essay contest guidelines

Live Deliberately Essay Contest

The walden woods project is pleased to announce our 2023-2024 live deliberately essay contest prompt:.

“We, too, are out, obeying the same law with all nature. Not less important are the observers of the birds than the birds themselves.” – March 20, 1858, Journal, vol. X, Henry David Thoreau

Think about the role we play in nature in order to become more responsible stewards of Earth. We are often asked to consider how humans contribute to climate change, yet Thoreau’s quotation encourages us to see ourselves as part and parcel of the natural world, rather than removed from it. In 750 words or fewer, reflect on an experience that caused you to think differently about your relationship to nature, nature’s influence on you, and/or your influence on nature.

Essay Contest Information  and  Timeline

The contest has two age groups: 14-16 and 17-18*. One winner will be identified in each age group and will receive a $500 cash prize, plus an annotated edition of Walden, autographed by the book’s editor, Jeffrey S. Cramer, our Curator of Collections at  The Walden Woods Project’s Library . Essays may also be selected to receive Honorable Mention in each age group, which will be awarded with an autographed annotated edition of Walden .

For information about past contest winners and to read their essays, click here .

Download the Essay Contest Flyer for your students!

 *19-year-olds who are seniors in high school or the equivalent through homeschool or other program at the closing date of the contest (February 19, 2024) are also eligible to apply in the 16-18 age group.  College students are not eligible.   

ESSAY CONTEST GUIDELINES:

PLEASE BE SURE TO READ ALL DIRECTIONS. ESSAYS THAT DO NOT ADHERE TO GUIDELINES WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. 

• Submission:  Essays should be submitted using the online form only. Please do not email or mail entries. Each participant can submit  one  entry for consideration (per year).  The youth or his/her/their adult sponsor (see below) can submit the essay.    
• Deadline:   The 2023-2024 Essay Contest Deadline is February 19, 2024 . Entries received after 10:00AM EST. on that day will not be considered.    
• Length:  Essays should be no longer than 750 words. This is a  maximum  word count; if your response to the prompt can be  clearly  and  powerfully  communicated in fewer than 750 words, that is great.    
• Eligibility:  The contest is open to youth around the world. Youth must be at least 14 years and no older than 18* years of age  when the contest closes on February 19, 2024 . Past winners are not eligible to participate.  *19-year-olds who are seniors in high school or the equivalent through homeschool or other program at the closing date of the contest are also eligible to apply in the 16-18 age group.  College students are not eligible.   
• Adult Sponsor:  Each contestant who is 17 years of age or younger (on February 19, 2024) must have a teacher, club advisor, parent, or other adult sponsor.  The sponsor MUST review the contestant’s work prior to submission to ensure that it meets essay guidelines. By entering the sponsor’s information on the submission form, the contestant attests that his/her/their sponsor has reviewed the essay.    
• Language:  Essays should be written in English and represent the youth’s original work.  Youth are welcome to initially write the essay in their native language (if not English) but it must be translated into English for submission.    
• Original Work:  A teacher/sponsor can provide pre-writing activities and appropriate review, editing, and translation support, but the ideas, content, structure and style of the actual essay MUST come from the youth alone.    
• Plagiarism and AI: Essays will be run through plagiarism and AI software. If either is detected, the essay will be disqualified.   
• Titling Documents for Submission:  To help us organize and manage the significant number of files that are submitted, please use the following guidelines when titling your document prior to submission.  Essays that are not saved with this naming format will NOT BE ELIGIBLE for the contest.     
• Name the file “LastnameFirstinitial2024”. For example, if your name is Sarah Walker your submission would be titled “WalkerS2024”.    
• Please submit word files only! Files in other formats will not be eligible.  
• Winners:  A panel of reviewers selected by The Walden Woods Project will judge entries and will typically award one winner and a limited number of honorable mentions for each of the two age categories: 14-16 yrs and 17-18 yrs. The essay contest advisory board makes the final decisions and has the authority to offer awards in different configurations from the one just mentioned, including a potential determination of having no winner in a particular age group.  Winning essays and those receiving honorable mention will be featured on our website, alongside a brief profile and picture of the author.    
• Prizes:  The winner for each age group will receive a $500 cash prize, a certificate of recognition from The Walden Woods Project and a copy of  Walden: A Fully Annotated Edition,  autographed by the book’s editor, Jeffrey S. Cramer, our Curator of Collections at The Walden Woods Project’s Library .  The cash prize will come in the form of a check (in the US) or wire (outside of US). If the check expires or is lost, a $29 cancellation fee will be deducted from the total when the check is re-issued. Contestants who receive Honorable Mention will receive a certificate of recognition and an autographed copy of  Walden: A Fully Annotated Edition .     

Evaluation Criteria:

Essays will be evaluated using the following criteria

• Addresses Prompt — The essay effectively takes into account, either literally or metaphorically, the entirety of the prompt. Please do not submit an essay that is being used as your “college essay.” If an essay does not make an earnest attempt to address the contest’s prompt, it will not be considered for review.     
• Focus —The thesis/main message is clear and supported throughout. The essay does not stray from the main message.     
• Organization & Structure —The essay is organized and well-structured. Author demonstrates command of grammar, spelling and mechanics.     
• Voice/Originality —The essay uses a highly engaging and personal style. The author finds fresh or interesting ways to convey ideas. The author approaches the topic from a unique perspective.     
• Evidence of Personal Reflection —The essay demonstrates that the author has genuinely explored the topic/question and how it relates to his/her/their own life. The essay reflects a depth in reflection.     

THE DEADLINE HAS PASSED. STAY TUNED FOR FINALISTS AND WINNERS IN APRIL!

The live deliberately essay contest is guided by the talented members of the essay contest advisory board :.

• Abdullateef Abdul, lawyer, writer and former Live Deliberately Essay Contest winner
• Julie Bastedo, high school English teacher in Orchard Park, NY, and Approaching Walden Alumna
• Jeffrey Cramer, The Walden Woods Project’s Curator of Collections and resident Thoreau scholar
• Lindsay Dent, high school English teacher in Atlanta, GA, and Approaching Walden Alumna
• Zoë Pollak, The Walden Woods Project’s Curatorial & Education Assistant
• Ellen Resnek, Classrooms Without Borders Educational Programs and Outreach Manager in Pittsburgh, PA, and Approaching Walden Alumna
• Sarah Walker, The Walden Woods Project’s Education Director
• Christie Wyman, elementary school teacher in Weston, MA, and Approaching Walden Alumna

Additionally, our contest is made possible by dozens of thoughtful volunteer reviewers each year.  If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer REVIEWER, please fill out this form. 

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Rules and Guidelines

You are here, in this section, essay contest rules 2024.

Length: Your essay should be at least 1,000 words but should not exceed 1,500 words (word count does not apply to the list of sources).

Content and Judging: Submissions will be judged on the quality of analysis, quality of research, and form, style and mechanics. Successful entries will answer all aspects of the prompt and demonstrate an understanding of the Foreign Service . All qualifying essays will be judged blind through several rounds of judging. All decisions of the judges are final.

Sources: Standards of content and style from current edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers will be expected for (1) documentation of sources in the text of your memo; (2) the format of the list of works cited; and (3) margins and indentation. A bibliography following the MLA Handbook must be included. Essays should use a variety of sources—academic journals, news magazines, newspapers, books, government documents, publications from research organizations. At least three of the cited materials should be primary sources (a document, speech, or other sort of evidence written, created or otherwise produced during the time under study). General encyclopedias, including Wikipedia, are not acceptable as sources. Essays citing general encyclopedias in notes or bibliography will be disqualified. Websites should not be the only source of information for your essay; when you do use online sources they must be properly cited.

Submission:

• Fill out the registration form. All fields on the online form are required, including uploading a Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) file of your original work with a title, in English which should include a comprehensive list of sources consulted. Entries must be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman or an equivalent font with a one-inch margin on all sides of the page.
• Teacher or Sponsor: Student registration forms must have a teacher or sponsor name. That person may review the submitted essay and act as the key contact between participants and AFSA. It is to the student’s advantage to have a coordinator review the essay to make sure it is complete, contains all the necessary forms, is free from typographical and grammatical errors, and addresses the topic.
• Do not place your last name or your school's name on any of the pages of the essay. Only the registration form should include this information.
• Faxed submissions will not be accepted.
• Your essay will be disqualified if it does not meet the requirements or is submitted after the submission date of 11:59 p.m. EDT on April 1, 2024.

Eligibility: Students whose parents are not in the Foreign Service are eligible to participate if they are in grades nine through twelve in any of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories, or if they are U.S. citizens/lawful permanent residents attending high school overseas. Students may be attending a public, private, or parochial school. Entries from home-schooled students are also accepted. Previous first-place winners and immediate relatives of directors or staff of the AFSA, Semester at Sea and National Student Leadership Conference are not eligible to participate. Previous honorable mention designees are eligible to enter.

Prizes: $2,500 to the writer of the winning essay, in addition to an all-expense paid trip to the nation’s capital from anywhere in the U.S. for the winner and his or her parents, and an all-expense paid educational voyage courtesy of Semester at Sea. Runner-up receives $1,250 and a full tuition to attend a summer session of National Student Leadership Conference’s International Diplomacy program.

Your essay will become the property of the American Foreign Service Association once it is submitted and will not be returned.

Thank you for your essay submission and good luck!

PRIVACY POLICY : AFSA collects your information for this contest and for AFSA partners. You may be signed up to receive updates or information from AFSA and our partners. You may receive a message from our sponsor regarding their program offerings, with the option to opt-out. You will be notified if you are the winner, runner-up or an honorable mention in June 2024. The names of the winner, runner-up and honorable mentions will be posted on the AFSA website in June 2024.

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

10 Steps to Writing Contest-Winning Essays

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

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

Read the Essay Contest Rules

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

Pay special attention to:

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

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

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

Brainstorm Your Essay Ideas

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Use a Good Hook to Grab the Reader's Attention

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

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

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

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

Write the First Draft of Your Essay

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

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

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

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

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

Revise Your Essay for Flow and Organization

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

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

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

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

Keep an Eye Out for "Red Mittens"

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

As she put it:

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

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

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

Put Your Contest Entry Aside

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

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

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

Revise Your Essay Contest Entry Again

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

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

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

Read the Essay Contest Rules One Last Time

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

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

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

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How to Win an Essay Contest

Last Updated: February 28, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Daniel Santos . Daniel Santos is a College Admissions & Career Coach and Prepory's co-founder and CEO. Prepory is a leading college admissions consulting firm that has guided over 9,000 students from 35 countries through the US college admissions process. Prepory is a member of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling and a trusted admissions counseling partner to several competitive high schools across Florida. Prior to founding Prepory, Daniel worked at various leading law firms and the United States House of Representatives. Daniel has been featured as a college admissions and career coaching expert across several major publications, including the Wall Street Journal, FORTUNE, and The Harvard Crimson. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 167,969 times.

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

Crafting and Editing the Essay

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

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

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

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

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

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

Making Your Essay Stand Out

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

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

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

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

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

Expert Q&A

• If you don't win, take a look at the winning entries if possible and see what they did that you didn't. Try to learn from this and incorporate it into your next essay. Thanks Helpful 17 Not Helpful 2
• Don't be afraid to ask for help if you have a hard time! As long as your work is original, getting feedback from others is a great way to make your writing stronger. Thanks Helpful 11 Not Helpful 2
• If you have difficulty understanding the topic or the guidelines, try to get in touch with the judges. Thanks Helpful 11 Not Helpful 2

• Failure to follow the format requirements may disqualify your essay. Thanks Helpful 43 Not Helpful 8
• Be aware of the deadline to ensure you get your essay submitted in time. Thanks Helpful 17 Not Helpful 3

You Might Also Like

Expert Interview

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

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

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CFGL Young Leaders Essay Contest

Summer 2023.

