning Entries from the 2022-2023 History Contest for Young Writers Here

Entry information.

Entries must be submitted here  beginning November 1, 2023.

Contest Opening Date and Deadline

Students may submit History Contest entries beginning November 1, 2023.  The deadline for submission of entries to the 2023-2024 contest has been extended one day to 11:59 p.m. on Friday, February 16, 2024, due to the snowstorm .

Eligibility

Any Pennsylvania student enrolled in public, private or homeschool, grades 5 through 8, in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry or York County is eligible to submit one entry to the contest.

Entries must be the work of one individual student and a student may submit only one entry .

Each entry must be the original work of the contest entrant, but may also have been submitted as an assigned school project as long as it fulfills the requirements below.

Age Division

• Grades 5 and 6, Junior
• Grades 7 and 8, Senior

We suggest that entrants use the MLA format. For guidance, consult a website such as www.easybib.com (Please note that not all bibliography formatting may be preserved during the online submission process.)

Students may submit an entry in one of the following categories:

• Non-fiction: An essay about a historical event, era or person(s). The entry must include an explanation of the student’s personal interest in the chosen topic. For example, the student may include examples of personal experiences that influenced the choice of topic, or books, classroom activities, or travel experiences that sparked the student’s interest.
• Fiction: A piece of creative writing, such as a fictional diary or story, about a historical event, era or person(s).
• Poetry: A poem about a historical event, era or person(s).
• Science/Health: A non-fiction essay about a historical science or historical health-related event, era or person(s). The entry must include an explanation of the student’s personal interest in the chosen topic. For example, the student may include examples of personal experiences that influenced the choice of topic, or books, classroom activities, or travel experiences that sparked the student’s interest.

Essay entries must be at least 400 words but no more than 1000 words. Poems must be at least 35 lines but no more than 100 lines.

Please indicate paragraphs by either indenting the first line or adding an extra line between paragraphs. The form will allow the use of bold and italics . The entry form will strip any special characters or fonts that are used when the entry is submitted online.

Student & School Information

To complete the entry form, the following information is required. Please assemble required information before beginning the entry process.

• Title of Entry
• Category (Non-fiction, Fiction, Poetry, Science/Health)
• Name of Contest Entrant
• Home Address
• Parent’s Email
• Home Phone Number
• Teacher’s Name
• Teacher’s Email

Bibliography

A bibliography must be included with each entry (including poetry). The bibliography is not included in the word count. A least two (2) of the following types of sources must be cited:

• Magazine/Journal article
• Interview (oral or video)
• Internet (please include complete URL)

Students must use at least one source that is not from the Internet.

Entries will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Evidence of an understanding of the historical context surrounding the event, era, or person(s) discussed in the entry
• Historical accuracy
• Clarity and coherence
• Creativity and imagination in the choice of subject and presentation.
• Grammar, spelling and compositional structure

Judging Committee

The judging panel includes historians, educators and other community leaders who are not employed by The Hershey Story. The decisions of the judges are final.

Eight (8) first place and eight (8) second place awards will be given in the following categories:

• Grades 5/6: Non-Fiction
• Grades 5/6 Fiction
• Grades 5/6 Poetry
• Grades 5/6 Science/Health
• Grades 7/8: Non-Fiction
• Grades 7/8: Fiction
• Grades 7/8: Poetry
• Grades 7/8: Science/Health

1 st place winners receive:

• 1 st place certificate
• One year family membership to The Hershey Story Museum
• Hershey’s Chocolate gift basket and 30 Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars to share with winner’s class (donated by The Hershey Company)
• Two 1-day tickets to Hersheypark (donated by Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company)

2 nd place winners receive:

• 2 nd place certificate
• A 1 lb Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bar (donated by The Hershey Company)

Winning students will be notified in the spring.  All  honorable mention students will be notified in a timely fashion.  

Publication

By entering the contest, participants grant permission to The Hershey Story to publish winning entries and/or winners’ names and photographs for publicity purposes.

The Hershey Story – Background

The Hershey Story is a non-profit educational institution founded in 1933 by Milton S. Hershey. He believed in providing educational and cultural opportunities for Hershey residents and the Central Pennsylvania region. In keeping with Mr. Hershey’s philosophy, the museum is dedicated to helping people of all ages understand and enjoy many aspects of history.

For Further Information Contact Susan Hetrick, Supervisor of Education & Public Programs @ 717-520-5587 or email [email protected] .

Enter the History Contest for Young Writers here beginning November 1, 2023.

The Hershey Story is a non-profit educational institution founded in 1933 by Milton S. Hershey who believed in providing educational and cultural opportunities for the people of Hershey and the Central Pennsylvania region. In keeping with Mr. Hershey’s philosophy, The Hershey Story is dedicated to helping people of all ages understand and enjoy many aspects of history.

WORLD HISTORIAN STUDENT ESSAY CONTEST

WORLD HISTORY ASSOCIATION

Sponsoring Institution:  World History Association

Type: World History Essay contest

Eligibility: This world history essay contest is open to students enrolled in grades K–12 from anywhere in the world

Application Deadline:  May 1st

Highlight: Does the study of World History intrigue you? Are you amazed by various cultures and traditions? Are you interested in different peoples’ stories and struggles? If you could answer yes to these questions, here’s an opportunity for you! The World History Association (WHA) is offering a prize of $500 and a one-year membership in the WHA to young scholars who have the best world history essay response to their prompt: “In what way has the study of world history affected my understanding of the world in which I live?”. This world history essay contest is global and is open to students enrolled in grades K-12, in public, private, and parochial schools, and even home-study programs! Now, let’s talk about the requirements. The submission deadline is early May, and the recommended length for submissions is 1000 words. The judges grade your world history essay based on a clear thesis, elaboration of the thesis with specific, personal, example(s), critical thinking, organization and fluency, and more! There are plenty of examples of previous winning essays from past years to review, and there are clear instructions on formatting as well. So, please read them thoroughly, because any papers that don’t adhere to the guidelines will be disqualified! So, bring your fascination with the past into the present and check it out ; show the WHA what you’ve got!

It is our anual free funding event for high schoolers from all over the world

• 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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World History Association student essay contest

Posted on January 30, 2020 by Ms. Christine Hitchcock, Lead Social Studies Teacher

In what way has the study of world history affected my understanding of the world in which I live?

Can you express a clear thesis and support it with concrete, specific examples?

If so, you should consider entering the World History Association student essay competition!

Students who are currently enrolled in or who have completed World History 1 and/or 2 should consider entering this contest.

The winner will receive $500.00 and a one-year membership in the World History Association.

You can find more information about the contest on the  World History Association website.

I am happy to answer any questions or support anyone interested in participating in the contest. Email [email protected]

La Jolla student wins international essay competition with belief that world history aids self-awareness

Joshua Hangartner of La Jolla Country Day School captures the 2023 World Historian Essay Award.

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Weaving one’s own history into that of the world might seem daunting for some, but it’s proved to be a winning strategy for La Jolla resident Joshua Hangartner.

Joshua, who will be a senior next school year at La Jolla Country Day School, recently won the 2023 World Historian Essay Award presented by the World History Association for his 1,000-word essay titled “World History: A Vehicle for Understanding Ourselves.”

The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international contest open to all students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Entrants were asked to address their view of a family story related to a historical event or personal family cultural background, or an issue of personal relevance or specific regional history or knowledge.

Joshua wrote his essay about “human convergence and globalization,” applying it to his own family’s history.

“World History’s immense scope allows students to draw connections between ... seemingly unrelated historical events,” Joshua wrote. “Through contextualization, students grasp broad and pervasive historical themes which help explain the present state of our world and often our own lives.

“In addition to learning about Asian history outside of a Eurocentric framework, World History taught me to observe broader patterns in human migration and societal development.”

The essay “really covers a lot about who I am,” Joshua told the La Jolla Light.

“I’m mixed Korean American and European,” he said. “I always thought it was so bizarre how these different sides of my family were so different and how in just one generation, everything changed and I’m living a completely different life from them.”

In the essay, Joshua wrote, “I cannot help but feel that my multiracial, multiethnic and multicultural background is the ‘result’ of a thousand years of … increasing worldwide interconnectedness.”

“World history, as opposed to more specific history, has really provided that lens from that largest theme of convergence,” he told the Light .

“I’m mixed Korean American and European. I always thought it was so bizarre how these different sides of my family were so different and how in just one generation, everything changed and I’m living a completely different life from them.”

— Joshua Hangartner

As a former resident of Amsterdam who attended an international school there, global convergence is an idea Joshua has always paid attention to, he said.

“That really opened my eyes to the international community and people from all kinds of different backgrounds and cultures,” Joshua said. “I really gained a greater perception of my own culture and … all these different facets of my identity.

“I found it super interesting that at this international school, all these different cultures and people converged.”

Living now with his Korean grandfather is inspiring as well, Joshua said. “Being able to see that history in him” also influenced the essay.

Joshua entered the competition after searching online for writing opportunities.

“I really like history as a subject,” he said.

Samuel Kullens, his Advanced Placement world history teacher the past school year, “taught me a lot of things that I thought I could apply to the essay,” Joshua added. And Fiona Halloran, who taught him American Civil War history this past year and AP U.S. history in his sophomore year, “influenced my writing and historical thinking a lot,” he said.

Joining the list of winners from around the world is surprising, Joshua said, but he “felt amazing because I had just written the paper on a whim … the last day it was due.”

Joshua said he plans to keep cultivating his love of history through high school and into college. ◆

Elisabeth Frausto is a reporter for the La Jolla Light.

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the 17 best writing contests for high school students.

Other High School

If you're a writer—fiction, non-fiction, or fanfiction—you can put those skills to work for you. There are tons of writing contests for high school students, which can award everything from medals to cash prizes to scholarships if you win .

Not only will a little extra money, whether cash or scholarships, help you when it comes time to pay for college, but the prestige of a respected reward is also a great thing to include on your college application.

Read on to learn more about what writing contests for high school students there are, how to apply, and what you could win !

Writing Contests With Multiple Categories

Some high school contests accept entries in a variety of formats, including the standard fiction and non-fiction, but also things like screenwriting or visual art. Check out these contests with multiple categories:

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

• Award Amount: $1,000 to $12,500 scholarships
• Deadline: Varies between December and January, depending on your region
• Fee: $10 for single entry, $30 for portfolio

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards celebrate art by students in grades seven through twelve (age 13 or older) on a regional and national scale. These awards have a huge number of categories and styles, including cash prizes or scholarships for some distinguished award winners . Categories include science-fiction and fantasy writing, humor, critical essays, and dramatic scripts, among others.

Deadlines vary by region (but are mostly in December and January), so use Scholastic's Affiliate Partner search to find out when projects are due for your area.

Scholastic partners with other organizations to provide prizes to winners, so what you can win depends on what you enter and what competition level you reach. Gold medal portfolio winners can earn a $12,500 scholarship, and silver medal winners with distinction can earn a $2,000 scholarship , as well as many other options in different categories.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards are open to private, public, or home-schooled students attending school in the US, Canada, or American schools in other countries. Students must be in grades seven through twelve to participate. Eligibility varies between regions, so consult Scholastic's Affiliate Partner search tool to figure out what applies to you .

