new york times essay contest

Layla Kinjawi Faraj Wins Modern Love College Essay Contest

Layla Kinjawi Faraj’s essay “ My Plea for a Sixth Love Language ” is the winner of the 2022 Modern Love College Essay Contest .

Ms. Faraj’s essay about how to make a home out of the internet was chosen from hundreds of moving submissions that spoke to these unprecedented times, submitted by students from colleges and universities nationwide. Ms. Faraj, a first-year student at Barnard College, will receive $1,000.

In addition to publishing her winning essay ( online now and in print on May 8), The Times will publish the essays of seven finalists throughout May and June.

On the contest and winning essay, Daniel Jones , editor of Modern Love , says:

“The surprise for me this year was how absent the typical college experience was from most of the entries — which shouldn’t have been a surprise at all. But given all the challenges students have faced these past few years, we judges were so impressed by the sophistication and emotional depth they brought to their essays.”

Miya Lee , editor of Modern Love projects, says:

“Places of higher education are frequently and, I think, aptly described as ivory towers removed from the world and its worries. While college education remains an immense privilege in the United States, this year’s entries proved that nothing is impermeable; nothing is truly separate from the wider world. This year, students expressed a keen awareness of the existential issues facing their generation (climate change, war), as well as a hopeful resolve to find joy, love and a way forward.”

The New York Times 2022 Modern Love College Essay Contest Results

Layla Kinjawi Faraj, Barnard College, Class 2025

Lily Goldberg, Williams College, Class of 2022

August Singer, Reed College, Class of 2022

Joyce Juhee Chung, New York University, Class of 2023

Abby Comey, College of William and Mary, Class of 2022

Ife Olatona, Howard University, Class of 2024

Tatiana Jackson-Saitz, University of Chicago, Class of 2024

Kyleigh McPeek, Stanford University, Class of 2024

Learn more about this year’s Modern Love College Essay Contest here .

Explore Further

Jordana narin wins modern love college essay contest, malcolm conner of trinity university wins modern love college essay contest, modern love essay contest invites college students to submit personal stories on love.

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The New York Times

The learning network | student contest | write an editorial on an issue that matters to you.

Student Contest | Write an Editorial on an Issue That Matters to You

How to write an editorial.

The New York Times’s editorial page editor Andrew Rosenthal provides seven tips for writing an effective editorial.

Update | Feb. 5, 2015: We have announced our Second Annual Student Editorial Contest .

Update | May 20, 2014: All of the Top 10 winners have now been published. You can find them here .

Update | April 23, 2014: We have announced the winners of the Student Editorial Contest here .

Update | March 19: This contest — which we’re delighted to announce set a Learning Network record for submissions — is now closed. Thank you to all who participated. Here is more information about when we will announce winners.

• Is It Ethical to Eat Meat?
• Should Students Be Able to Grade Their Teachers?
• Do Violent Video Games Make People More Violent in Real Life?

Every day during the school year we invite teenagers to share their opinions about questions like these — on topics from hip-hop to climate change — and hundreds do, posting arguments, reflections and anecdotes to our Student Opinion feature.

With this, our first-ever Student Editorial Contest, we’re asking you to channel that enthusiasm into something a little more formal: short, evidence-based persuasive essays like the editorials The New York Times publishes every day.

The challenge is pretty straightforward. Choose a topic you care about, gather evidence from both New York Times and non-New York Times sources, and write a concise editorial (450 words or fewer) to convince readers of your point of view.

Because editorial writing at newspapers is a collaborative process , you can write your entry as a team effort, or by yourself. When you’re done, post it in the comments section below by March 17, 2014.

With our contest partner, the Center for News Literacy at Stony Brook University, we will then use this rubric to select winners to publish on The Learning Network.

As teachers know, the persuasive essay has long been a staple of high school education, but the Common Core standards seem to have put evidence-based argumentative writing on everybody’s agenda. You couldn’t ask for a more real-world example of the genre than the classic newspaper editorial — and The Times publishes, on average, four of them a day.

To help with this challenge, Andrew Rosenthal, The Times’s editorial page editor, made the video above, in which he details seven pointers. We have also culled 200 prompts for argumentative writing from our Student Opinion feature to help inspire you, though, of course, you are not limited to those topics. Update | Feb. 7: We have just published a lesson plan, “For the Sake of Argument: Writing Persuasively to Craft Short, Evidence-Based Editorials,” that offers additional ideas for teaching the steps in the process.