Official Essay Contest Rules

Section I - General Rules

Contestants must enter through the CFGL website using the provided form.

Contestants must write an original essay with limited guidance from others.

CFGL and Elite Educational Institute will have the right to edit, publish or otherwise duplicate any essay entered into the contest without payment to the author.

Due to the number of entries received, only winners will be contacted with the results.

There is no entry fee for this contest.

Section II - Qualifications for Contestants

The competition is open to all students in grades 9-12 who have been or are currently enrolled in a program at Elite Prep.

Contestants may submit only one essay entry during each competition.

Section III - Contest Rules

Essays must address the official contest prompt.

Essays must be typed and double-spaced.

Essays must be between 400 and 600 words.

Any quotations or copyrighted material used in the essays must be identified properly. Failure to identify non-original material will result in disqualification.

Essays must be written in English.

Section IV - Judging

Judging will be completed by a panel of qualified judges.

Judges will not discuss or compare essays until all essays have been judged.

Section V - Use of Competition Information

All competition entries become the property of CFGL and Elite Educational Institute. CFGL reserves the right to use any and all information related to the contest, including submissions provided by the contestants, for editorial, marketing and any other purpose, unless prohibited by law. Participants hereby grant CFGL and Elite Educational Institute a non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide license to broadcast, publish, store, reproduce, distribute, syndicate, and otherwise use and exhibit the Submission (along with their names, voices, performance and/or likenesses) in all media now known and later come into being for purposes of trade or advertising without further compensation. Participants represent and warrant that they have full legal right, power and authority to grant CFGL and Elite Educational Institute the foregoing license and if applicable, have secured all necessary rights from any participants in, and contributors to, their Submission in order to grant such a license. CFGL and Elite Educational Institute are under no obligation to use any Submission or return the Submissions to participants.

Section VI - Limitations of Liability

By participating in the competition, you agree to release CFGL and Elite Educational Institute and their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, employees, directors, officers, and agents from any and all liability, claims or actions of any kind whatsoever for injuries, damages or losses to persons and property which may be sustained in connection with your participation in the competition. CFGL and Elite Educational Institute are not responsible for late, lost or misdirected email or for any computer, online, telephone or technical malfunctions that may occur. If for any reason, the competition is not capable of running as planned, CFGL may cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the competition.

2024 Civics Essay Contest Rules

Contest rules and regulations.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click HERE to Submit your essay.

Submission Guidelines

  T hank you for your interest in the JASNA Essay Contest.  

Our judges value original insights and clear, correct writing.  Essays should be directed to a well-informed general audience, not a strictly academic one, and should be based primarily on the student's own observations, with adequate support from the Jane Austen work under discussion.  You may assume that the reader is familiar with Jane Austen’s works; plot summaries are unnecessary.

An essay written for coursework may be submitted, but it must be submitted by the student author and in the required format.  If research is used as support, students should rely on no more than five sources and should avoid academic terminology unless terms are clearly defined in the body of the essay.

Reading previous winning essays  will give you a very good idea of the sort of essay JASNA is seeking.  Answers to  frequently-asked questions are also available.

Contest Rules and Submission Website

• Entries MUST address   the current essay contest topic   or they will not be considered .  
• Entries must be submitted by the student through the official Essay Contest Submission website. The site will be open to accept submissions in mid-February . ( Use this link .) Duplicate entries are not allowed. Each submission will be confirmed by e-mail using the address supplied.
• The student must complete the official online entry form, which includes a stipulation that the essay is the student’s original work and has not been published elsewhere.
• Entries may include a statement about the student’s mentor; however, a mentor statement is not required.
• Entries must be submitted before midnight PDT on the published deadline date.
• Contest judging is conducted anonymously. Personal information about the student, school, and mentor must appear ONLY on the entry form and not in the essay. Make sure your software does not automatically put your name on each page.
• Your essay and the entry form must be uploaded to the Essay Contest Submission site. If you have difficulties, please contact Meg Levin at   essay-contest@jasna.org .

Essay Format

Entries that do not conform to the following requirements or arrive after the deadline will be disqualified.

• The essay must be written in English.
• The title of the essay should appear at the top of page one; further pages should be numbered on the top right; the student’s name must not appear on the essay.
• The essay must be in MLA format (double-spaced and in 12-point type throughout, with one-inch margins on all sides of each page).
• The essay must be 6-8 pages in length, not including the Works Cited page.
• The essay must use MLA documentation, including a Works Cited page and parenthetical citations in the body of the text.  Use end notes only for substantive notes.  Source material that is directly quoted, paraphrased, or summarized must be cited. Quotations from the Jane Austen work under discussion should be cited as well.

Please review the   Essay Contest FAQs .  If you still have questions, contact Meg Levin at   essay-contest@jasna.org .  You must include “JASNA Essay Contest” in the subject line.

Essay Contest

“. . . from politics, it was an easy step to silence.”.

Northanger Abbey

About JASNA

The Jane Austen Society of North America is dedicated to the enjoyment and appreciation of Jane Austen and her writing. JASNA is a nonprofit organization, staffed by volunteers, whose mission is to foster among the widest number of readers the study, appreciation, and understanding of Jane Austen’s works, her life, and her genius.  We have over 5,000 members of all ages and from diverse walks of life. Although most live in the United States or Canada, we also have members in more than a dozen other countries.

©2024 The Jane Austen Society of North America, Inc. All rights reserved.

Terms of Use

Moon and Back Essay Contest FAQ and Official Contest Rules

“girl scouts to the moon and back” essay faq and official contest rules.

• Brief description of the “Girl Scouts to the Moon and Back” essay contest:   Early in 2022, NASA plans to launch the Artemis I mission around the Moon and back to Earth. This is the first step toward NASA’s goal of sending the first woman and the first person of color to the Moon. To generate excitement for the mission, promote space science opportunities for girls, and elevate women in STEM, GSUSA, and NASA are giving Girl Scouts a chance to win a Space Science badge that’s been to the Moon on the Artemis I by entering the “Girl Scouts to the Moon and Back” essay contest. The contest will be open for submissions from 12 a.m. EST on January 18, 2022, to 11:59 p.m. EST on March 1, 2022. Fifteen winners from each Girl Scout level will be selected.  
• What is the relationship between GSUSA and NASA? Girl Scout Space Science badges were funded by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (through a multiparty collaboration led by the SETI Institute) in support of scientific and career explorations in the space field. The “Girl Scouts to the Moon and Back” essay contest continues the work of both organizations in support of promoting space science opportunities for girls and elevating women in STEM. 
• Who does the “Girl Scouts to the Moon and Back” essay contest address or expect to reach?  The essay contest is open to Girl Scout Daisies through Ambassadors.
• Marketing - How do customers learn of the essay contest? What marketing materials will be created? The contest is being promoted to councils in the Dec. 13, 2021, and Jan. 4, 2022, editions of Executive Essentials, and on Chatter in the beginning of January 2022. Also at the beginning of January 2022, GSUSA will share a content block with councils on gsConnect that they can use to promote the contest in their council newsletters. Additionally, anyone who signed up prior to January 18, 2022, to receive an update about the contest launch will receive an email alert on January 18, 2022. 
• Valuation - How does the essay contest benefit the customer?  The “Girl Scouts to the Moon and Back” essay contest will help promote space science opportunities for girls and elevate women in STEM.
• Contact – Who will answer customer questions, not covered in FAQs? Who will be the contact for escalated issues?   Beth Herr, [email protected] 
• Resources - Where are resources or materials? The essay contest website will go live on January 18, 2022, the day the contest opens. The website will include official contest rules, contest submission instructions, and a link to the contest submission form for each Girl Scout level.     
• How can my Girl Scout/troop participate? During the contest entry period—January 18, 2022, to March 1, 2022—Girl Scout Daisies through Ambassadors can go to the contest website, girlscouts.org/moonandback , to review the official contest rules, complete the free Space Science badge activity for their Girl Scout level, and submit a contest entry form, including a response to the appropriate essay question for their Girl Scout Level.
• Wasn’t the “Girl Scouts to the Moon and Back” essay contest supposed to happen in May 2021? What happened? GSUSA first announced at STEM Festival on April 17, 2021, that the essay contest would be open for submissions from May 3 to June 15, 2021. Soon after our announcement, we learned that a project like NASA’s Artemis I mission takes a lot of preparation. Think about how carefully you need to pack up for a Girl Scout campout or hike, figuring out the best way to fit all the items you need into one bag. Well, NASA needs to load up the Artemis I just as carefully, precisely calculating the weight of all the cargo going on board. The essay contest will now launch on January 18, 2022, and run for six weeks, until March 1, 2022. 
• Who will judge the essay submissions?  Essay submissions will be reviewed by a volunteer panel of judges that includes space science professionals.  
• How will essay submissions be judged? Essays will be judged relative only to essays from the same Girl Scout level, based on how well they address the question, how original and creative they are, and how well-crafted they are overall. 
• How many rounds of judging will there be? There will be two rounds of judging. In the first round, judges will narrow down to the top 30 submissions from each Girl Scout level. In the second round, 15 winning submissions will be chosen from each level. 
• When will the winners be announced?  Winners will be notified by email and announced on the essay contest website in spring 2022.  
• When and how will contest winners receive their prize?  GSUSA will mail winners their prize in the summer of 2022. Note that the NASA Artemis I mission launch is subject to change and could affect prize availability.

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS CONTEST. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT WILL NOT INCREASE OR IMPROVE CHANCES OF WINNING. INTERNET ACCESS REQUIRED. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

1. Contest Description

Girls Scouts of the USA (“Sponsor” or “GSUSA”), the sole sponsor of the Girl Scouts to the Moon and Back Essay Contest (“Contest”), invites eligible individuals (“Entrants”) to enter the Contest by writing an essay (“Essay”) responsive to the appropriate prompt (“Prompt”) assigned to the Entrant’s Girl Scout level: Girl Scout Daisies, Girl Scout Brownies, Girl Scout Juniors, Girl Scout Cadettes, Girl Scout Seniors, or Girl Scout Ambassadors (each a “Girl Scout Level”).

Girl Scout Daisies Prompt (25 words or fewer) : Imagine you are going on a mission to the moon. What would you take with you and why?

Girl Scout Brownies/Juniors Prompt (75 words or fewer) : Imagine you are the first kid ever sent on a mission to space. Where would you want to go and what would you do there?

Cadettes/Seniors/Ambassadors Prompt (150 words or fewer) : Imagine you are on a space mission and are put in charge of building a new community on another planet. What values would you work to instill in this community and why?

Sponsor will select ninety (90) winners (the “Prize Winners”), fifteen (15) for each Girl Scout Level, from among the Entrants who have provided a complete Submission and who have complied with all of the terms and conditions of these Girl Scouts to the Moon and Back Essay Contest official contest rules (the “Official Contest Rules”).

2. Contest Period

The Contest begins on January 18, 2022, at 12:00 a.m. ET and ends on March 1, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. ET (“Contest Period”). Sponsor's clock is the official clock and sole determinant for the purposes of a valid entry in the Contest.