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards have a $10 entry fee for individual submissions and $30 for portfolio submissions, which may be waived for students in need . These fees may vary depending on location, so be sure to check your local guidelines .

Ocean Awareness Contest

• Award Amount: Scholarships up to $1,500
• Deadline: June 13, 2023 (submissions open in September)

The Ocean Awareness Contest asks students to consider the future of a coastal or marine species that is under threat from climate change. Submissions are accepted in a variety of art forms, but all must consider the way that climate change impacts ocean life .

Submissions for all categories, including art, creative writing, film, interactive and multimedia, music and dance, and poetry and spoken word are due in June, although the exact date varies slightly each year.

Winners may receive prizes of up to a $1,500 scholarship , depending on which division they fall into and what prize they win.

The contest is open to all international and US students between the ages of 11 and 18.

River of Words

• Award: Publication in the River of Words anthology
• Deadline: January 31, 2023

The River of Words contest asks students to consider watersheds—an area that drains into the same body of water—and how they connect with their local community. Students can explore this concept in art or poetry, with winners being published in the annual River of Words anthology .

Entries in all categories must be submitted by January 31, 2023. 

The River of Words contest is primarily for recognition and publication, as the website doesn't list any prize money . The contest includes specific awards for certain forms, such as poetry, some of which may have additional prizes .

The contest is open to International and US students from kindergarten to grade 12 (ages 5 through 19). Students who have graduated from high school but are not yet in college are also eligible.

Adroit Prizes

• Award Amount: $200 cash award
• Deadline: Typically April of each year

Sponsored by the Adroit Journal, the Adroit Prizes reward high school students and undergraduate students for producing exemplary fiction and poetry. Students may submit up to six poems or three works of prose (totaling 3,500 words) for consideration. Submissions typically open in spring .

Winners receive $200 and (along with runners-up) have their works published in the Adroit Journal . Finalists and runners-up receive a copy of their judge's latest published work.

The contest is open to secondary and undergraduate students, including international students and those who have graduated early . The Adroit Prizes has a non-refundable fee of $15, which can be waived.

YoungArts Competition

• Award Amount: Up to $10,000 cash awards
• Deadline: October 15, 2022; application for 2024 opens June 2023

Open to students in a variety of disciplines, including visual arts, writing, and music, the YoungArts competition asks students to submit a portfolio of work. Additional requirements may apply depending on what artistic discipline you're in .

Winners can receive up to $10,000 in cash as well as professional development help, mentorship, and other educational rewards.

Applicants must be 15- to 18-year-old US citizens or permanent residents (including green card holders) or in grades 10 through 12 at the time of submission . There is a $35 submission fee, which can be waived.

Fiction Writing Contests for High School Students

Many contests with multiple categories accept fiction submissions, so also check out the above contests if you're looking for places to submit original prose.

EngineerGirl Writing Contest

• Award Amount: $100 - $500 cash prize
• Deadline: February 1, 2023

This year's EngineerGirl Writing Contest asks students (though the name of the organization is "EngineerGirl," students of any gender may participate) to submit a piece of writing that shows how female and/or non-white engineers have contributed to or can enhance engineering’s great achievements. Word counts vary depending on grade level.

At every grade level, first-place winners will receive $500, second-place winners will receive $250, and third-place winners will receive $100 . Winning entries and honorable mentions will also be published on the EngineerGirl website.

Students of any gender from third to 12th grade may submit to this contest. Home-schooled and international students are also eligible.

Nonfiction Contests for High School Students

Like fiction, non-fiction is often also accepted in contests with multiple categories. However, there are quite a few contests accepting only non-fiction essays as well.

The American Foreign Services Association Essay Contest

• Award Amount: $1,250 to $2,500
• Deadline: April 3, 2023

The American Foreign Services Association sponsors a high school essay contest tasking students with selecting a country or region in which the United States Foreign Service has been involved 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 in this country/region and propose ways in which it might continue to improve those goals in the coming years .

One winner will receive $2,500 as well as a Washington D.C. trip and a scholarship to attend Semester at Sea . One runner-up receives $1,250 and a scholarship to attend the International Diplomacy Program of the National Student Leadership Conference.

Entries must be from US students in grade nine through 12, including students in the District of Columbia, US territories, or US citizens attending school abroad, including home-schooled students.

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Contest

• Award Amount: $100 - $10,000
• Deadline: January 13, 2023

The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage contest tasks students with writing an essay between 700 and 1,000 words on an act of political courage by a US elected official serving during or after 1917 , inspired by John F. Kennedy's Profiles in Courage . Each essay should cover the act itself as well as any obstacles or risks the subject faced in achieving their act of courage. Essays must not cover figures previously covered in the contest, and should also not cover John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, or Edward M. Kennedy.

One first-place winner will receive $10,000, one second-place winner will receive $3,000, five finalists will receive $1,000 each, and eight semi-finalists will win $100 each.

The contest is open to students in grades nine through 12 who are residents of the United States attending public, private, parochial, or home schools . Students under the age of 20 in correspondence high school programs or GED programs, as well as students in US territories, Washington D.C., and students studying abroad, are also eligible.

SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest

• Award Amount: $300 - $1,000 scholarships
• Deadline: February 19, 2023 (submissions open in November)

The SPJ/JEA high school essay contest , organized by the Society of Professional Journalists and the Journalism Education Association, asks students to  analyze the importance of independent media to our lives (as of now, the official essay topic for spring 2023 is TBD) . Essays should be from 300 to 500 words.

A $1,000 scholarship is given to a first-place winner, $500 to second-place, and $300 to third-place.

The contest is open to public, private, and home-schooled students of the United States in grades 9-12 .

Playwriting Contests for High School Students

For those who love the stage, playwriting contests are a great option. An original play can earn you great rewards thanks to any of these contests!

VSA Playwright Discovery Program Competition

• Award: Participation in professional development activities at the Kennedy Center
• Deadline: January 4, 2023 (Application opens in October)

The VSA Playwright Discovery Program Competition asks students with disabilities to submit a ten-minute script exploring their personal experiences, including the disability experience . Scripts may be realistic, fictional, or abstract, and may include plays, screenplays, or musical theater.

All entries are due in January. Scripts may be collaborative or written by individuals, but must include at least one person with a disability as part of the group .

One winner or group of winners will be selected as participants in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Winners will have access to professional assistance in developing their script as well as workshops and networking opportunities.

This contest is open to US and international students in ages 14 to 18 . Groups of up to five members may collaborate on an essay, but at least one of those students must have a disability.

Worldwide Plays Festival Competition

• Award: Professional production in New York
• Deadline: March (official 2023 deadline TBD)

In the Worldwide Plays Festival Competition , students from around the world can submit an eight-minute script for a play set in a part of a neighborhood —specifically, at a convenience store, outside a character's front door, or at a place where people convene. Each play must have roles for three actors, should not have a narrator who isn't also a character, and should not contain set changes.

Entries are due in February. Winners will have their play produced by professionals at an off-Broadway New York theater . Scholarships are also available for winners.

Any student, including US and international, in first through 12th grade may submit work for consideration.

• Award Amount: $50 - $200 cash prize
• Deadline: 2023 deadline TBD (application opens January 2023)

Students may submit a one-act, non-musical play of at least ten pages to YouthPLAYS for consideration . Plays should be appropriate for high school audiences and contain at least two characters, with one or more of those characters being youths in age-appropriate roles. Large casts with multiple female roles are encouraged.

One winner will receive $250, have their play published by YouthPLAYS, and receive a copy of Great Dialog , a program for writing dialog. One runner up will receive $100 and a copy of Great Dialog.

Students must be under the age of 19, and plays must be the work of a single author.

The Lewis Center Ten-Minute Play Contest

• Deadline: Spring of each year

Students in grade 11 may submit a ten-minute play for consideration for the Lewis Center Ten-Minute Play Contest . Plays should be 10 pages long, equivalent to 10 minutes.

One first-prize winner will receive $500, one second-prize winner will receive $250, and one third-prize will receive $100.

All entries must be from students in the 11th grade .

Poetry Writing Contests for High School Students

For those who prefer a little free verse or the constraints of a haiku, there are plenty of poetry-specific contests, too.

Creative Communications Poetry Contest

• Award Amount: $25
• Deadline: December

Students in ninth grade or below may submit any poem of 21 lines or less (not counting spaces between stanzas) for consideration in the Creative Communications Poetry Contest .

Students may win $25, a free book, and school supplies for their teacher .

Public, private, or home-schooled US students (including those in detention centers) in kindergarten through ninth grade may enter.

Leonard L. Milberg '53 High School Poetry Prize

• Award Amount: $500-$1500
• Deadline: November 

Students in 11th grade may submit up to three poems for consideration in the Leonard L. Milberg '53 High School Poetry Prize . Submissions are due in November .

One first-prize winner will receive $1500, one second-prize winner will receive $750, and a third-prize winner will receive $500. Poems may be published on arts.princeton.edu. All entrants must be in the 11th grade.

Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

• Award Amount: $500 - $5,000 renewable scholarship, $350 cash prize
• Deadline: October 31, 2022

Women poets who are sophomores or juniors in high school may submit two poems for consideration for the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest .

One first-place winner will receive a $350 cash prize, publication in and ten copies of Cargoes , Hollins' student magazine, as well as a renewable scholarship of up to $5,000 for Hollins and free tuition and housing for the Hollinsummer creative writing program. One second-place winner will receive publication in and two copies of Cargoes, a renewable scholarship to Hollins of up to $1,000, and a $500 scholarship to attend Hollinsummer.

Applicants must be female students in their sophomore or junior year of high school .

What's Next?

If you're looking for more money opportunities for college , there are plenty of scholarships out there— including some pretty weird ones .

For those who've been buffing up their test scores , there are tons of scholarships , some in the thousands of dollars.

If you're tired of writing essays and applying for scholarships, consider some of these colleges that offer complete financial aid packages .

Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

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David McCullough Essay Prizes

Programs & events, student opportunities.

David McCullough at Trinity School in Manhattan, October 15, 2019

The Gilder Lehrman Institute is now accepting submissions for the 2024 David McCullough Essay Prizes. The contest has been recently overhauled, and will recognize fourteen outstanding high school student research and interpretive essays with cash prizes of up to $5,000. This contest is named in memory of David McCullough (1933–2022)—a Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and Gilder Lehrman Life Trustee—and honors his career telling America’s stories and examining its histories. Learn more about his life and legacy here .

High school students attending schools in our Affiliate School Program are eligible and encouraged to participate. (Email [email protected] if you are not sure whether your school is an Affiliate School.) They are invited to submit an original essay, written independently or for a 2023–2024 class, that has been revised, expanded, and adapted to conform with the new McCullough Prize specifications. The two essay categories are as follows:

Research Essay: Students are invited to submit a research essay incorporating primary and secondary sources on a topic in American history from 1491 to 2001.

Interpretive Essay: Students are invited to submit an interpretive essay focusing on close reading and analysis of one primary source from American history, 1491 to 2001, in the Gilder Lehrman Collection of more than 85,000 historical documents.

More requirements for both essay categories can be found in these updated David McCullough Essay Prizes 2024 Rubrics .