So what issue do you care about? Gun violence? School lunch? Reality TV? You decide. Then use the facts to convince us that you’re right.

Contest Rules

1. Use at least one Times source. You can write your editorial about any topic, as long as you use at least one source from The New York Times. That should pretty much open the whole world to you since you may be surprised how much you can find in The Times .

Update | Feb. 24: NYTimes.com has a digital subscription system in which readers have free access to 10 articles each month. If you exceed that limit, you will be asked to become a digital subscriber.

One thing you should know, however, is that The Learning Network and all its posts, as well as all Times articles linked from them, are accessible without a digital subscription. That means you can use any of the articles we have linked to on this blog for the editorial contest without exceeding the 10-article limit.

2. Use at least one non-Times source. Make sure, however, that the source you use is a reliable one.

3. Always cite your sources. If you found evidence in an article on the Internet, link to it. If you used a print source, state the title and author, linking to additional information about it if possible. If you interviewed an expert, state his or her name and position. Readers (and judges) should always know where you got your evidence.

4. Be concise. The editorial must be no more than 450 words. (Update: Your list of sources is separate and does not count as part of your 450-word limit.)

5. Have an opinion. Editorials are different from news articles because they try to persuade readers to share your point of view. Don’t be afraid to take a stand.

6. Write your editorial by yourself or with a group. If you are working as a team, just remember to submit all of your first names and last initials when you post your entry. Update | Feb. 12: One submission per student, please. If you’re submitting as part of a team, you should not also submit as an individual.

7. Be original and use appropriate language. Write for a well-informed audience, but include enough background information to give context. Be careful not to plagiarize: use quotation marks around lines you use verbatim from another source, or rephrase and cite your source.

8. Submissions must be from students who are 13 to 19 years old, though students can come from anywhere in the world. No last names please, but an initial is fine, as is a school or class code of some type. (For example, “Ethan G. CHS112.”)

9. All entries must be submitted by March 17, 2014 at 5 p.m. Eastern time, as comments on this post . If you have questions about the contest, please feel free to post them in the comments section as well, and we’ll answer you there.

10. We will use this rubric (PDF) to judge editorials. The top editorials, as judged by The Times and the Center for News Literacy at Stony Brook University using this rubric, will be featured on The Learning Network. (As with all our contests, if you win, you can then follow these steps to make sure we can use your last name.)

Good luck and have fun. As always with a first-time contest, we welcome your questions and comments in case we have somehow omitted details that might be useful. Let us know how we can help, below.

Comments are no longer being accepted.

Our world is filled with different life forms and species. We are at the top of it all. We control the rest of the species population along with that. Animals like wolves are becoming endagered due to pointless hunting. An example of this is in YellowStone National Park. In the 1920’s the population of wolves was virtually wiped out, until being reintroduced in the 1990’s. Scientists noted that an unexpected change happened in the ecosystem upon their return. The ecosystems vegetation had begun to improve, and so did the life of some of the other animals, even some prey to wolves, because of the return of wolves, animals became more vigilant and ate quicker and slightly less, rather than eating plants to the soil they would take a few bites and move to the next plant, staying active. This also meant the plants would live longer aswell, and would reproduce. This also improved the lives of beavers dispite the fact they were on the menu of the wolf. The beaver could now hide in the plants and would have more food for itself. The wolf is needed in ecosystems like this. The protection of them should be reinstituted. I am aware that they are hunted to keep the population under control, but you dont see other species brutally slaughtering humans to keep our population under control, and we are the most overpopulated species on the planet. Without the laws against hunting them, wolves are toast. They are already on the road to mass extinction. For those of you who are dog lovers, and may be reading this article you should know that your pet dog gets its genes from the wolf. All dogs have the same ancestors. The wolf. Where do you think the dog gets its traits and behaviour? Its from the wolf! The first dogs were just domesticated wolves, which adapted when wolves were originally tamed! Keep in mind that everyone has a favorite animal, and loves that animal, and would probably lose their mind if they were going extinct, that is my opinion on wolves, and I am against the hunting of wolves, and hypothetically speaking, if i were in the situation where someone was going to kill a wolf, and I were given the chance to stop them, I would take that chance in a split second. I know anyone else who loves wolves or any other animal would probably do the same thing for that animal. Wolves are also an extremely intelligent species. They live in packs most of the time, a rare thing seen in nature. Wolves are very strong, especially when in packs, and like humans, also hunt for pleasure. Wolves and humans have more in common with wolves than you might realize. Their packs are actually ranked from Omega, to Alpha. The Alpha is the leader of the pack. There is an Alpha Female, and an Alpha Male. The rest of the pack is usually the offspring of the Alphas. The omegas mostly consist of cubs and elderly wolves. The betas are the second lowest rank in the pack. The betas are basically your average wolves, in some instances, the betas and omegas may challenge the alphas, as they occasionally become interested in taking their place as leader. Wolves deserve to not have to worry about somoene trying to shoot them and mount their heads on a wall, and wear their hides. They deserve the freedom nature gave them in the first place.