3. Eligibility

This Contest is open only to Girl Scouts who: (a) have completed the free Space Science Badge activity for their Girl Scout Level on Girl Scouts at Home (available at https://www.girlscouts.org/moonandback  prior to entering a Submission, (b) are legal residents of one of the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico (including residents currently residing in overseas military installations with a valid APO/FPO mailing address), and (c) submit a valid Submission together with a parent or legal guardian (either a “Guardian”) who is 18 years old or older as of the date of entry.

If a potential Prize Winner is under 18 years old (or under 19 years old in Nebraska and Alabama), she must have written approval of a Guardian to enter the Contest and claim the Prize, which includes the Prize Winners’ Guardian providing permission to use the Submission and providing a publicity release consistent with Sections 9, 10 and 11 of these Official Contest Rules.

An Entrant will not be officially declared a Prize Winner unless and until she and her Guardian have signed all required permissions, releases, and other documentation. Entrants and Guardians may be required to provide personal information to receive a Prize.

The Contest is void where prohibited by law. The Contest is not open to any employees, directors, or officers of Sponsor, its subsidiaries, or affiliated councils, or the immediate family members (defined as spouse, parent, child, sibling, and their respective spouses, regardless of where they live) and household members (whether related or not) of such employees. The Official Contest Rules are subject to modification by GSUSA at its sole discretion.

4. How to Enter

To enter the Contest, Entrants must:

a. Review these Official Contest Rules, complete the free Space Science Badge activity for their age level, and access Submission instructions here: https://www.girlscouts.org/moonandback .

b. Write an Essay responsive to the appropriate Prompt for Entrant’s Girl Scout Level, which conforms to the Word Limit and all other Submission Guidelines as defined below in Section 5;

c. Submit a complete Submission at https://www.girlscouts.org/moonandback during the Contest Period, including:

i. Confirmation that Entrant has completed the free Space Science Badge activity for her Girl Scout Level on Girl Scouts at Home (available at https://www.girlscouts.org/moonandback )

ii. Guardian’s consent to Entrant’s participation if entrant is under eighteen (18) years of age (“Consent”);

iii. Entrant’s Essay; and

iv. A clear and focused photo of only the Entrant in portrait form.

Entrants who are 18 years or older do not need a Guardian’s Consent to enter the Contest. Entrant must complete the entire Submission at the time of entry. There will not be an opportunity for Entrant to save her work and finish the Submission later. Sponsor is not responsible for retrieving any incomplete or lost responses.

If a Submission does not meet all Submission Guidelines, it will be removed from the pool of eligible entries.

THERE IS A LIMIT OF ONE (1) SUBMISSION PER ENTRANT. If it is discovered that any Entrant has attempted to: (a) submit more than one (1) Submission and/or (b) use (or attempt to use) multiple or fraudulent names, identities and/or more than one (1) email address to enter the Contest, Sponsor may disqualify Entrant from the Contest.

Except as otherwise provided herein with respect to the Submission, any other attempted form of online entry is void and will not be accepted. Entrant, or anyone acting on behalf of Entrant, may not offer prizes, awards, gifts, money or consideration of any kind in exchange for points in the scoring of the Contest, and Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any Entrant it believes, in Sponsor's sole discretion, to be engaging in such activity. By submitting a Submission, Entrant (and, if a minor, her Guardian) hereby agrees to the terms and conditions set forth in these Official Contest Rules.

All Submissions are subject to verification. Proof of receipt does not constitute proof of eligibility for the Contest. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to require proof of identity and/or eligibility (in a form acceptable to Sponsor, including, without limitation, government issued photo identification to participate in this Contest and/or be awarded a prize. Failure to provide such proof to the satisfaction of Sponsor in a timely manner may result in disqualification.

5. Submission Guidelines

SPONSOR, IN ITS SOLE DISCRETION, MAY REMOVE ANY SUBMISSION AND DISQUALIFY ANY ENTRANT FROM A CONTEST IF IT BELIEVES, IN ITS SOLE DISCRETION THAT THE SUBMISSION FAILS TO CONFORM TO ALL GUIDELINES AND RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN THESE OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES (THE “SUBMISSION GUIDELINES”) AND/OR ANY OTHER PROVISION OF THESE OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES.

Submissions must conform, without limitation, to the following Submission Guidelines:

a. Essays must be the original work of the Entrant and must not have won previous awards or have been published or publicly displayed previously. If an Essay or any other component of a Submission was created by a person other than the Entrant (or includes any other material or elements not owned by the Entrant and/or subject to rights of third parties), then the Entrant will be disqualified as the Submission is not the original work of the Entrant.

b. Submissions must not infringe upon any third party’s rights, including, but not limited to, privacy, publicity and intellectual property rights, and may not include anything in which another person or entity owns any copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, moral right, or other proprietary right (or where a recognizable product that is protectable by copyright or trademark appears).

c. Essays must be (i) in English; (ii) responsive to the appropriate Prompt for the Entrant’s Girl Scout Level; and (iii) not exceed the Word Limit for the Entrant’s Girl Scout Level, which are as follows: no more than 25 words for Girl Scout Daisies; no more than 75 words for Girl Scout Brownies and Girl Scout Juniors; and no more than 150 words for Girl Scout Cadettes, Girl Scout Seniors, and Girl Scout Ambassadors.

d. Essays may not include Entrant’s name, or the names of any other real people (other than those of significant figures). Essays may reference names of significant figures if necessary for Entrant to factually explain her Essay. Essays may include fictional first names, but not fictional last names. If Sponsor reasonably believes that an Essay contains the name of an actual person, Sponsor reserves the right to fictionalize names for the purposes of Prize Winner selection.

e. The Submission as a whole must not include any identifiable information of a third party such as name, address, phone number or email address; contain URLs that link to external sites, files or videos such as Google Docs or YouTube; disparage Sponsor or any other person or party; contain advertising or solicitations; contain text, images or artwork not created by Entrant, or text, images, or artwork over which Entrant does not have specific rights to submit in the Contest; Contain material that Sponsor deems to be inappropriate, indecent, obscene, hateful, tortuous, defamatory, slanderous, or libelous; contain swear words or other coarse language; contain material that Sponsor deems to promote cruelty, bigotry, racism, hatred or harm against any animal, group or individual or to promote discrimination based on race, gender, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age; include any personal information, name, or likeness, of any person under the age of 13 unless that person’s Guardian has executed a written consent; or contain material that is unlawful, in violation of, or contrary to the laws or regulations in any jurisdiction where Submission is created.

f. Adults may assist younger Entrants with typing the online Submission, but the Essay and must be the Entrant’s own creative, original work.

By submitting the Essay, Entrants (and Guardians if applicable) are authorizing use of the Essay in Sponsor promotional materials in accordance with Sections 9 and 10 of these Official Contest Rules, without compensation to Entrant, or any further permission, or notification, unless prohibited by law.

Sponsor reserves the right to remove personally identifiable information from an Essay, and reserves the right but not the obligation, in their sole discretion, to edit or modify any Entrant’s Submission (or a component thereof), or to request an Entrant to modify, edit and/or re-submit his or her Submission (or a component thereof), to ensure that the Submission complies with the Privacy Policy (as defined below in Section 10), these Official Contest Rules, or for any other reason.

BY PARTICIPATING IN THE CONTEST, ENTRANT WARRANTS AND REPRESENTS THAT: (I) HER SUBMISSION (AND EACH COMPONENT THEREOF) IS ORIGINAL TO HER; AND (II) ENTRANT HAS ALL OTHER RIGHTS, LICENSES, PERMISSIONS AND CONSENTS NECESSARY TO THE SUBMISSION AND ITS ENTRY INTO THE CONTEST, TO GRANT SPONSOR THE WORLDWIDE, IRREVOCABLE, AND UNRESTRICTED RIGHT AND LICENSE TO ADAPT, PUBLISH, USE, EDIT, AND/OR MODIFY THE SUBMISSION (AND EACH COMPONENT THEREOF) IN ANY WAY, AND THAT THE SUBMISSION (AND EACH INDIVIDUAL COMPONENT THEREOF) COMPLIES WITH ALL CONDITIONS STATED IN THESE OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES.

6. Winner Determination

Sponsor will appoint a slate of volunteers (the “Contest Judges”) to judge eligible Essays on the basis of the weighted criteria (“Criteria”) included in this Section 6 of the Official Contest Rules. All Essay entries will be presented to the Contest Judges in the same format and, in accordance with the Submission Guidelines in Section 5, above, exclude all personal information. Contest Judges will judge each Essay only against other Essays for the same Girl Scout Level and assign each eligible Essay a score (the “Score”) based on the Criteria in their sole and absolute discretion.

There will be two rounds of judging. In the first round (the “First Round”), Contest Judges will determine the thirty (30) highest-Scored Essays for each Girl Scout Level (the “Semifinalist Essays”). In the second round (the “Semifinals”), when Contest Judges will include space science professionals and others, Contest Judges will assign a Score for each of the thirty (30) Semifinalist Essays to determine the fifteen (15) highest-Scored Essays for each Girl Scout Level. The Entrants who submitted the fifteen (15) highest-Scored Essays as Scored in the Semifinals will be the potential Contest Winners.

In the event of any tie between two or more Essays for the same Girl Scout Level in either the First Round or the Semifinals, the Entrant who submitted an Essay with a higher Score in Criteria 2 will be given priority. If there is still a tie, the Entrant who submitted an Essay with a higher Score in Criteria 3 will be given priority.

All decisions of Sponsor and Contest Judges are final and binding.

7. Prize and Approximate Retail Value

There will be a maximum of ninety (90) winners, up to fifteen (15) per Girl Scout Level. Each of the fifteen (15) winners in each Girl Scout Level will be recognized as a Girl Scout Space Science Star and will have the opportunity to receive a Girl Scout Space Science Badge that has been to space with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Artemis I mission (the “Prize”). The total Prize per Prize Winner will not exceed a $3.00 retail value. Prizes are awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied by Sponsor, including but not limited to, the implied warranties or conditions of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

Potential Prize Winners will receive official notification from Sponsor and may be required to respond with additional documentation within the time required or be disqualified and forfeit the Prize. Each Entrant (or if a minor, her Guardian) must complete, execute and return an affidavit (or declaration, as determined by Sponsor) of eligibility, liability and publicity release, except where prohibited (the “Prize Release”) within ten (10) days of notification. If a Prize Winner is a minor, then the Prize Winner’s Guardian must sign a Prize Release before the Prize Winner receives the Prize. Each Prize Winner must show picture identification to claim the Prize.

Allow approximately six (6) months after prize notification for receipt of the applicable Prize. Prize awards are subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with these Official Contest Rules and decisions of Sponsor.

Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value in its sole discretion. The Prize is not transferable, assignable or redeemable for cash. The Prize is limited to that specified above; all other unspecified costs, fees, and expenses associated with the Prize award, receipt, and use are solely the responsibility of the Prize Winner. Any and all federal, state and local taxes on the Prize, if any, are the sole responsibility of the Prize Winner. Sponsor reserves in its sole discretion the right to suspend, withhold, modify or terminate any aspect of the Prize at any time, including without limitation, for impossibility if the Prize is destroyed or otherwise made unavailable for reasons beyond Sponsor’s control, or if Sponsor in its sole discretion determines that the Prize Winner or Prize Winner’s Guardian’s conduct violates the values of the Girl Scouts, Girl Scout Promise or Law.