All participants will receive a certificate of participation suitable for framing. Prize winners in each of our two categories—research essays and a new interpretive essay category—will receive cash awards as follows:

• 1st Prize: $5,000 (plus a $500 prize awarded to the school)
• 2nd Prize: $1,500 (plus a $500 prize awarded to the school)
• Five 3rd Prizes: $500 each

To be considered for the David McCullough Essay Prizes, students, or their teachers or parents, can submit the student entry by 8:00 p.m. ET on Friday, June 28, 2024 . A panel of Gilder Lehrman master teachers will choose the pool of finalists, from which a jury of eminent historians will choose the winners. Essays will be evaluated for their historical rigor, the clarity and correctness of their style, their use of evidence, and their qualities of empathy and imagination. Winners will be notified and announced no later than Friday, September 13, 2024.

Submit Essay

General Requirements

Font and Page Style: Papers should be submitted in 12-point, Times New Roman font with one-inch margins at the top, bottom, and sides. Essays should be free of teacher commentary or other notes.

Organization: Top essays have an introduction, body, and conclusion and a clearly stated, well-developed thesis statement with supportive historical evidence.

Essay Topics: Essays can be on any topic related to American history from 1491 to 2001. Essays in the interpretative category must feature a primary source (letter, broadside, art, political cartoon, speech, etc.) from the Gilder Lehrman Collection .

Past Winners

Read the winning essays submitted by previous years’ contestants.

2023 Contest Winners 2022 Contest Winners 2021 Contest Winners 2020 Contest Winners

Follow in the steps of these Past Winners and submit your entry today!

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Learn how the Institute impacts history education through our work guiding teachers, energizing students, and supporting research.

Skip to Main Content of WWII

2023 student writing contest, 2023-2024 student writing contest winners.

Congratulations to our winners! There were over 200 entries from students across the United States. Entries went through three vigorous rounds of blind vetting by classroom teachers from across the country, Museum curators and Museum educators.

Junior Division

Senior division.

The 2024-2025 Student Writing Contest topic will go live in mid-October and submissions will be accepted from the end of October through January 2025. We look forward to having YOU participate!

Topic Overview

According to Cornell Law School, civil liberties are:

• Freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution (primarily from the First Amendment ). They are natural rights which are inherent to each person. While they are commonly referred to as " rights ," civil liberties actually operate as restraints on how the government can treat its citizens . As such, the First Amendment's language (" congress shall make no law") explicitly prohibits the government from infringing on liberties, such as the freedom of speech .
• Civil liberties are constitutionally protected freedoms.
• Civil rights are claims built upon legislation .
• A violation of civil rights affords the injured party a right to legal action against the violator. For example, the freedom of religion is recognized as both a civil right and civil liberty; it is protected under the Constitution from government infringement (liberty) as well as under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 from being the basis of discriminatory practices.

Approximately 33,000 Japanese Americans served in the US Armed Forces during World War II. Many of them voluntarily enlisted despite having their civil liberties infringed upon by the US government with the execution of Executive Order 9066 in 1942. This order forcibly incarcerated around 122,000 men, women and children in relocation centers in the interior of the United States.

The majority of those 33,000 served in the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team or as linguists with the Military Intelligence Service. The 100th/442nd remains the most decorated unit for its size and duration of service in US Army history. “Go for Broke” means risking everything to win big. This was the motto adopted by these units.

Writing Prompt

Write a speech from the perspective of one of these service members speaking to a group of students today in 2023.

In it, you must:

• Include that person’s motivation for voluntarily enlisting in the military despite the circumstances.
• Describe any opposition to that idea (motivation) that people may have had then or may have now.
• Discuss the legacy of this chapter of American history and how it relates to modern civil liberties.
• Use evidence from at least three sources listed here.
• Use information and examples from your own knowledge of US History.
• Civil Exclusion Order Poster
• Article on Japanese Incarceration
• Glossary of Terms
• Walter Imahara Oral History
• 1944 Rohwer Center Yearbook
• Article on High School Life in Rohwer Center
• Article on Music at Heart Mountain
• Article on Jimmy Kanaya
• Profile of Sadao Munemori
• Profile of Senator Daniel Inouye
• Article on 100th Infantry Battalion
• Article on 442nd Regimental Combat Team
• Article on the Military Intelligence Service
• Article on 1800th Engineering Battalion
• Article on Japanese American Wartime Experiences in Hawaii
• Article on Servicemen’s Thoughts on Japanese Incarceration
• Article on the Return of Japanese Americans to the West Coast
• Article on an Incarcerated Interracial Couple
• Article on Redress and Reparations
• Letter of Apology
• Student Webinar on Japanese American Servicemembers Pt. 1
• Student Webinar on Japanese American Servicemembers Pt. 2
• Electronic Field Trip on Japanese Incarceration
• 1943 Government Propaganda Film
• Image Gallery
• Day of Remembrance
• The Go for Broke Spirit Website
• Korematsu v. US Case
• Fred T. Korematsu Institute Website
• 14th Amendment

Contest Policies

Eligibility

The contest is open to United States students in grades 7 through 12 attending public, private, parochial, or home schools; U.S. students under the age of twenty enrolled in a high school correspondence/GED program in any of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, or the U.S. territories; and U.S. citizens attending schools overseas.

Requirements

• The contest opens on October 18, 2023 and the deadline to submit is January 29, 2024 at 11:59 PM (CST).
• Students may submit a typed copy OR a video of themselves reciting it.
• If typed, speeches can be no more than 750 words but must be a minimum of 500 words. It should be double spaced, have a title and be in 12-point font. It should be uploaded as a PDF.
• If you choose to record yourself in a video, it should be between 4 and 8 minutes long. Please be mindful of background noise and your attire. Be sure to speak loudly and clearly. Please do not read; instead, speak naturally (it's okay to write and review before you record or to have talking points). It must be uploaded as a MOV, MP4 or WMV.
• Speeches must be the original work of the student.

All entries must be submitted by 11:59pm (CST) on January 29, 2024 to be eligible for judging. The National WWII Museum is not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, damaged, illegible, or incomplete submissions.

Decisions of the NWWIIM Student Writing Contest are final. Winners will be notified by email by February 7, 2024. The winners will be posted on The National WWII Museum’s website and will also receive a certificate by the end of February 2024. Awards will be sent via direct deposit during the Spring of 2024.

By entering, you agree that your speech will become the property of The National WWII Museum and will not be returned. The National WWII Museum reserves the right to print and display the speeches names and photographs of the contest winners.

Recognition and Awards

There will be 2 categories: Junior (grades 7-9) and Senior (grades 10-12).

• First place winners in both categories will win $750 each.
• Second place winners in both categories will win $500 each.
• Third place winners in both categories will win $250 each.
• Honorable Mention in both categories will win $100 each.

Submit your speech here .

This writing contest is inspired by the special exhibit currently at The National WWII Museum. The Go for Broke Spirit: Legacy in Portraits is on display in the Joe W. and Dorothy D. Brown Foundation Special Exhibit Gallery until March 31, 2024.

Upcoming Summer 2024 Application Deadline is April 14, 2024.  

Click here to apply.

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10 History Competitions for High School Students

Are you in high school and looking to participate in a history competition? Check out this curated list below of opportunities from across the country!

Competing and performing well in a history competition can offer valuable exposure by indicating your interest in the subject of history to potential colleges. Competitions also grant the opportunity to improve one’s skills in writing, public speaking, or debate , for example. Additionally, you can also choose to conduct independent research on various topics that come under the umbrella of history, and publish them in prestigious journals like the Concord Review !

Below are 10 history competitions to consider, some of which are offered in the summer and others during the school year. The programs range from live quiz competitions to essay competitions to oratory contests , so there is something for everyone!

We’ve also covered some great history programs in this blog, and research ideas in history here !

1. International History Olympiad

One of the most popular competitions at the high school level, the International History Olympiad is a competition attended by hundreds of students from all over the world. The multi-day series of events features numerous competitions (as well as non-competitive events) that offer many opportunities for students to win awards and connect with other individuals. The Olympiad takes place in a new location around the world each year (with past editions being held at Honolulu, Berlin, Rome), deeming it also a great opportunity to take advantage of in terms of international travel. Qualification is conducted through participation in regional, national, and international qualifying events.

Application Deadline: July 2024

Location: TBD, 2023’s competition took place in Rome

Prizes: Prizes vary by rank and competition

Eligibility: All high school students are eligible through participation in regional, national, and international qualifying events

2. The National History Bee

This popular competition takes place on an annual basis in the capital of the United States. In order to qualify for participation at the national level of the competition, students must advance beyond rounds at the local and state levels in their respective districts. The History Bee is a buzzer-based history quiz that occurs at the individual level, without the help of teammates. Students compete 1-1 over many rounds where they answer paragraph-long questions about various historical topics . Visit the National History Bee’s website to learn more about specific competition rules and formatting. This is a very esteemed competition where you can network with other students, learn more about historical facts, and impress colleges.

Application Deadline: TBA

Location: Washington, DC and Arlington, VA

Eligibility: All high school students younger than 19 years old: Varsity (11th and 12th grade), Junior Varsity (9th or 10th grade)

3. Joseph S. Rumbaugh Historical Oration Contest

This contest is offered by The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and is an oration competition. Each participant must draft and present an original oration between five to six minutes in length . Then, students must deliver the oration from memory without notes or props. The topic must be an event, personality, or document related to the Revolutionary War. The oration must also show a relation between the chosen topic and America today. This is a great way to simultaneously develop public speaking and writing skills!

Students must get through preliminary local rounds, state levels, and then advance to the national level at which place scholarships and prizes are awarded. The orations are evaluated on composition, delivery, significance, historical accuracy, and other secondary criteria. Winners on the national level in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place receive cash prizes, as well as an Olympic-sized medal.

Application Deadline: TBA, varying by state and SAR chapter

Location: Virtual

Prizes: Varying cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners

Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12th

4. George S. & Stella M. Knight Essay Contest

Offered by The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), this essay competition invites students to submit an 800-1,200 word essay. The essay needs to be based on an event, person, philosophy or ideal associated with the American Revolution , Declaration of Independence, or the framing of the U.S Constitution. Essays will be judged on historical accuracy, clarity, organization, grammar, spelling, and documentation.

Like other competitions offered by the SAR, the contest is conducted in stages on the local, state, and national level. Contact your local chapter to enter into the competition. All essays must additionally include a title page, bibliography page, and a biography page. The prizes vary for the top 5 essay writers. However, the first place winning essay will be submitted in the SAR magazine and will have an opportunity to visit Washington, D,C. This is a great opportunity to strengthen one’s ability to conduct research and synthesize historical information .

Location: Virtual, through each SAR chapter

Prizes: Varying cash prizes for winners at each tier

5. The National History Day National Contest

The National Contest of National History Day is a massive gathering of nearly 3,000 individuals offered annually by the organization to student scholars and their families. National History Day invites successful winners of local and affiliate contests to share their research and other history-related work widely. Beyond competing in a variety of competitions, partnerships with local museums and cultural institutions offer students dynamic programming and professional development opportunities .

The gathering takes place in Maryland for a week-long series of events inviting students from all across the U.S., and the world. Students can also take the competition as a chance to explore Washington, D.C and benefit from the plethora of historical sites at the nation’s capital. This is a fantastic opportunity! To compete on such a national level is an amazing opportunity and very impressive feat that is sure to demonstrate your passion for history and historical reasoning to colleges.