Sources of Information: The World Needs Wolves, on NYTimes.com //www.nytimes.com/2012/09/29/opinion/the-world-needs-wolves.html

I was thrilled to come across this! This activity encompasses everything we are working on in my 7th grade English class! I am planning on having the students work through this editorial creation process. I was hoping at the end of the unit I could encourage the students to enter their editorials into your contest, however; not all of my students have turned 13 yet. Would you be willing to make any kind of exception to the age requirement for entry?

Hi Alex — I’m so sorry, but I’m afraid we can’t. It’s not our rule, it’s the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act , which applies to The New York Times as a whole. Feel free to have those who are 13 post, however, if that’s not too awkward. –Katherine

Many students today drop out of school or don’t have parents who support their schoolwork. LaShanda Henry lived in Brooklyn but her parents moved from Jamaica for a better education for their child. Being someone who was born and partially raised in Philadelphia, my parents moved to North Carolina for a better education for their children; they felt that their children would be more successful and have better opportunities. Children should have support from their parents as well as their parents being involved in their schoolwork. If a child realizes that their parent(s) care for what they do inside of school then the child will be more likely to succeed. ¨By interacting with teachers, administrators, and other parents on a regular basis, you’ll gain a firsthand understanding of your child’s daily activities (kidshealth.org). Parents do not realize the affect that they have on what a child is does. If the parent is more involved in schools the teacher won’t only contact the parent when the child is in trouble. I am aware and ashamed to say that many parents don’t have the time to be involved in their child’s ¨School life¨ because of work and other children you may have to focus on but think about the impact it would make on the child’s school work and life . If you show your child you are interested in what they are doing it will be more likely for them to become interested as well. Many parents get their children’s report cards, look at them, and tell them to do better. Instead of being that parent why not actually get involved and look over their work after they do it. Figure out what they need to work on and how they can help them improve. Many parents have no idea of what goes in inside the classroom. As a teenager in high school, I feel as if my father is not as involved as I would like for him to be when it comes to his children´s school. Some things he just isn’t caught up with. Things have changed since they became adults with children.¨We’ve got social campaigns for anti-bullying and child obesity; I think we need more campaigns encouraging proactive parenting specifically with respect to education (nytimes.com).¨ Parents should take education more seriously, even if they believe they already been through it; times have changed and if more parents were involved in more students/childrens lives the school board would be more effective and children would do a lot better in school.

Sources of Information: //www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2014/02/09/blaming-parents-for-poor-schools/parents-need-to-set-standards-for-children //kidshealth.org/parent/positive/learning/school.html

Do our sources count as a part of the four-hundred-fifty word limit? Thanks.

Oh, good question, Julia! No, and I’ll go back and add that note to the post. –Katherine

I do NOT believe that playing violent video games make people more violent. However, I do believe that growing up around all of those violent video games does impact your life. If children grow up thinking that it is okay to play those games or even think that it is okay to kill someone they will start playing with their friends like that. I honestly think that children’s eyes should be kept protected until a certain age. In the New York Times post, “Shooting In The Dark,” it talks about these main topics. It backs it up with actual statistics. Grand Theft Auto V, is up for one of the most violent video games ever to reach a stores shelf. It has everything from doing drugs, killing random civilians, to stealing weapons and cars. Since the game came out of September 17, 2013 it has sold more than 32.5 million copies. Does that mean that there are going to be 32.5 million murderers? I hope not. So obviously there has to be something else that factors in on weather someone is going to be a violent person when they are older. Maybe a past experience, or maybe just because they are mentally ill. Brad Bushman from CNN gave his opinion on this with his entry called, “Do Violent Video Games Play a Role In Violence?” Bushman is a science professor at The University Of Ohio State. In his article you will see how his colleagues and him run many tests to try and figure this matter out. Weather these video games do make people violent or not it is not our choice on weather a kid plays them or not. It is simply their parents. So as parents you need to know whether you want your kid exposed to this stuff, if not do not let them play it. Just know that some kids get very mad at their parents if they hide these games and other stuff from them for much longer than needed. On the last not, just be careful.