Sponsor is not liable to Entrants, Prize Winners or any other person or entity for failure to execute the Contest, or any element thereof, or supply a prize, or any part thereof, by reason of any act of God, any action(s), regulation(s) order(s) or request(s) by any governmental or quasi-governmental entity (whether or not the action(s), regulation(s), order(s) or request(s) prove(s) to be invalid), equipment failure, terrorist act, cyber-attack, earthquake, war, fire, flood, explosion, unusually severe weather, hurricane, embargo, labor dispute or strike (whether legal or illegal), labor or material shortage, transportation interruption of any kind, work slow-down, civil disturbance, insurrection, riot, event or experience cancellation or delay, or any similar or dissimilar event beyond its control.

8. Official Clock and Use of Internet

Sponsor's computer will be the official clock for the Contest. Sponsor, its subsidiaries, affiliates, and their respective advertising, promotion, or production agencies are not responsible for technical, hardware, software, or telecommunications malfunctions of any kind; lost or unavailable network connections; failed, incorrect, incomplete, inaccurate, garbled, or delayed electronic communications caused by the sender; or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or used in this Contest, which may limit the ability to participate (including but not limited to defects/errors/malfunctions), or by any error that may occur in the entry process or the Contest. Without limiting the foregoing, Sponsor, Girl Scout councils, and any associated subsidiaries or affiliates are not responsible for electronic communications/emails not received due to email filtering, virus protection, other protective devices/apparatuses, or any other cause.

Without limitation, Sponsor is not responsible for and shall not be liable for: (a) infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, electronic, hardware or software program, network, Internet or computer malfunctions, failures, or difficulties of any kind, including without limitation, Internet Service Provider (ISP) or other connection availability, server malfunction, failed computer, network, telephone, satellite or cable hardware or software or lines, or technical failure, or jumbled, scrambled, delayed or misdirected transmissions, computer hardware or software malfunctions or any human, mechanical or technical or electronic error which may occur in the collection and processing of Submissions and/or any other information, or for the failure to collect the aforementioned information, or for fraud or any other cause beyond the control of Sponsor, which corrupts or affects the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest; (b) failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions; (c) lost, late, misdirected or incomplete Submissions, or information or mail; or (d) any condition caused by events that may cause the Contest to be disrupted or corrupted, regardless of the reason. Sponsor is not responsible for injury or damage to any person or property related to or resulting from participating in this Contest.

If any of the foregoing renders the Contest incapable of being conducted as described in these Official Contest Rules), Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel, amend, terminate, modify, or suspend the Contest in whole or in part. In such event, Sponsor shall make the Prize available in a manner determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion to be fair, appropriate, and consistent with the spirit of these Official Contest Rules. Notice of such action by Sponsor will be posted on Sponsor’s website and, only if deemed fair by Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion will prizes be awarded based all eligible Submissions legitimately received immediately prior to the event(s) causing the termination or suspension.

Anyone who tampers with or abuses any aspect of the Contest, acts in violation of the Official Contest Rules, acts in any manner to threaten or abuse or harass any person, or violates the terms of service, as solely determined by Sponsor, will be disqualified. Sponsor is not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information whether caused by website users, tampering, hacking, or by any of the programming or equipment associated with or used in this Contest. Any (suspected or actual) use of cheating, robotic, macro, automatic, programmed, or like Submission methods will void all such entries, and may subject that Entrant to disqualification.

9. Intellectual Property and Grant of License in Materials Submitted

By participating in the Contest, Entrant warrants and represents that: (i) her Submission (and each component thereof) is original to her; and (ii) Entrant has all other rights, licenses, permissions and consents necessary to the Submission and its entry into the Contest, to grant all of the rights granted to Sponsor and/or the use by them of the rights granted by Entrant, in whole or in part, does not and will not give rise to any alleged or actual claims, disputes, actions or liabilities, including but not limited to those for disputes or payment of any kind, approval rights, or any rights of participation, attribution, or any other fees, costs, or expenses, arising out of the Submission, use, exhibition and/or any other use or exploitation of the Submission, in whole and in part, the use thereof by Sponsor.

By entering a Submission, and as a condition of entering the Contest, Entrant grants to Sponsor, its agents, and its licensees a royalty-free, non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide, irrevocable, unlimited, assignable and sublicensable right and license to use, distribute, display, exploit, commercialize, use, adapt, edit and/or modify the Submission or any element of such Submission, and use Entrant’s name, picture, likeness, voice (“Promotional Content”), for any and all purposes, including without limitation advertising and promotional purposes such as publicity, promotion, or advertising in any form of media, including website (collectively, “Media Accounts”) without further compensation or notification to, or review or permission of Entrant and/or any third party.

Entrant also waives any right to inspect or approve any such use of their Submission, moral rights, or rights to attribution. Entrant agrees, where permitted by law, to sign any documents necessary to effect this license grant. Entrant understands and agrees that display or publication of their Submission by Sponsor does not indicate that the Entrant who submitted a particular Submission will be selected as a Prize Winner, and Sponsor will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such use.

10. Privacy

By entering a Submission, Entrant (and, if a minor, Entrant’s Guardian) expressly consents and agrees that Sponsor and its authorized representatives may store, share, and use information submitted with a Submission, including posting Entrant’s name and Promotional Content, if applicable, on any and all Media Accounts or publicizing information about the Entrant or the Prize Winner. Sponsor may also use an Entrant's personal data, such as his or her first name, council name, submitted photograph and e-mail address for Sponsor’s marketing communications and in accordance with Sponsor’s privacy policy (“Privacy Policy”) at: https://www.girlscouts.org/en/help/help/privacy-policy.html. To opt-out or unsubscribe from receiving future promotion communications from Sponsor, please write to Sponsor at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10018-2798.

11. Indemnification

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, by submitting an entry, Entrants (or if minors, their Guardians) agree to release, discharge, indemnify, and hold harmless Sponsor, Girl Scout councils, and their respective subsidiaries, affiliates, related companies, advertising and promotion agencies, and the directors, officers, employees, shareholders, and agents of each (“Indemnitees”) from and against any threatened or actual claims, debts, demands, actions, causes of action, suits, proceedings, judgements, settlements (whether or not litigation is commenced), obligations, liabilities, injury, death, loss or damages, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorney’s fees), property damages and any other losses, penalties or fines whatsoever of any kind or nature, whether at law or in equity, known or unknown, asserted or un-asserted, that Entrant ever had, now has, or that may arise in the future, including without limitation any caused in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, by reason of Entrant’s participation in the Contest (or related activities), acceptance, possession, or use/misuse of the Prize, or from any delay in receiving the Prize and/or any subsequent prize, if applicable. Entrants' obligations to indemnify Indemnitees include actions arising (a) from any allegation that any Submission an Entrant submits via the Contest infringes or otherwise violates the copyright, trademark, trade secret, or other intellectual property or other rights of any third party, or (b) from any other violation of these Official Contest Rules. By entering a Submission, Entrants agree that they have no right to bring, and covenant not to bring, any claim, action, or proceeding of any kind or nature whatsoever against Indemnitees in connection with this Contest, and further covenant not to disaffirm, limit or rescind these releases. Entrants acknowledge and agree that Indemnitees do not have now, nor shall any of them have in the future, any duty or liability, direct or indirect, vicarious, contributory, or otherwise, with respect to the non-infringement or protection of any copyright, trademark, patent, or any other claimed right or interest or the inaccurate or misrepresentation of information included in the Submission.

12. Limitation of Liability

Indemnitees are not responsible for: (a) lost, late, damaged, destroyed, delayed, stolen, misdirected, incomplete, or illegible entries, or entries received through impermissible or illegitimate channels, all of which will be disqualified; (b) technical failures of any kind, including but not limited to the malfunctioning of any telephone, computer online systems, computer equipment, website, server provider, network, hardware, or software; (c) the unavailability or inaccessibility of any website or service; (d) unauthorized intervention in any part of the entry process or the Contest; or (e) printing, typographical, electronic, or human errors which may occur in the offer or administration of the Contest or the processing of entries. Entrant agrees that any and all claims, judgments, and awards shall be limited to actual out of pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering the Contests but in no event attorneys' fees or mediation related costs; and Entrant waives all rights to claim any punitive, incidental, consequential, and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased.

CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTESTIS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAW. SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW (AND TO DISQUALIFY SUCH INDIVIDUAL FROM THE CONTESTS IF APPLICABLE). SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY. BY PARTICIPATING IN THE CONTESTS, ENTRANT AGREES THAT THE INDEMNITEES (I) MAKE NO WARRANTY, GUARANTY, OR REPRESENTATION OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN FACT OR IN LAW, RELATING TO THE CONTESTS AND/OR THE PRIZE; AND (II) DISCLAIM ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY.

13. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

The Contest is governed by the laws of the State of New York (excluding its principles of conflicts of laws/choice of laws), County of New York and all claims must be resolved individually (NOT PART OF A CLASS) in the appropriate state and federal courts of New York. By participating, Entrant agrees to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts.

14. No Waiver; Severability

Sponsor or one or more of the Indemnitees’ failure to enforce any provision of these Official Contest Rules shall not constitute the waiver of any other provision. If any provision(s) of these Official Contest Rules are held to be invalid or unenforceable, all remaining provisions hereof will remain in full force and effect.

15. Rules and Winners List Requests

Official Contest Rules (available during the Contest Period) and Prize Winners (available for a period of thirty (30) days after Prize Winners have been selected) will be posted at https://www.girlscouts.org/moonandback Minor Prize Winners will be identified by first name and last initial or by the name of her Guardian.

Entry Rules

Who May Enter

The Civics Essay Contest is open to high school (grades 9-12) students in public, private, parochial and charter schools and home-schooled students of equivalent grade status in the United States and its Territories.

Essay Rules

The maximum essay length is 1,000 words. While not required, proper use of endnote citations and bibliographies will be credited during judging but are not included in the word count. Essays must be submitted as a Microsoft Word document (preferred) or PDF file and follow these formatting guidelines:

• Use 12 pt. Cambria or Times New Roman font, double-spaced text, with one-inch margins
• DO NOT include a title page, page headers or footers, or page numbers
• Include your name on the first page only
• Place all in-text, numbered citations at the end of your essay as endnotes, followed by a bibliography (if included)
• Name your file as follows: Firstname Lastname.ext (example: John Smith.doc; John Smith.pdf)

Essays must be submitted with a completed entry form, which is available when the contest is open for entries.

Essays will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Understanding of constitutional principles – 40 points
• Clarity and effectiveness in expressing the theme – 30 points
• Grammar, spelling and composition – 25 points
• Use of footnotes, bibliographies – 5 points

Scholarship prizes will be awarded for the following:

• First place, $1,500
• Second place, $1,250
• Third place, $750

Publication Release

As a condition of entry acceptance, all publishing rights are retained by the Federal Bar Association and the association reserves the right to copyright material in its name and to reprint it in any FBA publication/media as it sees fit.

Adherence to all U.S. copyright laws and fair use practices is required. Click here  for more information and resources.

Disqualification

Reasons for disqualification include: incomplete or improperly formatted entries, off-topic essays, providing false information, committing plagiarism, not meeting the submission deadline, and not providing a release form if requested.

Questions? Click here  for contest FAQs or email [email protected]

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United States District Court

Middle district of florida, timothy j. corrigan, chief united states district judge • elizabeth warren, clerk of court, search form, you are here, 2022 high school essay contest - tampa | contest rules.

Contest Rules

The lawyers and judges of the United States District Court, Middle District of Florida , through the Middle District Bench Bar Fund and the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Federal Bar Association .