Application Deadline: June 9-13, 2024

Location: University of Maryland, College Park

Prizes: Varying prizes per category of the competition

Eligibility: All high school students, teachers and parents are also invited

6. The National History Bowl

In a similar fashion to The National History Bee, The National History Bowl is offered once a year in the nation’s capitol to students who have advanced past local, regional, and state History Bowl competitions. The format is a buzzer-based history quiz with teams of up to 6 students . Students seek to answer questions faster than their opponents about topics covering: the history of the arts, sciences, religion, philosophy, language, historical geography, recent history, and even a bit of the history of sports and entertainment. Questions can reference all eras of history in all geographic regions of the world . Check out their website for specific information about the tournament format and how to advance in each round.

Note : We’ve covered the competition in depth here !

Application Deadline: TBD

7. World Historian Student Essay Competition

Offered by the World History Association, this international contest asks students to address a historical topic and its relation to student’s personal lives and world history at large. An example of a past paper topic is: “My ancestor walked with Abraham Lincoln from Illinois to fight in the Black Hawk War of 1832." The essays are judged based on the thesis, evidence of critical-thinking, organization, and other criteria. Overall, this written competition is a pretty good opportunity to assess your writing ability from a renowned organization in the discipline of history.

Application Deadline: May 1, 2024

Prizes: $500 Prize and a one year membership to the World History Association

Eligibility: An international competition for students in grades K-12

8. The American History Essay Contest

Presented by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), this essay competition seeks to introduce younger students to employ creativity in thinking about the history of the United States . The DAR set out a unique topic for each competition cycle and the submissions are judged for historical accuracy, topic adherence, organization of materials, originality, and writing quality. The essays are evaluated on a local, state, divisional, and national level. The contest is carried out through participating chapters of the DAR organization.

Application Deadline: Varies, contact your local DAR chapter

Prizes: Certificate of participation for each student and varying medals and awards for winners at each division (local, state. national)

Eligibility: Students in 9th-12th grade

9. Write Your Own Historical Fiction Competition

The Write Your Own Historical Fiction Competition is offered by The Historical Association each year to students across the world. Although varying by year, the organization typically does not assign a firm theme for the entries to the competition. The essays, ranging from 400 to 3500 words, are evaluated for their historical accuracy, convincing storytelling, effective use of historical vocabulary, and creativity. Do note that entries must be submitted by a teacher on behalf of a school.

Although the competition’s premise is a bit unconventional for a history competition, this contest offers students a unique opportunity to channel their creativity through the lens of an important academic subject . This will prove very beneficial when writing applications to colleges, or other writing endeavors at large.

Application Deadline: TBA, likely June 2024

Prizes: Cash awards for winners as well as a specially-designed notebook

Eligibility: Students in Years 5-13. Internationally

10. The David McCullough Essay Prize

Named after the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, this essay competition offered by The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History , recognizes outstanding high school student research essays each year. Essays for the competition (between 1,500-2,000 words) are required to center primary source analysis of a document in American history from 1493 to 2000. This is a solid opportunity to conduct historical research very similar to collegiate writing , with citations, a bibliography and secondary sources attached.

Prizes: Cash awards for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place and a certificate of participation for all students

Eligibility: Students in 10th-12th grade part of the National Academy of American History and Civics

If you are interested in doing university-level research in history and politics, then you could also consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program , a selective online high school program for high school students. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.

Aisha is a student at Princeton University, studying Anthropology and Global Health. On campus, she is involved with student groups centered around health equity and cultural affinity. In her free time, she enjoys podcasting, learning languages, and trying new recipes.

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American History Essay Contest

The American History Essay Contest was established to encourage young people to think creatively about our nation's great history and learn about history in a new light.

This contest is open to students in public, private, and parochial schools, and registered home-study programs. Students in grades five through eight are encouraged to participate. Each year, a selected topic for use during the academic year is announced, and contest instructions are published online and sent to schools by participating DAR chapters. Essays are judged for historical accuracy, adherence to the topic, organization of materials, interest, originality, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and neatness.

Participating chapters send one winning essay from each of the four grades for judging on the state level. The state will send one winning essay from each of the four grades to be judged on a divisional level. The winning essay from each of the four grades will then be judged on the national level and the winners are announced.

Each student participant receives a certificate of participation from the chapter and the chapter winners receive bronze medals and certificates. State winners receive certificates and silver medals. National winners receive special certificates, medals, and a monetary award.

Click here for an informational PDF handout . For additional contest information or guidelines, please contact your local DAR chapter .

Patriots of the American Revolution High School Essay Contest

In preparation for the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, the DAR has launched the "Patriots of the American Revolution DAR High School Essay Contest.” This contest will focus on the men and women who figured in the events of the American Revolution (1773 – 1783), and it is hoped that students will find Patriots to write about who will interest and inspire them.

These Patriots may be one of our famous Founders, or an everyday man, woman, or child who supported the American Revolution in ways both large and small.  Students will be asked to discuss how their chosen Patriot contributed to the founding of the nation. Essays will be judged for historical accuracy, organization of materials, interest, originality, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and the quality and scope of references, particularly the use of primary sources.

This contest is open to students in public, private, and parochial schools, and registered home-study programs, in grades 9 through 12. Essays from students from all grades will be judged together, with one winning essay chosen at each level. Participating DAR Chapters will select one essay as the chapter winner, to be sent on to the State level; the State will select one essay winner to represent the state for judging at the Division level, and each Division level will also have one winner which will be sent on to the National contest. Each student participant receives a certificate of participation from the chapter and the chapter winners receive a bronze medal and certificate set. State winners receive a silver medal and certificate set. Division level winners receive certificates and a book. National winners receive special certificates, medals, and a monetary award.

The National Society will select first-, second- and third-place winners. The national winner will receive a National Winner Certificate, pin and monetary award, presented at NSDAR’s annual Continental Congress, and the winning essay may appear in official DAR communications. National second- and third-place winners will also receive a certificate and monetary award.

This essay contest is being launched to engage students during the 250 th anniversary of the American Revolution, and is designed to encourage students to think more about the many different people, known and unknown, who were a part of the American Revolution, and perhaps even see themselves in the figures they write about.

For additional contest information or guidelines, please contact your  local DAR chapter .

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Best Essay Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 48 contests that match your search.

Rigel 2024: $500 for Prose, Poetry, Art, or Graphic Novel

Sunspot Literary Journal

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story

Literary or genre works accepted. Winner receives $500 plus publication, while runners-up and finalists are offered publication. No restrictions on theme or category. Closes: February 29. Entry fee: $12.50. Enter as many times as you like through Submittable or Duotrope

Additional prizes:

Runners-up and finalists are offered publication

💰 Entry fee: $12

📅 Deadline: February 29, 2024 (Expired)

World Historian Student Essay Competition

World History Association

Genres: Children's and Essay

The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international competition open to students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs. Membership in the World History Association is not a requirement for submission. Past winners may not compete in the same category again.

📅 Deadline: May 01, 2024

National Essay Contest

U.S. Institute of Peace

Genres: Essay

This year, AFSA celebrates the 100th anniversary of the United States Foreign Service. Over the last century, our diplomats and development professionals have been involved in groundbreaking events in history – decisions on war and peace, supporting human rights and freedom, creating joint prosperity, reacting to natural disasters and pandemics and much more. As AFSA looks back on this century-long history, we invite you to join us in also looking ahead to the future. This year students are asked to explore how diplomats can continue to evolve their craft to meet the needs of an ever-changing world that brings fresh challenges and opportunities to the global community and America’s place in it.

Runner-up: $1,250

📅 Deadline: April 01, 2024 (Expired)

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Jane Austen Society of North America Essay Contest

Jane Austen Society of North America

JASNA conducts an annual student Essay Contest to foster the study and appreciation of Jane Austen's works in new generations of readers. Students world-wide are invited to compete for scholarship awards in three divisions: high school, college, and graduate school.

Two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s Annual General Meeting

📅 Deadline: June 02, 2022 (Expired)

WOW! Women On Writing Quarterly Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest

WOW! Women On Writing

Genres: Non-fiction and Essay

Seeking creative nonfiction essays on any topic (1000 words or less) and in any style--from personal essay and memoir to lyric essay and hybrid, and more! The mission of this contest is to reward bravery in real-life storytelling and create an understanding of our world through thoughtful, engaging narratives. Electronic submissions via e-mail only; reprints/previously published okay; simultaneous submissions okay; multiple submissions are okay as long as they are submitted in their own individual e-mail. Open internationally.

2nd: $300 | 3rd: $200 | 7 runner-ups: $25 Amazon Gift Cards

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024

Great American Think-Off

New York Mills Regional Cultural Center

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

The Great American Think-Off is an exhibition of civil disagreement between powerful ideas that connect to your life at the gut level. The Cultural Center, located in the rural farm and manufacturing town of New York Mills, sponsors this annual philosophy contest.

Artificial Intelligence Competition

New Beginnings

Genres: Essay, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Short Story

There is no topic relating to technology that brings more discussion than artificial intelligence. Some people think it does wonders. Others see it as trouble. Let us know your opinion about AI in this competition. Include experiences you have had with AI. 300-word limit. Winners will be selected January 1, 2024. Open to anyone, anywhere.

Publication

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: December 15, 2023 (Expired)

Annual Student Essay Contest

Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum

For this year’s Essay Contest, we are asking students to think about why the story of the Oklahoma City bombing is important today.

📅 Deadline: March 04, 2024 (Expired)

Stories of Inspiration

Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc

Nonfiction stories of inspiration wanted (between 500 to 2,000 words). Submissions should highlight the struggle and resilience of the human spirit, especially related to cultures of BIPOC or marginalized communities. Stories must be original, unpublished works in English. One successful entry will be awarded each month from April 2024 and will be included within Kinsman Quarterly’s online journal and digital magazine. Successful authors receive $200 USD and publication in our digital magazine. No entry fee required.

Publication in Kinsman Quarterly's online magazine

📅 Deadline: December 31, 2024

Solas Awards

Best Travel Writing

Genres: Essay, Non-fiction, and Travel

Extraordinary stories about travel and the human spirit have been the cornerstones of our books since 1993. With the Solas Awards we honor writers whose work inspires others to explore. We’re looking for the best stories about travel and the world. Funny, illuminating, adventurous, uplifting, scary, inspiring, poignant stories that reflect the unique alchemy that occurs when you enter unfamiliar territory and begin to see the world differently as a result. We hope these awards will be a catalyst for those who love to leave home and tell others about it.

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: September 21, 2024

Indignor Play House Annual Short Story Competition

Indignor House Publishing

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

Indignor House Publishing is proud to announce that our annual writing competition (INDIGNOR PLAYHOUSE Short Story Annual Competition) is officially open with expected publication in the fall of 2024. Up to 25 submissions will be accepted for inclusion in the annual anthology.

2nd: $250 | 3rd: $150

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

Red Hen Press Women's Prose Prize

Red Hen Press

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Short Story, Essay, Memoir, and Novel

Established in 2018, the Women’s Prose Prize is for previously unpublished, original work of prose. Novels, short story collections, memoirs, essay collections, and all other forms of prose writing are eligible for consideration. The awarded manuscript is selected through a biennial competition, held in even-numbered years, that is open to all writers who identify as women.