How many editorials can one student submit? Hi Aparna, Only one submission per student, please. If you’re submitting as part of a team, you should not also submit as an individual. We’ll go ahead and update the rules to make sure it’s clear for everyone. Thanks for asking. — Michael

//www.nytimes.com/2006/03/20/international/americas/20water.html good link to NY times article for water privatization

So we can do any topic we want right? Anything at all? Can we do something with schools?

Hi Johanna, Yes, you can write about any topic, including schools, as long as you use at least one Times source and one non-Times source, and follow the Learning Network commenting standards . – Michael

Annie G Mrs. Clayville AP Lang.&Comp. 13 February 2014 Music And A Miracle “Nothing activates as many areas of the brain as music does”, explains University of North Carolina’s director of Music Research Institute Donald Hodges. In a world becoming evermore materialistic, music education has become a point of interest in researching if music really does make one smarter. It has been of interest to officials and executives for years on end, and the data has gone from supporting that music can up one’s IQ and cognitive skills to concluding that music is only a factor in a series multiple skills that can cause these statistic growths. In many studies conducted results have been far from conclusive, though the they have often pointed towards the point that music can make one smarter. In discussing music in relation to one’s IQ and academic abilities, many merely point to music at a young age. Though many studies prove that those who are trained in music from the start of their lifetimes benefit over the span of their whole lives, there are also numerous studies dealing with the older population of the world as well. It has been proven that in addition to children benefiting from music in their academic studies, elderly also benefit in their anatomy and function of the brain. The studies are intriguing; those exposed to music in their lifetimes are prone to higher standardized test scores, better cognitive functions, and overall more active brain functions. Music exercises numerous parts of the brain aiding in ones ability to memorize, analyze, and socialize. Though, many of theses benefits can be pointed towards other factors, too. Parents who can afford music are more likely to read and spend time with their children one on one; more likely to spend time and money bettering their child’s life. But music is not simply dependent on the study privately. Studies have shown that music even in the public schools yields nearly the same benefits. It is a question addressed daily in society today: can music really make someone smarter? The answer is quite simple: yes. Music, along with multiple other factors proves to be helpful in the development of cognitive skills, academic progress, and personality skills. Children who study music are more likely to carry and present themselves better as adults, they are more likely to carry higher standardized test scores, and a more impressive academic record. Therefore, many would urge teachers and parents to get children involved in music. Music has proven to aid many exposed figures in society today, and according to studies can make all children of the world today more well rounded: a goal society has had from the start.

Sources used: //www.nytimes.com/2013/12/22/opinion/sunday/music-and-success.html //www.wwbw.com/The-Woodwind—Brasswind—Music-Makes-You-Smarter-g26057t0.wwbw

I work with adult learners, in a pre-GED class (ages 19-50). We are currently working on argumentative and persuasive writing. I consider this contest an excellent way for all learners to share the topics they are passionate about and the writing they are working hard to craft. I noticed, however, that the age cut-off limits this contest to 13-19 year olds. I was wondering if there is anyway to include non-traditional learners in this contest. Thank you for your response.

Hi Danielle — I’m so glad you like the contest, and I wish we could, but if we opened the challenge to anyone of any age, it would be almost impossible to judge fairly: the work of most 50-year-olds would be far different from that of most 13-year-olds, for one thing, and the volume of submissions might overwhelm our tiny staff for another. But if you’re interested in writing about how you used the contest with non-traditional learners, and including some of the best student samples in your writing, we’d be delighted to consider it for our Reader Ideas column . We love hearing from teachers like you! –Katherine