Eligibility

The contest is open to students currently in grades 9 through 12 in counties in the Tampa Division of the Middle District of Florida: Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota Counties. Students in the 9 th through 12 th grades attending public, private, parochial and charter schools, and home-schooled and virtual students of equivalent grade status are invited to participate. Children, grandchildren, stepchildren, and members of the household of a federal judge, a federal court employee, or a member of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Federal Bar Association  are excluded.

Submission Deadline

November 4, 2022, by 12:00 p.m. (noon) EST.

Grounds for Disqualification

Submitting an essay that

• does not comply with these Contest Rules;
• is not the student's original, authored work;
• provides fake entry information; or
• plagiarizes content.

All decisions of disqualification will be final.

Essay Requirements

• Essays must respond to the prompt .
• Essays must be typed and submitted as a Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or WordPerfect (.wpd) document.
• Essays may not exceed 1,000 words not including citations.
• Citations must be placed in footnotes, endnotes, or bibliographies.

Essay Submission

Only one essay may be submitted per student. All essays must be submitted online on or before the submission deadline. Hard-copy or late submissions will not be accepted. Please complete your essay before starting the online contest entry form, which includes instructions for its completion.

To submit an essay, a student must:

• Complete and submit the online contest entry form ; and
• Upload an essay that complies with the "Essay Requirements."

Scoring of Qualifying Submissions

The essays will be judged by lawyers and judges in the Tampa Division . Their decisions will be final.

Recognition

Winners will be announced and recognized at a special ceremony at the Sam M. Gibbons United States Courthouse  in December, 2022. The first place winner will be invited to shadow a judge at a mutually agreeable weekday and time. The top ten finalists will be announced on the Middle District’s website no later than November 30, 2022.

Submission of IRS Form W-9

To comply with the Internal Revenue Code , the first and second place winners will be required to complete and provide the Court with an IRS Form W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification , prior to receipt of their prize monies.

License to Use Essays, Names, and Photographs

Winners will be required to submit a release allowing the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida and the Tampa Chapter of the Federal Bar Association to publish their essays in print or on their websites. In addition, winners will be asked to provide and authorize use of photographs of themselves in contest-related promotional materials, which may include photographs taken at the courthouse.

Links to Essay Contest Information

Contest Home Page

Essay Prompt

Information for Teachers

Top Ten Finalists Announced for the 2022 High School Essay Contest - Tampa

Winners Announced for the Tampa High School Essay Contest

• General Regulations
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• Music Composition
• Playwriting

Essay Contest Rules

Contest applicants must be enrolled as full-time students (at least 12 credits for undergrad and 6 credits for graduate students) at Brigham Young University in either semester of the 2023-2024 school year.

1. This contest provides a total award this year of $1,850 to the winners and any outside judges. This prize is distributed according the discretion of the judge. Depending on the quality of the essays, the judges may divide the money among as many winners as they choose, even giving the entire amount to the first place essay. Or, if the judges feel that the submitted essays are not good enough, they may withhold some or all of the awards.

2. The Mayhew Committee may announce a subject for the contest in any given year. In such instances, all essays must deal with that subject. No subject has been specified for the 2023-2024 competition, however. Students may choose their own topics, restricted only by standards of propriety and good taste. Personal essays are welcomed in this category.

3. The contest jury will judge the essays on the basis of organization, development, the freshness of language, originality, perception, and general literary merit. The essays should appeal to the intelligent lay reader.

4. Although writers may do research and background reading for their essays, the jury will reject research papers. Occasional footnotes are acceptable, but writers should try to make their credits an integral part of their papers. Writers should also avoid frequent long quotations.

5. Essays must be no longer than 8,000 words. Manuscripts are to be typed in a 12-point font, double spaced, with 1-inch margins. The number of words in the essay should appear in the upper right hand corner of the first page.

6. All entries are to be submitted between January 8th and March 2nd, 2024 before 11:59 p.m. , and the winning essays will be announced at an awards ceremony later in the semester. Entries should be uploaded to the Mayhew website. No hard copies will be accepted in the College of Humanities office.

7. The Mayhew Committee will appoint a jury of essayists and critics (selected from the BYU faculty and elsewhere) to judge the essays.

8. Each student submitting an entry will upload a PDF file of their entry and fill out the appropriate information giving name, address, and telephone number and certifying (a) that he or she is eligible by proper enrollment at BYU to enter the contest, and (b) that the entry submitted is the student’s own creative work. The student’s real name will appear only to the Mayhew contest organizers. Please do not put your name on the actual PDF entry itself, we ask instead that you put your student ID number in its place. 

Important note: In addition to the specific rules above for the Essay Contest, see the “ General Regulations ” giving information on all Mayhew Student Creative Contests. Both the general regulations and the specific rules for each contest should be followed by every student who enters one or more of the contests.

All submissions require a cover sheet (title and student ID number) and must be submitted online in PDF format after filling out the online form (see below and Log-In to access). Online submissions will open on January 8th, 2024 .

Contest Contact Information

Professor Pat Madden Essay Contest Chairman 4142 JFSB, Telephone 801-422-6439

[email protected]

Essay Writing Contests: Organizing and Judging for Middle School Students

Nov 24, 2023 | Education , Family

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

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

Organizing the Contest

Planning and preparation.

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

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

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

Promotion and Participation

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

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

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

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

Judging the Essays

Setting criteria.

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

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

Diverse Judging Panel

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

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

Feedback and Evaluation

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

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

Promoting Learning and Growth

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

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

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

Leveraging Technology

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

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

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

Engaging the Community

Involving parents and guardians.

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

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

Community Events

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

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

Collaboration with Local Organizations

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

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

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

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

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Monthly International Essay Contest: Complete Guidelines

Monthly International Essay Contest is an attempt to identify good writers. Essay writing is an art, which brings out your writing skill. It is an art, through which you pen down your knowledge and perception about a given topic. 

About monomousumi

Mononomosumi is an ISO-certified and record holder and highly acclaimed non-commercial Edu-tech Platform, that brings together technology to the education sector and provides requisite support to students, writers, and school administrations. Officially launched in May 2018 with the intent to make writing-related writing extracurricular activities accessible through technology-driven solutions.

About the International Essay Contest

With a carefully chosen educational topic, we encourage participants to develop not only the skills of penning down their thoughts but also creativity, research, and organization skills. We believe in the enrichment of society by empowering individuals with constructive thinking for creating a positive ambiance for overall societal growth.

Monomousumi has never charged any money from our students who participate in an International essay competition every month. The whole idea of this setup is to be a platform where writers of all age groups from across the country can share their opinions on different topics. This gives them a sense of global citizenship and where they stand globally in terms of understanding a particular topic.

The announcement of winners is made in the first week of every month. Here is the list of winners of the competitions held in previous months

Essay Theme for the Month of April- 2024

Theme: geography.

Participants can pick any title for writing essay. Participants can write more than one essay if they wish.

Senior Category topics:

• Urbanization and Sustainability: Can Megacities Become Eco-Friendly?
• Climate Change and Migration: How Geography Shapes Mass Movements
• Mountains as Magnets: How Do Mountains Shape Climate Patterns and Drive Biodiversity?
• Urban Sprawl vs. Sustainable Cities: Can We Balance Growth with Environmental Responsibility?
• Navigating the Nile: How Has the Nile River Shaped the History and Culture of North Africa?
• Islands of Isolation: How Does Geographic Isolation Foster Unique Cultures and Species?
• The Globalization of Food: How Do Geographic Factors Influence Food Production and Distribution Around the World?

Junior category Topics

• Lost Cities: How Can Geographic Techniques Help Us Uncover Hidden Civilizations?
• How Are Tectonic Activity and Rising Sea Levels Reshaping Our Planet?
• Volcanoes: A Geographic Threat or Resource?
• Deserts: A Cradle of Innovation or a Limit to Growth?
• Islands on the Brink: Rising Seas and the Future of Small Island Nations
• How Have Maps Been Used as Weapons Throughout History?

Note: The participants should carry out complete research about the topic and write the essay in their own language. The language should be simple and easy to understand yet informative . Do not write in haste. Devote time on the topic and jot down all the relevant information about the topic. These topics will enrich your knowledge and helpful for your general knowledge. So, do complete research before writing the essay in your language. Copied essays will not be evaluated. Participants can write essay and submit before the 25th of April 202 4.

Writing Style

Participants should write in their own language without copying from google. The participants should present their essays in a convincing way so that the essay does not look like a mundane article created by easily available data from the internet.  The essay should be more than 1000 words preferably.

Essay Submission Method

Submit your essay online through this link

https://weavermag.com/essay-contest/public/

Important Deadlines

Last date of Submission: 25th of April 2024 Result announcement: 15th May 2024 Result announcement: Through this link

Judgment Criteria

All the essays will be judged on the basis of your logic, literature survey, writing style, innovation, structure, etc. Participants should write point-wise with proper logic.  We appreciate simple ideas but always discourage copied content even though it looks attractive.

We will not judge copied essays it will be rejected during the screening process only and no certificate will be issued .  The essay should bring out all the details about a particular topic. Participants should do a lot of research before writing the essay.

This will definitely enhance the knowledge of the participants in the specific field. Participants are free to create their own structure by providing all the information about the topic without copying from the internet. Take the help of google to understand the topic and for enhancing knowledge, but DO NOT SIMPLY COPY JUST FROM THE INTERNET.

Communication Mode

Only communication is through email. Considering a large number of participation, we can not take up calls regarding your queries related to essay submission. Please read the FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS by CLICKING HERE

If still any doubt exists, please feel free to contact us only through email at [email protected] . Have patience after posting your queries. Your queries will be answered by one of our team members at the earliest.

Language : English/Hindi/Bengali Nationality: Any Categories: Two ( Junior & Senior Category) (a) Below 14 years old* (Junior Category) * DOB is must (b) Above 14 years old (Senior Category). There is no upper age limit Registration: No registration is required. No fee is required. submission through only the Essay Submission module (click on it)

Important Rules

• The essay should be MINIMUM 750 WORDS for the senior category and 500 words for the junior category. There is no maximum word count.
• The submitted essay should be plagiarism free/no copy from the internet/unique writing. Please check your essay in this link plagiarism checking tool before sending it to us and submit the screenshot of the plagiarism report. The plagiarized essay will not be accepted for the contest.  This is to encourage participants to write their own essays. We highly discourage copying. SO NO CERTIFICATE FOR COPIED ESSAYS. 
• Age proof is a must only for junior category participants. The name of the school, school website, or email is not mandatory but you are encouraged to provide the email address of the principal/administration. Our team will inform the school authorities about the result if the participant is judged the winner or did outstanding in the contest.
• You should write your name, age, city, phone number, email, and photo (optional) in your entry at the very beginning before you start writing an essay.
• You can participate every month.
• Participants are encouraged to write in such a way as to avoid writing “I” or personal experiences unless the topic is such that they are compelled to write your experience.
• If any participants wish to send pictures, they should attach the images separately as jpg. Sending pictures is not mandatory.
• The decision of the Jury member is the FINAL and no queries related to the result will be entertained
• The deadline for submission is the 25th of every month
• For those participants, who (only those) do not have access of a computer/laptop, they can EMAIL ([email protected]) handwritten essays following all the rules mentioned above. 
• Hand-written essays will not be published but will be eligible for the contest. They are equally eligible but the essay will not be published.  So, if you do not have a computer or laptop, you can just type in mobile part-wise. Handwritten essays should be considered as the LAST OPTION. 
• Selected essays will be published on the website with the name, photo, and bio of the participants without the need for prior permission.
• Sending your essay to us itself gives us the authority to publish it from our side anywhere, online or in digital magazines. Once the essay is published in our platforms, these can not be deleted. Participants can inform if they want their name in the essay or not. It means participants can withdraw their name form the essay but the essay can not be removed once published.