Publication by Red Hen Press

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2024 (Expired)

High School Academic Research Competition

Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal

The High School Academic Research Competition is where talented students from around the world compete to publish high-quality research on any topic. SARC challenges students to sharpen their critical thinking skills, immerse themselves in the research process, and hone their writing skills for success.

Indigo Research Intensive Summer Program

📅 Deadline: March 20, 2024 (Expired)

Brink Literary Journal Award for Hybrid Writing

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Writing, and Short Story

The Brink Literary Journal Award for Hybrid Writing will be administered to the winner of a literary contest designed to champion innovative hybrid and cross-genre work.

💰 Entry fee: $22

📅 Deadline: February 16, 2024 (Expired)

Annual Contest Submissions

So To Speak

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, LGBTQ, Non-fiction, and Poetry

So To Speak is seeking submissions for poetry, fiction, and non-fiction with an intersectional feminist lens! It is no secret that the literary canon and literary journals are largely comprised of heteronormative, patriarchal, cisgender, able-bodied white men. So to Speak seeks work by writers, poets, and artists who want to challenge and change the identity of the “canonical” writer.

💰 Entry fee: $4

📅 Deadline: March 15, 2024 (Expired)

Vocal Challenges

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story

Enter themed storytelling contests to put your creativity to the test and be in with a chance of winning cash prizes and more. To submit, you'll need to sign up for a monthly fee of $9.99, or $4.99/month for 3 months.

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: March 07, 2024 (Expired)

Askew's Word on the Lake Writing Contest

Shuswap Association of Writers

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Essay, Memoir, and Short Story

Whether you’re an established or emerging writer, the Askew’s Word on the Lake Writing Contest has a place for you. Part of the Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival in Salmon Arm, BC, the contest is open to submissions in short fiction (up to 2,000 words), nonfiction (up to 2,000 words), and poetry (up to three one-page poems).

💰 Entry fee: $11

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)

Military Anthology: Partnerships, the Untold Story

Armed Services Arts Partnership

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Partners are an integral aspect of military life, at home and afar, during deployment and after homecoming. Partnerships drive military action and extend beyond being a battle buddy, wingman, or crew member. Some are planned while others arise entirely unexpectedly. Spouses, family, old or new friends, community, faith leaders, and medical specialists all support the military community. Despite their importance, the stories of these partnerships often go untold. This anthology aims to correct that: We will highlight the nuances, surprises, joy, sorrow, heroism, tears, healing power, and ache of partnerships. We invite you to submit the story about partnerships from your journey, so we can help tell it.

$250 for each genre category (prose, poetry, visual art)

The Letter Review Prize for Books

The Letter Review

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Letter Review Prize for Books is open to writers from anywhere in the world. Seeking most unpublished (we accept some self/indie published) novels, novellas, story collections, nonfiction, poetry etc. 20 entries are longlisted.

📅 Deadline: October 31, 2023 (Expired)

100 Word Writing Contest

Tadpole Press

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult, Children's, Poetry, Romance, Short Story, Suspense, and Travel

Can you write a story using 100 words or less? Pieces will be judged on creativity, uniqueness, and how the story captures a new angle, breaks through stereotypes, and expands our beliefs about what's possible or unexpectedly delights us. In addition, we are looking for writing that is clever or unique, inspires us, and crafts a compelling and complete story. The first-place prize has doubled to $2,000 USD.

2nd: writing coach package

Hispanic Culture Review Contest 2022-2023

Hispanic Culture Review

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story, and Flash Fiction

As the Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano once said, "the best that the world has is in the many worlds that the world contains." Therefore, this year we invite you to reflect on the following questions: How do you or your community celebrate these connections? How do you value those experiences with those people who leave a mark on your life? 1 work will be awarded in each category: 1) photography & visual arts, 2) poetry, and 3) narrative/essay/academic investigation.

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: February 01, 2023 (Expired)

Lazuli Literary Group Writing Contest

Lazuli Literary Group

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Novella, and Script Writing

We are not concerned with genre distinctions. Send us the best you have; we want only for it to be thoughtful, intelligent, and beautiful. We want art that grows in complexity upon each visitation; we enjoy ornate, cerebral, and voluptuous phrases executed with thematic intent.

Publication in "AZURE: A Journal of Literary Thought"

📅 Deadline: March 24, 2024 (Expired)

Young Sports Journalist 2024

The Young Sports Journalist Competition, 2024, seeks well-argued articles from aspiring journalists aged 14-21. Winning entries will be published online and printed in the Summer Issue of Pitch. Critiqued by our panel of accomplished judges, winners will also receive a £50 cash prize and offered work experience here at PITCH HQ. The competition runs from 7 February 2024 to 5 April 2024. And winners will be announced in May.

Publication in magazine and online

📅 Deadline: April 05, 2024

International Voices in Creative Nonfiction Competition

Vine Leaves Press

Genres: Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Novel

Small presses have potential for significant impact, and at Vine Leaves Press, we take this responsibility quite seriously. It is our responsibility to give marginalized groups the opportunity to establish literary legacies that feel rich and vast. Why? To sustain hope for the world to become a more loving, tolerable, and open space. It always begins with art. That is why we have launched this writing competition.

Book publication

📅 Deadline: July 01, 2024

Environmental Writing 2024

Write the World

The writer and activist Bill McKibben describes Environmental Writing as "the collision between people and the rest of the world." This month, peer closely at that intersection: How do humans interact with their environment? Given your inheritance of this earth, the world needs your voices now more than ever.

Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50

📅 Deadline: April 22, 2024

Irene Adler Prize

Lucas Ackroyd

I’ve traveled the world from Sweden to South Africa, from the Golden Globes to the Olympic women’s hockey finals. I’ve photographed a mother polar bear and her cubs and profiled stars like ABBA, Jennifer Garner and Katarina Witt. And I couldn’t have done it without women. I’ve been very fortunate, and it’s time for me to give back. With the Irene Adler Prize, I’m awarding a $1,000 scholarship to a woman pursuing a degree in journalism, creative writing, or literature at a recognized post-secondary institution.

2x honorable mentions: $250

📅 Deadline: May 30, 2024

Narratively 2023 Memoir Prize

Narratively

Genres: Essay, Humor, Memoir, and Non-fiction

Narratively is currently accepting submissions for their 2023 Memoir Prize. They are looking for revealing and emotional first-person nonfiction narratives from unique and overlooked points of view. The guest judge is New York Times bestselling memoirist Stephanie Land.

$1,000 and publication

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2023 (Expired)

Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize

Gotham Writers Workshop

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize is a writing competition sponsored by the stage and radio series Selected Shorts. Selected Shorts is recorded for Public Radio and heard nationally on both the radio and its weekly podcast. This years entries will be judged by Carmen Maria Machado (In the Dream House, Her Body and Other Parties).

A Very Short Story Contest

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, and Non-fiction

Write a great short story in ten words or fewer. Submit it to our contest. Entry is free. Winner of the bet gets a free Gotham class.

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024

The Letter Review Prize for Nonfiction

Genres: Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction, Crime, Humor, and Science Writing

2-4 Winners are published. We Shortlist 10-20 writers. Seeking Nonfiction 0-5000 words. Judges’ feedback available. Open to writers from anywhere in the world, with no theme or genre restrictions. Judged blind. All entries considered for publication + submission to Pushcart.

Publication by The Letter Review

💰 Entry fee: $2

NOWW 26th International Writing Contest

Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop (NOWW)

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Open to all writers in four categories: poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction, and critical writing.

2nd: $100 | 3rd: $50

💰 Entry fee: $7

Anthology Travel Writing Competition 2024

Anthology Magazine

The Anthology Travel Writing Competition is open to original and previously unpublished travel articles in the English language by writers of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. We are looking for an engaging article that will capture the reader’s attention, conveying a strong sense of the destination and the local culture. Max 1000 words.

💰 Entry fee: $16

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2024

Share Your Story

FanStory.com Inc.

Genres: Essay and Memoir

Write about an event in your life. Everyone has a memoir. Not an autobiography. Too much concern about fact and convention. A memoir gives us the ability to write about our life with the option to create and fabricate and to make sense of a life, or part of that life.

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: September 15, 2022 (Expired)

The Letter Review Prize for Unpublished Books

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

Free to enter. Seeking 0-5000 word (poetry: 15 pgs) excerpts of unpublished books (Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction), including most self-published and indie-published works. 2-4 Winners (publication of extract is optional). We Shortlist 10-20 writers. Open to writers from anywhere in the world, with no theme or genre restrictions. Judged blind.

Optional Publication of Excerpt, Letter of Recommendation

The Hudson Prize

Black Lawrence Press

Each year Black Lawrence Press will award The Hudson Prize for an unpublished collection of poems or prose. The prize is open to new, emerging, and established writers.

💰 Entry fee: $28

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)

Discover the finest writing contests of 2024 for fiction and non-fiction authors — including short story competitions, essay writing competitions, poetry contests, and many more. Updated weekly, these contests are vetted by Reedsy to weed out the scammers and time-wasters. If you’re looking to stick to free writing contests, simply use our filters as you browse.

Why you should submit to writing contests

Submitting to poetry competitions and free writing contests in 2024 is absolutely worth your while as an aspiring author: just as your qualifications matter when you apply for a new job, a writing portfolio that boasts published works and award-winning pieces is a great way to give your writing career a boost. And not to mention the bonus of cash prizes!

That being said, we understand that taking part in writing contests can be tough for emerging writers. First, there’s the same affliction all writers face: lack of time or inspiration. Entering writing contests is a time commitment, and many people decide to forego this endeavor in order to work on their larger projects instead — like a full-length book. Second, for many writers, the chance of rejection is enough to steer them clear of writing contests. 

But we’re here to tell you that two of the great benefits of entering writing contests happen to be the same as those two reasons to avoid them.

When it comes to the time commitment: yes, you will need to expend time and effort in order to submit a quality piece of writing to competitions. That being said, having a hard deadline to meet is a great motivator for developing a solid writing routine.

Think of entering contests as a training session to become a writer who will need to meet deadlines in order to have a successful career. If there’s a contest you have your eye on, and the deadline is in one month, sit down and realistically plan how many words you’ll need to write per day in order to meet that due date — and don’t forget to also factor in the time you’ll need to edit your story!

For tips on setting up a realistic writing plan, check out this free, ten-day course: How to Build a Rock-Solid Writing Routine.

In regards to the fear of rejection, the truth is that any writer aspiring to become a published author needs to develop relatively thick skin. If one of your goals is to have a book traditionally published, you will absolutely need to learn how to deal with rejection, as traditional book deals are notoriously hard to score. If you’re an indie author, you will need to adopt the hardy determination required to slowly build up a readership.

The good news is that there’s a fairly simple trick for learning to deal with rejection: use it as a chance to explore how you might be able to improve your writing.

In an ideal world, each rejection from a publisher or contest would come with a detailed letter, offering construction feedback and pointing out specific tips for improvement. And while this is sometimes the case, it’s the exception and not the rule.