For the People Abortion is the process of killing an unborn child. According to surveys by author Michael Synder, every day in America, three thousand babies do not get a chance to experience the joy of life. Everyone deserves a chance to live, so abortion should be illegal. Abortion can injure the mother. According to Option Line, a company that works in educating expecting mothers of their options, says that abortion can have serious side effects. Infection can occur when metal instruments are inserted in the uterus, and they can cause irritation or can leave parts of the unborn child in the women’s body. Sometimes the medical instruments damage the uterus or cervix. If the uterus is punctured, you can suffer internal bleeding. If an infection, damage to an organ, or bleeding are severe, the person can die. According to The Global Dispatch, Tonya Reaves bleed to death after an abortion. Women have reported to Control Line that after abortion they have had suicide, depression, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, drug abuse, anger, and anxiety. David C. Reardon, P.h D. says an eighteen year old committed suicide after a suction abortion. Abortion has adverse health effects, so it should be banned. Abortion is incorrect in many ways. There is no society that allows a person to kill another. Abortion is murdering a person who cannot defend themselves. When a woman is raped and impregnated, abortion is an acceptable option. Author Michael Synder writes that a partial birth abortion involves delivering a baby except for the head, scissors being jammed in the skull to enlarge it, a catheter is inserted in the head to remove the brains, and the corpse is delivered. We cannot let this immoral process march on. Most people want to put a stop to abortion. The Catholic Church has announced that they are against abortion. Members of The Catholic Church are one of the biggest group that push for a ban against abortion. According to Gallop Politics, 51% of Americans are pro-life, meaning they oppose abortion. People rally to gain the support for the pro-life. ABC news reports that on January 25, 2014 the annual Walk for Life was held in Washington, D.C. The Walk for Life featured thousands of anti-abortion protestors. These protestors have persuaded the government to make regulations on abortion. According to the New York Times on February eight, 22 states have passed seventy regulations on abortion, and twelve have banned abortion after twenty weeks of pregnancy. We should do what the majority wants. Abortion should be outlawed. The process is dangerous, immoral, and disliked. If we have enough support, America will be pro-life.

She Was Asking For It: On the way home from a business party, a woman struts down the sidewalk with six-inch stilettos and a body-accentuating pencil skirt. As she passes a dark alleyway, a man steals the woman from the night, raping her. Well, with the way she was dressed, she was asking for it. Shame on you for dressing provocatively. Shame on you for attracting perverts. Shame on you for being a woman. We teach our children that womanhood translates to foregone innocence. We attack the victim, not the perpetrator. Fostering a rape culture, society develops ingrained beliefs of misogyny, whether through obvious slang such as “hoe” and “skank,” or subtlety objectifying the female body. Rape is such a taboo subject that we would rather blame the victim than target the deep-rooted causes. As of 2009, the RAINN organization — Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network — reported that in America a sexual assault occurred every 2 minutes, averaging 237,868 Americans a year. However, a colossal 97% of rapists are not convicted. Rape victims rarely acquire justice, securing only a lifetime worth of trauma. Rape is a global issue, prompted by different societal factors and circumstances. For instance, in Nairobi, Kenya, reported rape cases have gone unnoticed. New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof followed the story of four-year-old Ida, a rape victim without justice. Through bribery, the rapist successfully escaped from a flawed system in which money trumps integrity. In America, media outlets and societal expectations perpetuate a cryptic rape culture, shrouded by corrupt moral standards. Normalizing the perception of women as submissive and sexually vulnerable, the media delivers a variety of misogynistic messages. In the Billboard hit “Blurred Lines,” Robin Thicke’s vulgar lyrics undermine the importance of consensual sex. Throughout the chorus Thicke repeats, “You’re a good girl. I hate these blurred lines. I know you want it.” Asserting a dominant role in the interaction, Thicke assumes the woman will have sex with him because she is a “good girl.” Further degrading the female existence, he classifies women as sex objects, not human beings entitled to natural rights. Of course, a song did not inspire the 237,868 reported cases of rape. However, the misogynistic principles radiating through the media and everyday life place blame on women, not the rapists committing the crime. That’s not to say all men are rapists or guilty of objectifying women, but the gender roles assigned to each sex formulate a twisted cultural dynamic. Men must be tough, assuming the role of the aggressor, while women must be submissive to the aggressor’s demands. We must deconstruct rape’s taboo, rendering victims guilt-free and trusting of help centers. If we, as educators, parents, and mentors, can teach young women that intelligence is more valuable than a sexual impression and that sex is an option, not an obligation, only then can we minimize the influence of rape culture.

Sources of Information: //www.nytimes.com/2014/01/12/opinion/sunday/kristof-in-this-rape-case-the-victim-was-4.html?ref=nicholasdkristof https://www.rainn.org/statistics

Football is one of America’s most popular sports. If it is not the most physical sport in the world, it is one of them. There have been questions about the morality of the sport; men are hitting each other, full speed head to head with only plastic and padding protecting them. There have been several times where players have broken bones or have lost blood on live television. Football is graphic, but there are much more immoral things that can be seen in today’s world.