Declaration of Result

The result is declared in the first week of every month through this link and the certificates can be downloaded using this link https://weavermag.com/essay-contest/public/result instantly after the announcement of the result. The certificates will be issued to only the eligible candidates. To see the previous winners, click here

Prizes and Rewards

• The essays will be grouped as First, Second, Third, Other Finalist and not worth mentioning according to the marks given by the judges to each of the essays. Only selected essays among these will be published in the website and the respective links will be conveyed to the participants through mail.
• Note:  There are four types of physical prizes in the form of Trophies, medals, 101 Robotic kit (sponored by https://shop.witblox.com/ ) , 4 Books sponsored by inkyourthought. Other eligible participants would receive prizes in the form of gift coupons/ebooks.
• All the other eligible participants will get the “Certificate of Participation” as a token of appreciation and they will be getting 50% discount if they wish to buy any of our published books or our customized pen is shown in this link . Selling is not our business. Please do not make an impression that we are here to sell and make income from the participants.
• The certificate can be used by the students as an accolade under “Extra Curricular Activity”.
• International winners (winners from countries other than India) will be awarded e-medal. However, if the winner wishes to pay the delivery charges, we can dispatch a physical form of medal/trophy to the international winners. Other participants from India will receive the medal/trophy at their address.
• A few selected articles will be included in the  Digital Magazine: “Weavers”  and  Upcoming Books.

Write and Win:  Participate in a Creative writing Contest  and win fabulous prizes.

For Interested Sponsors

Those corporate houses who wish to sponsor this International Essay Competition may contact us. We can accept Physical Prizes, Cash prizes, Gift Coupons, or anything you wish to give away as a prize to the winners. Monomousumi does not seek any benefits. The corporate houses will be suitably acknowledged by advertising their brands.

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206 comments.

This is very innovative idea. It will increase the creativeness of creative mind.I am very happy and proud of my friend Mousumi.

Marathi subject ka nahi

Mam you are running a very nice competition for young writers.

I accidentally send my entry twice from [email protected] please cancel one of them

Mam when will be June 2021result announcement released

Mam i would like to join this essay competition but i have doubt with the topic of this month. Because the topic of essay is varied in websites. Can you please verify it and tell mam.

Can I send handwritten essay on email?

Ma’am, I just wanna know about the topic of eassy for the month of april asap.

please check the example

Hello it’s me, I am also visiting this website daily, this website is really fastidious and the users are actually sharing fastidious thoughts.

I want to join in this competition of the April month but I have a doubt that how to register for the competition

Essay writing competitions helps a lot in enhancing writing skills. Best of luck monomousumi team.

Mam I want to participate in the essay competition( I’m18 years )but I just wanted to know what is the word limit for my category ? And also man i would like to know if i can send a photo of my handwritten essay through the email? Please reply . Thank you in advance

[…] Click here for rules, prizes and more details. […]

Maam I want to know topic of eassy for april month

Please see the example.

Maam I’m suppose to send entry separately from my eassy or it should be together

[…] Essay Competition […]

I love to join this essay competition..

How to send the essay? I want to send a written essay

Please mail us your essay at [email protected]

I exam given by essay exam

महोदय, मेरा ई-मेल [email protected] हैं, कृपया मेरा मार्गदर्शन करें क‍ि क्‍या मुझे अपना प्रतियोगिता हेतु भेजा जाने वाला न‍िबन्‍ध, आपके बताए ई-मेल पते पर सामान्‍य रूप से भेजना है या इसे क‍िसी व‍िशेष फॉर्मेट में हस्‍ताक्षर कर और इसके अप्रकाशित व मौलिक होने के घोषणा पत्र के साथ भेजना है ।

You can send your entry through normal mail (at [email protected] )

I have a suggestion on your format, not everyone has a facility to have laptop or computer etc if PDF is allowed everyone can able to write at least in papers and submit it by PDF. If anything wrong in above statement forgive me for that…

Yes, we accept PDF

Madam, May I write Essay in Bengali?

Yes sure. Participants can send us essay in three languages: English, Hindi, Bengali.

But language of the essay??

English, Hindi Bengali

Respected ma’am, I haven’t received any confirmation email for my essay competition entry.

Can we send our essay through pdf format

How can I write an essay in paper and then send

scan and mail us.

My name is Thiak Ayuen. I am in south sudan, in senior three having 17years and 6 months. Can i apply?

Yes you can. Please mail your essay.

Mam when may 2021result will publishing

Madam Please update the Essay Topic For February

Subject Marathi ka mahi

Marathi subject

Same topic,or the topic will be changed next month

Ma’am what is the topic?

Given in the link

Mam, I also want to participate but I’m confused how to send hand written essay. Would you kindly help me out.

Scan and mail us

How to participate it’s competition

mail your essay. Read the guidelines please

Madam please clear my query. How we should send our hand written essays . I mean on which address ?

Just scan or take photo of your essay and mail us

Hlo ma’am I have a question that is can i give the picture of my handwritten eassy to your email id?

I don’t have access to computer or laptop so on which address should I send my handwritten essay.

Just take the photo of your essay and mail us

On which address should I send my handwritten essay.

scan and mail

For this monthly essay competition any registration is necessary.A graduation level students will be participating in this competition..

No registration. Just email your essay

.A graduation Level student can participate in this competition.

Ma’am if I m writting with co – authorship , than will my partner also get the certificate ???

Ma’am can i take part in both essay competition and creative writing contest?

How we can send proof of dob?

Hey! do we have to send a picture of our DOB?

Hello, what do you mean by 10+2 class students?

Ma’am can a sample eassy with the format and all details be posted on the website? It will be helpful for new entries. Thank you and I hope you consider this request.

Good Suggestion.

This competition is going on

i acciedently sent my essay twice please accept any one both are same

Ma’am, Can I know the essay topic for the month of April,2020? I just came across this website and realized that the deadline for March also coincidentally is today.

Dear Madam! Can you please explain me the topic of April and May 2o20( combined) Thank you

Mam can u pls tell the topic for April month

Mam kindly briefly make me understand about April n may month’s topic…

I am writing essay in smart phone can I send screenshot

better, type in email body and send, if you do not have laptop or computer.

May i know if this contest eligible for other nationality, i’m from malaysia by the way but i am so interested with this contest

Yes. It is international contest and all are welcome to participate.

hello, basically I am confused with april month topic. Kindly explain the topic.

We have given an example. Please follow.

ya sure, thank you

Mam I am 19 years old. Can i apply for essay writing competition?

Yes you can

Ma’am, can you tell the results date of March 2020.

ma’am, can you tell the result date of march

mam im 19 years of age … i have to choose which category .can u please tell me

Ma’am when will the result of essay competition for the month of march be declared

Mam what is exact topic of the month april. If the months are combined so its deadline should be 25 of may

Mam,u must publish/post an essay from “JAMMU” also.Please reply.Its a humble request.

Please mail at [email protected] . we shall review and then publish

Mam, you organized a competition recently on tourist places.You must be having one from JAMMU.Mam,please look to it.Please reply.

Mam looking forward for ur rply.Please reply.Humble request from JAMMU

hello mam, since the competition for the month of april and may is merged, so will we contestants have to write two essays separately? one in the month of april and the other in may or what? thanks in advance

No. Only one essay is required.

Awesome platform to showcase our talents:-) Thank you for the opportunity.

Respected Maam, Can I type my essay on g mail and send you by e mail and also write my name,age,adress,phone number and is it compulsory to send DOB certificate?? Please Reply ma’am Thanking you, Suraj Porey

I’m 21 years old. How much should be the length of my essay?

Is it required to add any pictures which is related to the topic into the essay ?

It is upto you.

Can I add some pictures which will be related to the topic ?

is it mandotory for the essay to be point wise or can it be a free flowing one?

is it mandatory for the essay to be written point wise or can it be a free flowing one.

you can choose your own style.

can we add pictures or diagrams along with the written content

I’m 21years old what is the length of essay for me?

And for me?

Thank you so much for this wonderful initiative ma’am. Such competitions encourage us to prove our calibre using language. You are indeed very thoughtful 🙂

Hi mam, what is the deadline for this combination of two months essay (April and May) ?

When is the deadline for this month mam?

Can i send two essays for the month of April and May

Hi can u plz send me the topic

will every participants get e-certificate or real certificate

e-certificate

Should we submit a proof of DOB,mam? If so, how?

just mail, only if you are below 18. if you are above 18 it is not compulsory.

Participants should write point wise with proper logic, what make the institutes standalone : Does this mean that we have to express points in bulletins?

You can adopt your style of writing.

Hi can I send my essay directly on email..thanking u in anticipation

what is the topic for the essay right now?

Hey there, the topic given misses clearity. Could you please let us know once again what’s the topic ?

Have you got my essay submitted today. I have not got any confirmation.

Ma’am please tell that is it necessary to write about an organisation/ institute that is near my home? Or can I write about any institute/ organisation far away?

Mail us at [email protected]

Ma’am please reply

What do You want to know!!

Ma’am in the topic it is written “Describe the Uniqueness of Any Mentionable Institute/ Organization Nearby You” so I wanted to know that we have to write about an institute or organisation that is far away from my home.

because it says “nearby you”

It is written nearby you because you may be more known to that organization being residing near to it.

Thanks Team monomousumi for organizing such competitions

What are the prizes for the ‘Third’ category, mam ?

Hellow mam I want to participate in this compition but i have doubt that how can l participate in it ??? Please clear my doubt.

I mean to say , how can i send my entry inthis compition??

[…] Essay Contest: Since May 2018, Monomousumi has never left a single month to conduct the International Essay Contest. The reason it has become one of the most trustworthy and reputed digital platforms exploring new […]

Is participants will be given what type of gift vouchers?

Please send registration link

There is no link required. Please read the guideline.

Mam,since the topic is about uniqueness…..so do we need to mention the overall working…..or its working as well our opinion… because I have not visited any og the organization

mam please do reply

Mam, accidentally I mail you for my entry 2 times. Delete the 1st one please…. I have writen an essay, please acceptt it…

Mam, is it compulsory to be registered? I have not registered here but send an Essay in your email address . Mam, accidentally I mail you for my entry 2 times. Delete the 1st one please…. I have writen an essay, please acceptt it…

Mam we can write more than 750 words mam.

Mam we should use how many pages for writing

sir my son is of 7 years old he want to participate in monthly easy competition, but he can be able to write upto 300 words. Is this limit is permissible?

The word limit is 750

Mam in results I got a certificate and 60percent gift voucher .but it didn’t came to my address .mam so please send to my address the certificate and gift voucher

You will get via mail

Mam i want to know about the essay topic in the month of june

Its given on the top

Mam i did not got my prize i got 60 pls help

We shall mail you

Sir/Ma’am, I want to ask that whenever such competition is organized how do we know about the topic.

Read this link, it is mentioned. Read carefully Please

Hello sir/ma’am How do we know about the topic. Can I write an article on any legal topic or the current situation which is going on. Please reply

Mam i want to write essay in hindi ..so can i scan the same and mail it by PDF Format?

Please send in MS word format

I am really want to participate in it so how can I participate in it.

Mam still I didn’t receive my certificate for may month . I have got 60% .

Mam I still didn’t receive my certificate of may month

Please download your e-certificate from the link https://monomousumi.com/announcement-of-result-of-essay-competition/ or get the announcement link by just typing essay result in google search. The e-certificates will be downloaded as a ZIP folder along with other participants of your category. You need to unzip it to get your certificate. In case you do not know how to unzip a zip file please learn it online. e-certificates are print ready and printable.