Still, you can use the writing contests you don’t win as a chance to provide yourself with this feedback. Take a look at the winning and shortlisted stories and highlight their strong suits: do they have fully realized characters, a knack for showing instead of telling, a well-developed but subtly conveyed theme, a particularly satisfying denouement?

The idea isn’t to replicate what makes those stories tick in your own writing. But most examples of excellent writing share a number of basic craft principles. Try and see if there are ways for you to translate those stories’ strong points into your own unique writing.

Finally, there are the more obvious benefits of entering writing contests: prize and publication. Not to mention the potential to build up your readership, connect with editors, and gain exposure.

Resources to help you win writing competitions in 2024

Every writing contest has its own set of submission rules. Whether those rules are dense or sparing, ensure that you follow them to a T. Disregarding the guidelines will not sway the judges’ opinion in your favor — and might disqualify you from the contest altogether. 

Aside from ensuring you follow the rules, here are a few resources that will help you perfect your submissions.

Free online courses

On Writing:

How to Craft a Killer Short Story

The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction

How to Write a Novel

Understanding Point of View

Developing Characters That Your Readers Will Love

Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character

Stop Procrastinating! Build a Solid Writing Routine

On Editing:

Story Editing for Authors

How to Self-Edit Like a Pro

Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites

How to Write a Short Story in 7 Steps

How to Write a Novel in 15 Steps

Literary Devices and Terms — 35+ Definitions With Examples

10 Essential Fiction Writing Tips to Improve Your Craft

How to Write Dialogue: 8 Simple Rules and Exercises

8 Character Development Exercises to Help You Nail Your Character

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After you submit to a writing competition in 2024

It’s exciting to send a piece of writing off to a contest. However, once the initial excitement wears off, you may be left waiting for a while. Some writing contests will contact all entrants after the judging period — whether or not they’ve won. Other writing competitions will only contact the winners. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind after you submit:

Many writing competitions don’t have time to respond to each entrant with feedback on their story. However, it never hurts to ask! Feel free to politely reach out requesting feedback — but wait until after the selection period is over.

If you’ve submitted the same work to more than one writing competition or literary magazine, remember to withdraw your submission if it ends up winning elsewhere.

After you send a submission, don’t follow it up with a rewritten or revised version. Instead, ensure that your first version is thoroughly proofread and edited. If not, wait until the next edition of the contest or submit the revised version to other writing contests.

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Home Blog WORLD HISTORIAN STUDENT ESSAY COMPETITION

WORLD HISTORIAN STUDENT ESSAY COMPETITION

The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international competition open to students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs. Membership in the World History Association is not a requirement for submission. Past winners may not compete in the same category again.

The World History Association established this $500 prize to recognize young scholars. A one-year membership in the WHA will also be included with each prize.

Each competitor will submit an essay that addresses the issue:  In what way has the study of world history affected my understanding of the world in which I live?

The committee will judge papers according to the following criteria:

• clear thesis;
• elaboration on the thesis with specific, concrete, personal example(s);
• evidence of critical-thinking, such as synthesis and evaluation, when reflecting on the essay question;
• organization and fluency; and
• overall effectiveness of the student’s ability to communicate his or her personal connection with the study of world history—in other words, how well has the student described the experience of being changed by a better understanding of world history?

To view some of our past winning essays, please click on the links below.

2019 Paper Prize Winner

2018 Paper Prize Winner

2017 Paper Prize Winner

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Length & format.

Length:  Submissions for the  K–12  World Historian Award should be approximately 1,000 words.

Formatting:  Number all pages except for the title page. All pages are to be double-spaced. Use 12-point Times New Roman Font. Margins are to be 1 inch left and right, and top and bottom.

Submissions must be composed in Microsoft Word.

The author’s identity is to appear nowhere on the paper.

A separate, unattached page should accompany the paper, identifying the author, title of paper, home address, telephone number, e-mail address, and name of school.

Papers that do not adhere to these guidelines will be disqualified.

Entries must be emailed or postmarked by the annual deadline of 1 May.

Winning papers will be announced during the summer.

The  WHA  reserves the right to publish in the  World History Bulletin  any essay (or portion thereof) submitted to the competition. It will do so solely at its discretion, but full acknowledgment of authorship will be given. If someone’s essay is published in whole or in part, the author will receive three (3) copies of the  Bulletin.

E-mail submission

Send the following materials as separate attachments (formatted in  MS  Word) in the same e-mail, with the subject line  World Historian Student Essay :

• the paper, and
• a page with identifying information (author, title of paper, home address, telephone number, e-mail address, and name of school).

E-mail to: Susan Smith < [email protected] >.

Postal submission

Send five copies of the paper and five copies of the page with identifying information. In the lower left hand corner on the front of the envelope write:  World Historian Student Essay.

Susan Smith Maple Grove Senior High 9800 Fernbrook Lane  N. Maple Grove,  MN  55369-9747

WORLD HISTORIAN STUDENT ESSAY COMPETITION COMMITTEE:

• Susan Smith, chair
• Paul Richgruber

PAST WINNERS

• Amanda Zhao, Pacific Ridge School (Carlsbad, CA) “History: An Ode to the Bricks of Progress”
• Akram Elkouraichi, Yonkers Middle High School (Yonkers, NY) “The Realization of Impermanence: Ephemerality in World History as a Conceptual Framework”
• Steven Chen, Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School (Vancouver, BC, Canada) “A Human Story: World History as an Optimist”
• Juliana Boerema, Cary Christian School (Cary, North Carolina) “Brilliant Painting: How the Study of World History Changes Perspective”
• Ahmad Aamir, Lahore Grammar School (Lahore, Pakistan) “Learning from History: Cooperation, Belief, Scholarship, & Words”
• Vivian Liu, International School of Beijing (Beijing, China) “History: Bread of the World”
• Vanessa Yan, Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School (Bradenton, Florida) “World History: The Great Macroscope”
• Rachel Hughes, Webber Academy (Calgary, Canada), “Fostering a Universal Understanding of World History is the Key to a Brighter Tomorrow”
• Campbell Munson, The Episcopal School of Dallas, “How History Has Affected My Worldview: Economies, Migration, Causality and Disease”
• Jacob Cooper, North Oconee High School (Bogart, Georgia), “World History: The Basis for Self-Determination, Democracy, and Religion“
• Luke J. Hamilton, Sword Academy (Bridgeport, Nebraska), “The Present: Living History”
• David Kim, Wydown Middle School ( St.  Louis), “History: The Shadow of the World”
• Elizabeth Mello, Dartmouth High School (Dartmouth, Massachusetts), “Out of Many Threads, One Cloth”

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Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest

Students      >      Essay Contests      >     Atlas Shrugged

✓    Open to all high school, college, and graduate students worldwide.

Annual Grand Prize

June 14, 2024

Summer Entry Deadline

Book Length

Interested in participating?

Fill out the contact form below, and we’ll email you with more information about this year’s contest—including instructions on how to enter.

Thank you for signing up!

We’ll email you more information about this year’s contest—including instructions on how to enter. In the meantime, please let us know at [email protected] if you have any questions. We’re happy to help.

What is Atlas Shrugged?

The astounding story of a man who said that he would stop the motor of the world—and did.

Tremendous in scope, breathtaking in its suspense, Atlas Shrugged is unlike any other book you have ever read. It is a mystery story, not about the murder of a man’s body, but about the murder—and rebirth—of man’s spirit.

How It Works

Every three months there is a new seasonal entry round, with its own unique essay prompt. You may compete in any or all of these entry rounds.

The top three essays from each season will be awarded a cash prize. The first-place essay from each season will advance to compete for the annual grand prize.

The first-place essay from each season will be eligible to contend for the annual first-place title, with the opportunity to secure a grand prize of $25,000.

Challenging Essay Topics

Each entry round features a unique topic designed to provoke a deeper understanding of the book’s central themes and characters.

Essays must be written in English only and be between 800 and 1,600 words in length.

Questions? Write to us at [email protected] .

• Summer Prompt
• Fall Prompt
• Winter Prompt

The essay prompt for our fall entry period has not yet been determined. We will post it here as soon it’s available.

The essay prompt for our winter entry period has not yet been determined. We will post it here as soon it’s available.

Grand Prize

Master our grading standards.

Essays are judged on whether the student is able to justify and argue for his or her view, not on whether the Institute agrees with the view the student expresses. 

Our graders look for writing that is clear, articulate, and logically organized.  Essays should stay on topic, address all parts of the selected prompt, and interrelate the ideas and events in the novel. 

Winning essays must demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophic meaning of Atlas Shrugged .

Organization

Understanding, contest timeline, discover the power of atlas shrugged.

Atlas Shrugged  is a mystery novel like no other. You enter a world where scientists, entrepreneurs, artists, and inventors are inexplicably vanishing—where the world is crumbling.

And what you discover, by the end, is an uplifting vision of life, an inspiring cast of heroes, and a challenging new way to think about life’s most important issues.

Learn more and request a free digital copy of the book today.

Learn from Past Winners

Curious to know what makes for a winning essay in the Atlas Shrugged   contest? Check out some of the essays written by our most recent grand-prize winners. 

To varying degrees, they all display an excellent grasp of the philosophic meaning of Atlas Shrugged .

Click here to see the full list of 2022 contest winners.

Jacob Fisher

Graduate Student

Stanford University

Stanford, California

United States

Mariah Williams

Regis University

Denver, Colorado

Nathaniel Shippee

University of Illinois

Chicago, Illinois

Samuel Weaver

St. John’s College

Annapolis, Maryland

Patrick Mayles

Graduate student

Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Christina Jeong

College Student

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

Improve Your Writing Skills

Other than endorsing perfect punctuation and grammar in English, the Ayn Rand Institute offers no advice or feedback for essays submitted to its contests. However, we do recommend the following resources as ways to improve the content of your essays.

The Atlas Project

Writing: a mini-course.

Sign Up for Contest Updates!

Want to stay up-to-date on any new developments to the contest? Sign up to our email list below.

We’ll send you periodic reminders about the contest deadlines, as well as helpful resources to ensure you get the most out of your experience reading and writing about Ayn Rand’s  Atlas Shrugged .

Great! Let's get you a copy of the book.

Atlas Shrugged is a mystery novel like no other. You enter a world where scientists, entrepreneurs, artists, and inventors are inexplicably vanishing—where the world is crumbling.

What you discover, by the end, is an uplifting vision of life, an inspiring cast of heroes, and a challenging new way to think about life’s most important issues.

You're almost there!

Enter your school details below to receive a free digital copy of Atlas Shrugged .

Let's log you in to your account.

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We've received your request for a free copy of Atlas Shrugged and will be emailing you details on how you can access it shortly. In the meantime, are you ready to begin the entry process?

Please enter your password below, either to create a new account or to sign in to your existing account for the contest. Once you're logged in to your account, you'll be able to save your entry progress and return later to complete it.

Hi, . Ready to enter the contest?

Now that you've logged in to your account, let's get you started on your entry for the contest. It's OK if you haven't finished reading the book or writing your essay yet. We'll save your progress for you to continue later.

Then, when you're ready to submit your essay, just return to our platform. Your saved entry will be right where you left off. So, why wait? Take the first step, and start your entry today.