We mail all the participants who are eligible for participation certificates and update the same.

Thank you mam!

Can I write fictitious story on the topic ‘One Mystery’

Mam I am not able to send the essay to the following email address [email protected]

When will the new topic announced every month?

Two entries are allowed?

Ma’am how and when ll the winners be announced ?

### # #### ## ##### ## #### #######?

I like this competition

It is compulsory that our essay should be 100 percent plagiarism free? I got 96 percent

क्या अक्तूबर माह के लिए महात्मा गांधी पर क्या निबंध लिख के भेजा जा सकता है .

Spot on with this write-up, I absolutely think this web site needs a great deal more attention. I’ll probably be back again to see more, thanks for the info!

Ma’am, when will the results for the October essay- ‘An inspiring person around you’ will be announced ?

Pretty! This has been a really wonderful post. Thanks for supplying this info.

When will the result of May’s Essay competition be declared?

How will you provide physical awards ?

I am 14 years old, in which category do I fall; junior? Senior?

i wanna join essay competition i cant waitt

Mam I would like to get medal that’s my Aim.i put my own hardwork

Mam I am M.N.fathima mahsooma.i am biomedical engineer.i was paticipated in June contest.i convey overall health issues in full body.i am half engineer and half doctor. I gave full explanation.

Mam pls reply

When will November 2021 essay results be declared?

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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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Regions Riding Forward® Scholarship Contest

Their Story. Your Voice.

Your voice is your own. But it's also been impacted by others. Who, we wonder, has inspired you? Let us know by entering the Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest. 

You could win an $8,000 college scholarship

For the opportunity to win an $8,000 scholarship, submit a video or written essay about an individual you know personally (who lives in your community) who has inspired you and helped you build the confidence you need to achieve your goals.

The details

The 2024 Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest consists of four (4) separate Quarterly Contests - one for each calendar quarter of 2024. Regions is awarding four $8,000 scholarships through each Quarterly Contest.

Each Quarterly Contest has its own separate entry period, as provided in the chart below.

The entry deadline for each Quarterly Contest is 11:59:59 PM Central Time on the applicable Quarterly Contest period end date (set forth in the chart above).

No purchase or banking relationship required.

Regions believes in supporting the students whose passion and actions every day will continue to make stories worth sharing. That’s why we have awarded over $1 million in total scholarships to high school and college students.

How to enter, 1. complete an online quarterly contest application.

Enter the Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest by completing a Quarterly Contest application.  The second Quarterly Contest runs from April 1, 2024 through June 30, 2024. Complete and save all requested information. 

2. Prepare your Written Essay or Video Essay

For each Quarterly Contest, the topic of your Written Essay or Video Essay (your “Essay Topic”) must be an individual you know personally, who lives in your community. Your Written Essay or Video Essay must address how the individual you have selected as your Essay Topic has inspired you and helped you build the confidence you need to achieve your goals.

Written Essay and Video Essay submissions must meet all of the requirements described in the contest Official Rules. Your Written Essay or Video Essay must be (i) in English, (ii) your own original work, created solely by you (and without the use of any means of artificial intelligence (“AI”)), and (iii) the exclusive property of you alone.

Written Essays must be 500 words or less. You can write your Written Essay directly in the application, or you can copy and paste it into the appropriate area in the application form.

Video Essay submissions must be directly uploaded to the contest application site. Video Essays must be no more than 3 minutes in length and no larger than 1 GB. Only the following file formats are accepted: MP4, MPG, MOV, AVI, and WMV. Video Essays must not contain music of any kind nor display any illegal, explicit, or inappropriate material, and Video Essays must not be password protected or require a log-in/sign-in to view. You must upload your Video Essay to the application, and you may not submit your Video Essay in DVD or other physical form. (Video Essays submitted via mail will not be reviewed or returned.)

Tips to Record Quality Videos on a Smartphone:

• Don’t shoot vertical video. Computer monitors have landscape-oriented displays, so shoot your video horizontally.
• Use a tripod. Even small movements can make a big difference when editing.
• Don’t use zoom. If you need to get a close shot of the subject, move closer as zooming can cause pixilation.
• Use natural lighting. Smartphone lighting can wash out your video.

3. Review and submit your Quarterly Contest application

Review your information on your Quarterly Application (and check the spelling of a Written Essay) and submit your entry by 11:59:59 p.m. Central Time on the applicable Quarterly Contest period end date. The second Quarterly Contest period end date is June 30, 2024.

4. Await notification

Winning entries are selected by an independent panel of judges who are not affiliated with Regions. If your entry is selected as a Quarterly Contest winner, you will need to respond to ISTS with the required information.

Eligibility

For purposes of this contest:

• The “Eligible States” are defined as the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
• An “accredited college” is defined as a nonprofit, two- or four-year college or university located within one of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia.

To be eligible to enter this contest and to win an award in a Quarterly Contest, at the time of entry, you must:

• Be a legal U.S. resident of one of the Eligible States.
• Be age 16 or older.
• Have at least one (1) year (or at least 18 semester hours) remaining before college graduation.
• If you are not yet in college, begin your freshman year of college no later than the start of the 2025 – 2026 college academic school year.
• As of your most recent school enrollment period, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 in school (and if no GPA is provided at school, be in “good standing” or the equivalent thereof in school).

View Official Rules

NO PURCHASE OR BANKING RELATIONSHIP REQUIRED. PURCHASE OR BANKING RELATIONSHIP WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. The 2024 Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest (the “Contest”) consists of four (4) separate quarterly contests (each a “Quarterly Contest”): (1) the “Q-1 Contest;” (2) the “Q-2 Contest;” (3) the “Q-3 Contest;” and (4) the “Q-4 Contest.” The Q-1 Contest begins on 02/01/24 and ends on 03/31/24; the Q-2 Contest begins on 04/01/24 and ends on 06/30/24; the Q-3 Contest begins on 07/01/24 and ends on 09/30/24; and the Q-4 Contest begins on 10/01/24 and ends on 12/31/24. (For each Quarterly Contest, entries must be submitted and received by 11:59:59 PM CT on the applicable Quarterly Contest period end date.) To enter and participate in a particular Quarterly Contest, at the time of entry, you must: (a) be a legal U.S. resident of one of the Eligible States; (b) be 16 years of age or older; (c) have at least one (1) year (or at least 18 semester hours) remaining before college graduation; (d) (if you are not yet in college) begin your freshman year of college no later than the start of the 2025 – 2026 college academic school year; and (e) as of your most recent school enrollment period, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 in school (and if no grade point average is provided at school, be in “good standing” or the equivalent thereof in school). (For purposes of Contest, the “Eligible States” are defined as the states of AL, AR, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MS, MO, NC, SC, TN and TX.) Visit regions.com/ridingforward for complete Contest details, including eligibility and Written Essay and Video Essay requirements and Official Rules. (Limit one (1) entry per person, per Quarterly Contest.) For each Quarterly Contest, eligible entries will be grouped according to form of entry (Written Essay or Video Essay) and judged by a panel of independent, qualified judges. A total of four (4) Quarterly Contest Prizes will be awarded in each Quarterly Contest, consisting of two (2) Quarterly Contest Prizes for the Written Essay Entry Group and two (2) Quarterly Contest Prizes for the Video Essay Entry Group. Each Quarterly Contest Prize consists of a check in the amount of $8,000 made out to winner’s designated accredited college. (Limit one (1) Quarterly Contest Prize per person; a contestant is permitted to win only one (1) Quarterly Contest Prize through the Contest.) Sponsor: Regions Bank, 1900 Fifth Ave. N., Birmingham, AL 35203.

© 2024 Regions Bank. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. Regions and the Regions logo are registered trademarks of Regions Bank. The LifeGreen color is a trademark of Regions Bank.

2023 Winners

High school:.

• Amyrrean Acoff
• Leon Aldridge
• Kharis Andrews
• Colton Collier
• Indya Griffin
• Christopher Hak
• Aquil Hayes
• Jayden Haynes
• McKenna Jodoin
• Paris Kelly
• Liza Latimer
• Dylan Lodle
• Anna Mammarelli
• Karrington Manley
• Marcellus Odum
• Gautami Palthepu
• Melody Small
• Lauryn Tanner
• Joshua Wilson
• Mohamed Ali
• Kayla Bellamy
• Lauren Boxx
• Alexandria Brown
• Samuel Brown
• Thurston Brown
• Conner Daehler
• Tsehai de Souza
• Anjel Echols
• Samarion Flowers
• Trinity Griffin
• Kristina Hilton
• Ryan Jensen
• Miracle Jones
• Shaniece McGhee
• Chelby Melvin
• Lamiya Ousley
• Kiera Phillips
• Gabrielle Pippins
• Ethan Snead
• Sydney Springs
• Kirsten Tilford
• Tamira Weeks
• Justin Williams

2022 Winners

• Paul Aucremann
• William Booker
• Robyn Cunningham
• Kani'ya Davis
• Oluwatomi Dugbo
• Lillian Goins
• Parker Hall
• Collin Hatfield
• Gabrielle Izu
• Kylie Lauderdale
• Jacob Milan
• Jackson Mitchell
• Carmen Moore
• Madison Morgan
• Kaden Oquelí-White
• Kaylin Parks
• Brian Perryman
• De'Marco Riggins
• Brianna Roundtree
• Sydney Russell
• Carlie Spore
• Morgan Standifer
• Ionia Thomas
• Ramaya Thomas
• Jaylen Toran
• Amani Veals
• Taylor Williams
• Alana Wilson
• Taryn Wilson
• Aryaunna Armstrong
• Hannah Blackwell
• T'Aneka Bowers
• Naomi Bradley
• Arianna Cannon
• Taylor Cline
• Catherine Cummings
• Margaret Fitzgerald
• Chloe Franklin
• Camryn Gaines
• Thomas Greer
• Kayla Helleson
• Veronica Holmes
• Logan Kurtz
• Samuel Lambert
• Jaylon Muchison
• Teresa Odom
• Andrew Payne
• Carey Price
• Emily SantiAnna
• Curtis Smith
• Jered Smith
• Mariah Standifer
• Maura Taylor
• Anna Wilkes

The MOBIUS online library catalog will temporarily suspend services MOBIUS borrowing and lending services starting on April 18 as it migrates to a new operating and software system. For material requests, please use interlibrary loans via ILLiad . For further details, see the Temporary Disruption to MOBIUS Service article .

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Winners of the 2024 Neureuther Essay Contest

The Washington University Libraries are pleased to announce the winners of the 37th annual  Neureuther Student Book Collection Essay Competition . Named for Carl Neureuther, a 1940 graduate of the Washington University School of Business who set up an endowed book fund for the University Libraries, the contest was designed to inspire reading for pleasure among students and to encourage the development of personal book collections.

The competition is open to all full-time Washington University students, and awardees win four cash prizes of $1000 and $500 at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Participants submit brief essays about the books in their collections. Washington University faculty read the essays to select the award-winning entries.

undergraduate student winners

In the undergraduate category, Brooke Sanchez , a first-year student majoring in political science, was awarded the first prize for her essay, “ Unveiling the Comfort of Female Narratives: Tragedy, Identity, and Embodied Power .” Eliana Jenkins , a senior majoring in global studies and writing, won the second prize for her essay, “ A Lust Letter to Print: Understanding Human Carnality Through the Zines of the World .”

graduate student winners

Perry Parsons , an MA student in theatre and performance studies, won the first prize in the graduate category for the essay, “ My Culture of One; Eight Relational Dances With My Books .” Nicholas Dolan , a PhD student in English and American literature, won the second prize for his essay, “ My Mother’s Planned Parenthood: A Book Sale Elegy .”