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Disability History Essay Contest

The Disability History Essay Contest is a partnership with the WV State Rehabilitation Council and the WV Division of Rehabilitation Services that coincides with WV Disability History Week and is open to all WV high school seniors. This contest is designed to provide WV high school seniors with an opportunity to showcase their writing skills, share what they have learned about disability issues in their community, use their ability to form and express opinions, and perhaps to earn some money!

This special edition of our newsletter includes all the winning essays, photos of the authors, and a bit of information to help you get to know these students. In addition to the award certificate, the authors of the winning essays received an engraved personalized key chain and a check for the amount of their award as follows:

• State Winner - $3,250
• District 1st Place Winners - $1,750
• District 2nd Place Winners - $1000

Congratulations to all the winners! I hope this contest continues to motivate high school seniors to not only submit an entry, but to learn more about disability history and how the disability rights movement has changed our world and our lives.

Awards are presented to students at their High School Senior Awards Ceremonies. The winners and their essays are published each year in our Special Edition Newsletter.

2023 Disability History Essay Contest

State winner - lingjian zheng.

The 2023 State Winner of $3250 is Lingjian Zheng, a graduate of Parkersburg South High School. Lingjian Zheng is a senior at Parkersburg High School. He started his high school career at Parkersburg South High School with English as his second language. He was an active member of the National Honor Society and the STARS community service group. He competed in Math Field Day and was recognized as a regional and state winner. As an active member of the National Honor Society, he assisted the American Red Cross with its blood drive Mr. Zheng plans to attend WVU in the fall and major in biology. His aim is to expand the border of science through his future involvement in frontier research.

Lingjian's essay is below along with the other winning essays in our 2023 Special Edition Newsletter. 

2023 State Winner - Lingjian Zheng

IL Edge - 2023 Special Edition

2023 Disability History Essay Contest Winners

 “Career Paths for Youth with Disabilities: The Past, Present, and Future." 

2022 Disability History Essay Contest

State winner - mattelyn lamp.

The 2022 State Winner of $3250 is Mattelyn Lamp, a graduate of St. Mary's High School.

Hello, my name is Mattelyn Lamp. I am a senior at St. Marys High School, a member of West Virginia University at Parkersburg’s Early College program, the ACT 30 Club, National Honor Society, and I am the historian of SMHS’s NHS chapter. I am also a program double completer at Mid-Ohio Valley Technical Institute for both Graphic Design and Multimedia Publishing, a member of National Technical Honor Society, and a MOVTI Student of the Quarter. I was a member of the SMHS Marching Band and Concert Band for three years and was the drum captain for 2 years. In addition, I have been a member of the SMHS Art Club all 4 years of high school.

After I graduate high school, I plan to earn my Bachelor’s degree in Media Communications from West Liberty University and work in television and media production.

Mattelyn's essay is below along with the other winning essays in our 2022 Special Edition Newsletter. 

2022 State Winner - Mattelyn Lamp

IL Edge - 2022 Special Edition

2022 Disability History Essay Contest Winners

 “How (insert name of famous person) Has Influenced Me” 

2021 Disability History Essay Contest

State winner - hannah casey.

The 2021 State Winner of $3250 is Hannah Casey, a graduate of Charleston Catholic High School. While there, she was a member of the varsity volleyball and varsity softball teams all four years, serving as team captain for both teams her senior year. She also earned a spot as a North-South All-Star for both sports and was elected as a member of the 2nd Team All State for volleyball.

Outside of school, Hannah has been a Girl Scout for 14 years, where she has earned her Silver Award. She has also spent hundreds of hours doing volunteer work for organizations such as Backpack Blessings and the Student Conservation Association. 

Hannah plans to attend DePaul University in Chicago, IL where she has been accepted into their 3 + 3 BA/JD program. She is planning to major in Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies as she works to obtain her law degree. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, listening to music, journaling, and spending time with her friends.

Hannah's essay is below along with the other winning essays in our 2021 Special Edition Newsletter. 

2021 State Winner - Hannah Casey

IL Edge - 2021 Special Edition

2021 Disability History Essay Contest Winners

“The significance of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 –

Past and Present”

2017 Disability History Essay Contest

State winner - lydia andlinger.

The 2017 State Winner of $3000 is Lydia Andlinger Beane, is a graduate of The Linsly School in Wheeling, WV. She was a four-year varsity cheerleader and served as team captain for the Cadets’ varsity tennis team for two years, leading them to victory in 3 consecutive Ohio Valley Athletic Conference (OVAC) championships. She also served 2 years as manager for the hockey team for two years.

Lydia consistently landed on the Headmaster’s Performance List and made academic honors. Her takes a rigorous academic curriculum included several Advanced Placement courses. She was a member of the Key Club, S.A.D.D. Club, and the Drug-Free Clubs of America.

Lydia volunteers for the area’s annual C3 Soccer Camp, Wheeling Hospital and The Center for Pediatrics, a local pediatric rehabilitation center. She also assists with young children’s tennis clinics. Additionally, she works part-time at The Wheeling Coffee Shoppe.

Lydia plans to attend Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. She has been accepted into the Direct Freshman Admit Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program at Duquesne, and plans to pursue a career as a pediatric physical therapist. In her spare time, she enjoys playing tennis, baby sitting, shopping and spending time with her family and friends.

Lydia's essay is below along with the other winning essays in our 2018 Special Edition Newsletter. 

2017 State Winner -  Lydia Andlinger

IL Edge - 2018 Special Edition

2017 Disability History Essay Contest Winners

“How Technology has Removed Barriers and Improved The Lives

of People With Disabilities”

2016 Disability History Essay Contest

State winner - lindsey grace beane.

The 2016 State Winner of $3000 is Lindsey Grace Beane, a graduate of Hurricane High School, is active in her school and community through many clubs, organizations, pageantry and dance. She is an active participant of the National Honor Society, DECA club, Key club and founding member of the Students Against Destructive Decision Club (SADD).

When not studying, she enjoys spending her time promoting her platform; Defy Disability: Put People First, which has been a passion of hers. She has provided education both in state and out of state through pageantry through the years. She is the current reigning America’s National Teenager which has allowed her to travel across the nation to spread awareness about. She will be attending West Virginia University pursuing a degree in nursing. 

Lindsey's essay is below along with the other winning essays in our 2017 Special Edition Newsletter. 

2016 State Winner - Lindsey Grace Beane

IL Edge - 2017 Special Edition

2016 Disability History Essay Contest Winners

“The Barriers for People with Disabilities in My Community and

How I Can Make a Difference”

2015 Disability History Essay Contest

State winner - blake huffman.

The 2015 State Winner of $3000 is Blake Huffman, a senior at Winfield High School where he currently has a 3.9 GPA. During his high school years, he has been involved with the General Admission Show Choir, the Marching Generals, the Boys Soccer team, Fuel Bible Club, FCA, National Honor Society, Link Crew, and the Spanish Honorary Society. He is an active member of youth group at Teays Valley Baptist Church and works with the Highways & Hedges Bus Ministry and sings in both the adult and youth choirs. Blake is also an Eagle Scout and was selected as a delegate for Mountaineer Boys State. Blake has logged over 300 community service hours since beginning high school. 

Blake was diagnosed with Dyslexia his junior year and has worked with the Teays Valley office of WV Division of Rehabilitation. He is extremely excited to be chosen as the 2015 Disability History Essay Contest winner and is very thankful for the opportunity to apply and the funds made available for college.

Blake's essay is below along with the other winning essays in our 2016 Special Edition Newsletter. 

2015 State Winner - Blake Huffman

IL Edge - 2016 Special Edition

2015 Disability History Essay Contest Winners

“How Have the First 25 Years of the Americans with Disabilities Act Changed America?”

2014 Disability History Essay Contest

State winner - mason ryck.

The 2014 State Winner of $2000 is Mason Ryck, a 2015 graduate of Robert C. Byrd High School. Born July 17, 1997 in Augusta, GA, he is the youngest of two siblings, Travis (23), whom resides in Texas and Taylor (20) of Arizona.

Mason loves to play lacrosse, picking up the game from his Native American heritage, the Iroquois Mohawks in Canada. He also enjoys boxing and MMA. Mason plans to attend college in Arizona and will be working with his father in industrial construction this summer after graduation. 

Mason's essay is below along with the other winning essays in our 2015 Special Edition Newsletter. 

2014 State Winner - Mason Ryck

IL Edge - 2015 Special Edition

2014 Disability History Essay Contest Winners

“Discuss the opportunities for people with disabilities that have evolved from the Disability Rights Movement”

2013 Disability History Essay Contest

State winner - alexandra nicole rundle.

The 2013 State Winner of $2000 is Alexandra Nicole Rundle from East Fairmont High School. She attends WVU studying Pre-Forensics and is holding a 3.0 GPA. She continues to volunteer in her community on several venues.

Alexandra is a part time student worker at WVU in the Career services office where she assists students with a variety of needs including referrals to the disability services office. 

Alexandra's essay is below along with the other winning essays in our 2014 Special Edition Newsletter. 

2013 State Winner - Alexandra Nicole Rundle

IL Edge - 2014 Special Edition

2013 Disability History Essay Contest Winners

“How the disability rights movement has shaped our world”

2012 Disability History Essay Contest

State winner - heidi dennison.

The 2012 State Winner of $2000 is Heidi Dennison from Nicholas County High School.

Heidi's essay is below along with the other winning essays in our 2013 Special Edition Newsletter. 

2012 State Winner - Heidi Dennison

IL Edge - 2013 Special Edition

2012 Disability History Essay Contest Winners

“The significance of the disability rights movement in today’s world”

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Pleasantview DAR announces essay winners

River City Middle School's Faith Harmon is the eighth grade winner of the Pleasantview Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution's American History Essay Contest. From left: Andy Preiss, Mark Harmon, Faith Harmon, Staci Harmon, Nancy Hicks and Janey Ortega. Courtesy photo

Hailey Jenny-Jeanne Farr of River City Middle School is the seventh grade winner of the Pleasantview Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution's American History Essay Contest. From left: Andy Preiss, Trina Caudle, Hailey Jenny-Jeanne Farr and Deb Tierney.

Milli’on Horfelt of Post Falls Middle School is the sixth grade winner of the Pleasantview Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution's American History Essay Contest. From left: Sally Holtz, Milli’on Horfelt, Vicki Horfelt and Mark Mason.

The Pleasantview Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution has announced the winners of the American History essay contest for 2024.

The Pleasantview American History essay contest was open to students in sixth through eighth grades in all accredited schools in the Post Falls area.

The topic of the American History contest this year was:

"On May 14, 1897, John Phillip Sousa played his new march, “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” This song would become the national march of the United States on Dec. 11, 1987. Imagine it is 1897 and you are a newspaper reporter for “The Philadelphia Times.” Your newspaper editor has asked you to write an article about the song being performed that day. Your article needs to tell us about Sousa’s life and the story behind the song. It is the first performance of the song, so make sure your article includes your thoughts about the music and how the audience reacts to what is seen and heard that day."

The entries were judged by grade level. The winners of the contest are:

• Sixth grade — Milli’on Horfelt, Post Falls Middle School

• Seventh grade — Hailey Jenny-Jeanne Farr, River City Middle School

• Eighth grade — Faith Harmon, River City Middle School

Winners earned certificates, bronze medals and monetary awards. Pleasantview Chapter winners will be submitted to the Idaho State Society for consideration in the state and national contests.

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Inspired by Jane: Youth Essays on Shaping a Better World

Image by Hugo van Lawick, provided by Jane Goodall Institute.

In celebration of Dr. Jane Goodall's upcoming 90th birthday, the Natural History Museum of Utah is partnering with the Jane Goodall Institute and my529 Utah's Educational Savings Plan to host an essay contest to inspire a new generation of visionaries. One first place winner will receive a trip to Seattle, Washington, to meet Dr. Jane Goodall, and a my529 college savings certificate for $1,000!

Jane's list of life achievements is immeasurable, and it all started with the fulfillment of her childhood dream to study animals in Africa. Since those early days in Tanzania, Jane has helped humanity gain a greater understanding of our closest relatives, chimpanzees, and become one of their greatest advocates by founding the Jane Goodall Institute. (Much of her story is told in our current special exhibition, Becoming Jane .)  

Now, Jane is determined to encourage a new generation of change-makers by helping them envision the positive impact they can bring upon our world. With that in mind, we invite Utah's 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students to respond to the following writing prompt in an essay of 500-600 words:

Knowing all that Dr. Jane Goodall has accomplished in her life so far; tell us what positive impact you hope to make in the world by your 90th birthday.

Dr. Jane Goodall. Image by Vincent Calmel and provided by JGI.

Contest Guidelines

• This contest is open to Utah students currently attending 6th, 7th, or 8th grade-level education at a public school, charter school, private school, or home school. 
• The submission deadline is 9 a.m. MDT on Monday, March 11, 2024.
• Winners will be announced by March 18, 2024.
• A trip to Seattle, Washington, for an opportunity to meet Dr. Jane Goodall in advance of a public lecture on March 30, 2024, with hotel and airfare included for the contest winner and one parent/guardian. 
• A my529 college savings certificate for $1,000.
• A gift basket of Dr. Jane Goodall keepsakes including four tickets to see Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Dr. Jane Goodall at NHMU.
• A my529 College Savings Certificate for $500 
• A gift basket of Dr. Jane Goodall keepsakes including tickets to see Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Dr. Jane Goodall at NHMU. 
• A pair of tickets to see Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Dr. Jane Goodall at NHMU.   

Ready to go? Submit your essay by following the link below. Or keep reading for more writing tips and official rules. 

Writing Tips

If you need help getting started, consider the following writing tips to find your inspiration.

• A lot can change in just a few decades! Use your imagination to think of global impacts you could make as technology and humanity continue to change. 
• Think BIG and think small. You may aspire to reduce manmade global warming, protect wildlife habitat, or eliminate plastics polluting our oceans. But have you considered what life-changing improvements you might bring to neighbors in your community!
• There is no right answer! We know that many of you will come up with ideas most adults haven't even dreamed of, so don't be shy to share your vision. 
• Take one small step... Come up with an idea. Write it down. Then let your creativity take over and tell us how you might achieve it before you turn 90. 
• And don't forget to tell us how icons like Dr. Jane Goodall inspired you!

Official Rules

• In submitting an essay to this contest, contestants grant the contest organizers, NHMU and the Jane Goodall Institute, the right to use, reproduce, publish, translate, distribute, and display their essay (in whole or in part) worldwide and/or to incorporate it in other works in any form, media, or technology now known or later developed, for the purposes of promoting and publicizing the contest and their respective institutions through various media channels, including but not limited to press releases, social media, websites, and publications. Contestants understand that their essay may be shared with the media and the general public, and they waive any right to inspect or approve the finished product wherein their essay appears. Contestants agree not to seek any compensation for the use of their essay in connection with the aforementioned purposes.
• Contestants must be enrolled in the 6th, 7th, or 8th grade at a public, charter, or private school in the state of Utah, or be a homeschool student at the same learning level who resides in Utah.
• A submitted essay must be solely the work of the qualified contestant. It cannot be plagiarized; produced by someone else; or inspired, written, or edited by artificial intelligence. Please keep it authentic—we want to hear your vision in your words! No teamwork is allowed. 
• A submitted essay must be original for this contest and cannot have been used for other purposes, including other contests or school assignments. 
• Submitted essays must be appropriate for reading by fellow contestants and the general public. 
• Only one entry per contestant. 
• Entries must be submitted by 9 a.m. MDT on Monday, March 11, 2024. 
• Winners will be notified by March 18, 2024.
• Submissions must be made with permission from the contestant's parent or guardian. See entry form. 
• The first place winner must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian when they travel to Seattle. 
• The first place prize of a meet and greet with Dr. Jane Goodall will take place in Seattle, Washington, on March 30, 2024, prior to her public lecture. Due to Jane's demanding schedule, this portion of the prize cannot be rescheduled. 
• Entries will be judged using a contest rubric to determine adherence to the contest guidelines; thoughtfulness of response; clarity of ideas; and proficiency in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
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On Politics

How i learned to love the rerun election.

Have you got the Biden-Trump blues?

By Jess Bidgood

When our pollsters recently asked voters how they felt about the coming election, they heard words that could also describe rancid garbage, personal regret or a meteor headed for Earth.

Stinks. Ashamed. DOOMED.

“Lousy,” offered Joe Ruddach, 61, the owner of auto and coffee businesses who lives in Spokane, Wash., when I called him last week. He added words like “anxious” and “stressed” for good measure.

“I wish they could get younger people,” he said with a sigh, “or someone that could bring people together.”

I’m the new host of this newsletter, and I get it. The rematch between President Biden and former President Donald Trump feels inherently tired, or perhaps inescapably depressing. The primaries ended quickly; the campaign trail is quiet. Both men are broadly unpopular. More Americans see the contest as bad for the country than good , and a full 30 percent of registered voters in the latest New York Times/Siena College poll said they felt scared or apprehensive.

Election dread is real and bipartisan, although Republicans seem to view things a bit more brightly than Democrats. Whatever your politics, you might be tempted to tune out this presidential election completely.

But today — notwithstanding the fact that it is April 1 — I am here to make the case for the 2024 election, which I think will be as captivating, revealing and far-reaching as any in recent history, one that might turn less on the candidates we know than the voters who will choose them.

This is no Nick at Nite rerun. This is a prime-time sequel, with real-life consequences.

The case for 2024

I will acknowledge that it was not easy to find people who are eager to encourage optimism about 2024.

Some laughed at me. Others rolled their eyes. Even Marianne Williamson, the positive-thinking guru and long-shot presidential candidate who actually returned to the 2024 field after briefly dropping out, described the race in dark terms.

“It’s positive that people are disgusted,” she told me.

But Amy Walter, the editor-in-chief and publisher of the smart and nonpartisan Cook Political Report , said there was much more to the election than meets the eye.

“This election feels like a frozen pond, where it looks kind of boring, but underneath there’s a lot going on,” Walter said. “What’s happening underneath it is really the story.”

Sure, Biden and Trump are both aging, white, former or current presidents. But they are astonishingly different candidates, and this race won’t be a personality contest or a beauty pageant.

Both men have been clear about who they are, what they want to do and how deeply their second terms would diverge.

An indicted former president who wants to consolidate his power, punish his enemies and transform American life is challenging an old-guard incumbent who says he is democracy’s last line of defense. It’s a clash playing out amid extraordinary circumstances.

Biden is an internationalist and institutionalist, who would spend a second term aiming to complete unfinished agenda items from his first. Trump is an iconoclast who delights in violating boundaries, sought to overturn his 2020 election loss, and would use a second term to seek retribution and reimagine the government.

Whatever issue you care most about — be it abortion rights, democracy, taxes, immigration or the economy — will be shaped by the result.

What’s more, Trump is the only person to ever run for president while facing four criminal indictments. Aside from the innate drama of a campaign, his trials add extraordinary suspense, turning his quest for a second term into a race against the clock.

Our familiarity with Biden and Trump means this election is less likely to turn on any new revelation about the candidates, and more likely to be driven by the feelings and attitudes of the electorate. That means voters and the issues they care about have never been more important, and I’m dying to get out on the road and hear all about it.

Strategists in both major parties are obsessing over how to reach voters they have either taken for granted or written off.

Democrats are worrying about young voters, who are the least likely of any age group to express feelings of hope or excitement about the election, according to our poll. Trump and the G.O.P. are working to make inroads with Black and Latino voters, especially men, well aware that even a slight shift in swing states could decide the election.

Even in a field that might feel calcified, voters have already made their voices heard by laying bare the weaknesses of each candidate.

Nikki Haley’s performance in the primaries showed a significant swath of the Republican Party is uncomfortable with Trump. And many Democratic primary voters chose “uncommitted” over Biden to register their displeasure with his support for Israel in its war in Gaza, forcing his administration to dispatch officials to speak with Arab American voters and to acknowledge their concerns more directly — even if they have yet to satisfy them.

Both parties are also nervously watching third-party candidates like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and working hard to mobilize their core supporters.

And having big, bad feelings about an election doesn’t mean voters will stay home. Political scientists know that loathing motivates voters just as much as loyalty . The first season of Biden vs. Trump, in 2020, drew the highest voter turnout of any presidential election in more than 100 years, and high turnouts during the midterm and special elections since then give no indication that the pattern won’t continue this year.

Last week, in a bawdy interview with Maureen Dowd , the Democratic strategist James Carville, 79, declared the 2024 election to be the only one “in my lifetime where it’s about yesterday, not tomorrow.”

This is a transitional election, the likely last stand for a pair of presidents who have run seven times for the job between them.

Both candidates keep fairly light campaign schedules, compared with previous presidential elections, which owes partly to their competing commitments — Biden has to president and Trump has frequent court dates — and may also reflect the reality of their advanced age.

That dynamic has created ample room for surrogates to test their skills and their messages, making this race an excellent way to see which way both parties — and the country — are going. It will also introduce new supporting characters who could one day play a starring role.

Democrats will spotlight rising-star governors like Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Wes Moore of Maryland, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan. There are also ascendant progressives like Representative Ro Khanna of California and Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia.

Among the Republicans, we have Trump’s long list of potential vice-presidential contenders as well as other party stars. They include Republicans who have made themselves in his image, like Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio or Representative Elise Stefanik of New York against those, like Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who are trying to walk a slightly finer line.

Down-ballot races sometimes get eclipsed by the fight at the top of the ticket, but I don’t think that’s going to happen this year. We’ll be able to pay close attention to the fights for the Senate and the House, plus governors’ races and beyond, watching how candidates define themselves and their parties, and handle the thorny issues voters care most about.

And at the end of the day, this race has elimination-round energy. Each candidate, old as he may be, is hoping to vanquish the other for good.

Even the double-haters can take some solace in knowing that one of the candidates they don’t like will lose — and that this exact matchup can’t possibly happen a third time.

What excites you about this election?

If you’re like me, and you’re enthused by this year’s election, I’d love to hear from you.

I’m asking readers: What about this year’s election cycle excites you? Perhaps it is a candidate, a local initiative, or a personal connection to one of the issues. If you’d like to share your thoughts, you can fill out this form .

I may use your response in an upcoming newsletter. We will not publish any part of your response without contacting you first.

An earlier version of this article misstated the number of Donald Trump’s terms in office. If he wins the presidential election it will be his second term, not his third.

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