The organizing committee thanks all the students who participated in this year’s contest. Neureuther competition’s award-winning essays, from 2003 to the present, can be accessed on  Open Scholarship .

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Notice of Vacancy - Cybersecurity Specialist, Fourth Circuit (apply by 5/5/24, open until filled)

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The more candidates in the race, the better for Donald J. Trump, supporters say. And in a tight presidential contest, a small share of voters could change the result.

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By Jonathan Swan ,  Maggie Haberman ,  Shane Goldmacher and Rebecca Davis O’Brien

Allies of Donald J. Trump are discussing ways to elevate third-party candidates in battleground states to divert votes away from President Biden, along with other covert tactics to diminish Democratic votes.

They plan to promote the independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a “champion for choice” to give voters for whom abortion is a top issue — and who also don’t like Mr. Biden — another option on the ballot, according to one person who is involved in the effort and who, like several others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the plans.

Trump allies also plan to amplify the progressive environmental records of Mr. Kennedy and the expected Green Party candidate, Jill Stein, in key states — contrasting their policies against the record-high oil production under Mr. Biden that has disappointed some climate activists.

A third parallel effort in Michigan is meant to diminish Democratic turnout in November by amplifying Muslim voters’ concerns about Mr. Biden’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza. Trump allies are discussing running ads in Dearborn, Mich., and other parts of the state with large Muslim populations that would thank Mr. Biden for standing with Israel, according to three people familiar with the effort, which is expected to be led by an outside group unaffiliated with the Trump campaign.

Many of these third-party-boosting efforts will probably be run out of dark-money entities that are loosely supportive of Mr. Trump. Both the Trump campaign and the main super PAC supporting the former president, MAGA Inc., are already aggressively framing Mr. Kennedy as a far-left radical to draw potential Democratic voters away from Mr. Biden.

Whatever the mechanism, the Trump team’s view is simple and is backed by public and private polling: The more candidates in the race, the better for Mr. Trump. Mr. Biden’s team agrees. And in a race that could be decided by tens of thousands of votes — as the last two presidential elections have been — even small shifts in the share of votes could change the result.

“There is no question that in a close presidential race, independent or minor party candidates can have a disproportionately large impact,” said Roger Stone, who is Mr. Trump’s longest-serving political adviser and who has worked on third-party campaigns, including advising Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party’s nominee in 2012.

Republican donors are pouring funds into Mr. Kennedy’s independent bid for the presidency. He has raised substantially more from donors who previously supported Mr. Trump than he has from those who backed Mr. Biden. Some are big names in Republican politics who have so far given relatively small amounts, including $3,300 last August from Elizabeth Uihlein, whose family is among the G.O.P.’s biggest contributors.

Timothy Mellon, the largest single donor to Mr. Kennedy’s biggest super PAC, is also the largest backer of MAGA Inc. Mr. Mellon, a reclusive billionaire from one of America’s wealthiest families, has over the past year given the Kennedy super PAC $20 million and the Trump super PAC $15 million, as of the most recent disclosures that were filed in March. Another prominent Kennedy backer is Patrick Byrne , the former chief executive of Overstock.com who worked with Mr. Trump on his effort to overturn the 2020 election.

Mr. Trump himself is intensely interested in the third-party candidates, according to aides. He is eager to know what their effect is expected to be on the race and how they are polling, although his engagement beyond asking questions of those around him is unclear.

Mr. Trump has been worried about the Libertarian Party pulling conservative voters away from him in November. But Richard Grenell, who is the former acting director of national intelligence, has been using his connections with Libertarian activists and donors to try to persuade them to attack Mr. Biden more than Mr. Trump, according to people familiar with his efforts.

Other Trump supporters are trying to help third-party and independent candidates with the expensive and arduous process of gathering the signatures needed to get on state ballots. Scott Presler, the conservative activist whom Lara Trump said she wanted as an early hire at the Republican National Committee, publicly reached out on social media to Ms. Stein and Cornel West , a left-wing academic who is running for president as an independent, to offer his help in collecting signatures to get them on the ballot.

Mr. Presler could not be reached for comment.

The moves by Trump allies come as the Democratic Party has mobilized a team of lawyers to scrutinize outsider candidates, including looking into whether they’ve followed the rules to get on state ballots.

For decades, third-party candidacies have loomed large in U.S. presidential elections. The best known in modern history is Ross Perot, whose run as a billionaire populist independent in 1992 garnered 19 percent of the vote and helped Bill Clinton win with only 43 percent of the popular vote. Ralph Nader, a Green Party candidate, siphoned votes away from Vice President Al Gore in the nail-biter 2000 presidential race against George W. Bush.

And in 2016, Ms. Stein, as the Green Party candidate, gave a meaningful — and arguably election-deciding — boost to Mr. Trump by drawing progressive voters away from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. That year, the billionaire businessman and Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus , a supporter of Mr. Trump, helped fund efforts to bolster Ms. Stein.

Polling shows that third-party candidates could play an especially large role in 2024. Most Americans are unhappy with the choice between Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden. Voters are increasingly disillusioned with the two major parties, and trust in American institutions has eroded over the past 30 years. Those trends provide an opening for candidates who style themselves as anti-establishment outsiders willing to blow up the system. Mr. Trump took advantage of similar conditions in 2016.

In a Quinnipiac University poll in late March, Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump both received less than 40 percent of the vote in a hypothetical five-way race, with Mr. Kennedy getting 13 percent, Ms. Stein receiving 4 percent and Mr. West capturing 3 percent.

In the multicandidate race, Mr. Trump led by a single percentage point; Mr. Biden led Mr. Trump by three percentage points in a hypothetical head-to-head race.

“The path to victory here is clearly maximizing the reach of these left-wing alternatives,” said Stephen K. Bannon, the former White House chief strategist who also served as Mr. Trump’s campaign chairman in 2016.

“No Republican knows that oil production under Biden is higher than ever. But Jill Stein’s people do,” added Mr. Bannon. “Stein is furious about the oil drilling. The college kids are furious about it. The more exposure these guys get, the better it is for us.”

Brian Hughes, a spokesman for Mr. Trump, described Mr. Kennedy as a “leftist and liberal with a history of supporting an extreme environmental agenda.” He said more broadly of the Democratic push to challenge outsider candidates, “While Joe Biden and his allies claim to defend democracy, they are using financial and legal resources to prevent candidates access to the ballot.”

“President Trump believes any candidate who qualifies for the ballot should be allowed to make their case to America’s voters,” he added.

For months, the Trump team has been privately polling various iterations of third-party tickets in battleground states. It has concluded that candidates floated for the Green Party and No Labels, which recently abandoned its effort to field a presidential candidate, pulled substantially more votes from Mr. Biden than from Mr. Trump.

A person briefed on other polling by Trump allies said that while it varies by state, Mr. Kennedy also pulls more votes from Mr. Biden than from Mr. Trump. The person cited as an example the Trump team’s recent private polling of voters in Arizona. Mr. Trump loses Hispanic voters by a close margin in a head-to-head contest against Mr. Biden there, but he wins Hispanic voters on the full ballot in Arizona — an indication that third-party candidates draw more heavily from Mr. Biden’s core constituencies than from Mr. Trump’s.

Still, Mr. Kennedy is seen as more of a potential threat to Mr. Trump. He has spent the past few years appearing on conservative news media programs and talking about issues like his fierce opposition to the Covid-19 vaccine. Advisers to Mr. Trump say that many Republican voters don’t know anything about Mr. Kennedy’s liberal views on gun control and the environment, and the Trump team hopes to bring back some of those voters after framing Mr. Kennedy as a liberal Democrat.

Allies of Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden are in a tug of war to define Mr. Kennedy, who has far more support than any other third-party candidate.

Democratic lawyers and operatives, many of whom have privately said that neither Mr. Gore nor Mrs. Clinton had teams that took third-party candidates seriously enough, are fighting hard to keep Mr. Kennedy off the ballot. The Democratic National Committee hired Lis Smith, a veteran communications operative, and tasked her with branding Mr. Kennedy as a pro-Trump spoiler candidate.

Mr. Kennedy’s campaign and the super PACs backing him have paid an array of lawyers and consultants to secure ballot access. One of the consultants, Rita Palma, was captured in a video detailing a strategy to encourage New York voters to support Mr. Kennedy: “The Kennedy voter and the Trump voter, our mutual enemy is Biden.” Ms. Palma outlined a hypothetical scenario in which Mr. Kennedy would win enough electoral votes to prevent either Mr. Trump or Mr. Biden from winning 270 electoral votes, pushing the decision to Congress in what is known as a contingent election.

On her X account, Ms. Palma has expressed support over the years for both Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Trump. In posts first reported by CNN on Tuesday, she had endorsed Mr. Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen and described Sidney K. Powell, who has pleaded guilty to six misdemeanor counts related to Mr. Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia, as “My person of the decade.”

Stefanie Spear, a spokeswoman for the Kennedy campaign, described Ms. Palma as “a ballot-access consultant” for upcoming signature collection efforts in New York. Of Ms. Palma’s remarks about the hypothetical scenario, Ms. Spear said Ms. Palma’s statements “in no way reflect the strategy of the Kennedy campaign.”

Ms. Spear did not respond to requests for comment about the Trump allies’ efforts to elevate Mr. Kennedy, or to inquiries about Ms. Palma’s support for Mr. Trump’s claims about the 2020 election.

Many conservative news media personalities and influencers recently turned against Mr. Kennedy after he decided to run as an independent instead of as a Democrat and it became apparent that he could pull votes from Mr. Trump.

Still, one complication with attacking Mr. Kennedy is that Mr. Trump has made clear that he likes him.

When The New York Post reported last month that Mr. Kennedy was accusing Nevada’s secretary of state, a Democrat, of corruptly denying his signature petitions, the Trump team discussed legal intervention, although no action appears to have been taken.

Mr. Trump put out a statement on Truth Social, his social media platform, that called Mr. Kennedy “a radical-left Democrat,” but he has mostly laid off him otherwise. Mr. Trump has called Mr. Kennedy a “ very smart person ” and has even privately floated him as a potential running mate, though his advisers view that prospect as extremely unlikely.

An outside group aligned with Mr. Trump asked a question about a Trump-Kennedy ticket in a poll several weeks ago, according to a person with knowledge of the survey. The results were not particularly striking. Mr. Trump had told an ally that he believed Mr. Kennedy could help him with voters who were upset with him for his support of the Covid-19 vaccine.

“I like Trump-Kennedy. I like the way that sounds,” Mr. Trump told another ally recently. “There’s something about that that I like.”

Ruth Igielnik contributed reporting. Kitty Bennett and Rachel Shorey contributed research.

Jonathan Swan is a political reporter covering the 2024 presidential election and Donald Trump’s campaign. More about Jonathan Swan

Maggie Haberman is a senior political correspondent reporting on the 2024 presidential campaign, down ballot races across the country and the investigations into former President Donald J. Trump. More about Maggie Haberman

Shane Goldmacher is a national political correspondent, covering the 2024 campaign and the major developments, trends and forces shaping American politics. He can be reached at [email protected] . More about Shane Goldmacher

Rebecca Davis O’Brien covers campaign finance and money in U.S. elections. She previously covered federal law enforcement, courts and criminal justice. More about Rebecca Davis O’Brien

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