One of the most controversial things seen in the media today is the Hunger Games. It can be seen as a romantic action movie, but on the and more realistic side, it can be seen as a movie glorifying children murdering each other for fame and glory with hints of negative racial suggestion. Is it a coincidence that the only farm and agriculture district is made primarily of African Americans? This movie contains graphic content such as a child’s neck being snapped, but the fact that two survivors turned out to be lovers in the end made it okay, right? There is so much talk about children being influenced by today’s media, but no one has a problem with letting ten-year-olds reading this book or seeing the movie? The Hunger Games is not the only immoral movies that we have seen within todays media. Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game is a movie about a child who beat a fellow peer to death twice before the age of 18 and also happens to commit Genocide. All of this is made okay because he didn’t mean to do it. He was hailed as a hero and held as a role model for all young minds, but heaven forbid a teen is walking home from a convenience store is portrayed as a thug and when he killed unlawfully, his killer get off without being charged. But today parents don’t let them play football because it will Be a bad influence.

If football is something that is considered dangerous, why aren’t all other physical contact sports dangerous? Why isn’t dancing or cheerleading dangerous? If this was the case, the Olympics wouldn’t even exist. At any moment and time those people are risking their lives to entertain us, but we enjoy every second of it. If football and all other things that are dangerous to us as human beings were taken off the air, we would have nothing but animated television. Why is football put under fire, but all other things are ignored?

//learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/13/if-football-is-so-dangerous-to-players-should-we-be-watching-it/

John Kessel’s Essay on Enders Game

Grouping students based on their academic ability is absolutely acceptable. As a GT student, and having being put in a separate English and Reading Class with it, I have learned that being around students that are similar to your academic field is beneficial when working with other students. In these classes, you have the chance to work with students that can understand what you are saying as well as fix a problem you may have or add on to a good idea. There are several benefits to having students separated by their ability. Students with a higher academic ability, when separated, can be with students who understand and comprehend their peers, as I stated before. Also, in higher ability classrooms, students can learn at a harder level and move at a faster pace. This way, some students aren’t held back in lessons when their lower level peers are having trouble and the teacher doesn’t have to concentrate on helping the students who don’t understand, but instead teach at the speed that the rest of the classroom needs to be taught at. Most research that has been conducted has been focused on elementary schools in the United States. Students are starting to be separated in first grade to be placed in advanced programs and GT classes. Depending on the student, he/she can be placed in a class based on their strengths or their weaknesses. This way, students who need help in a specific subject have the opportunity to get more help with a more focused and attentive teacher. Also, if the student is strong in another subject, they can be placed in an advanced class to be able to learn more in that subject with their advanced peers. Another benefit that is brought up between the separation of abilities is the confidence booster. Students who aren’t as advanced can feel left in the dust by their peers who exceed them and are at a much higher level than they are. With the separation, the students who struggle won’t have to be compared with the students who exceed them everyday and dread that they aren’t as strong as them in academics, but can be up to speed with the class they are divided into with an easier work load. When you think of the advantages of placing students in different classrooms based on ability, for all academic levels, they outweigh the disadvantages. Faster pace, extra help, and a confidence booster are several things that we benefit from with the separation of gifted and nongifted children. For these reasons, I believe that students should be separated by ability rather than being in mixed ability classrooms.

Sources: //www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/18/elementary-teachers-grouping-reading-ability/1990917/ //learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/11/what-do-you-think-of-grouping-students-by-ability-in-schools/ //www.teach-nology.com/currenttrends/equity_excellence/tracking/

These days, a lot of kids are falling behind in the classroom. They don’t “get it” and that isn’t their fault. However, there are quite a few kids who are bored in the classroom because they already know everything that the teacher is saying. This is holding the brighter kids back and not letting them show their full potential. This is also lowering the less bright kids’ self esteem. Kids are failing classes and that is lowering their self esteem. It is like how Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can, or whether you think you can’t – you’re right.” They think that can’t do it. Their grades are telling them that they are not intelligent, so they do not try in school. If they are put in a class with people that are at their level, they will not feel bad about themselves and will try harder and succeed. The other side of the story is that some kids are getting bored in the classroom because they already know everything that is being taught. Their self-esteem is getting so high that they do not even try. They think they are super smart because they know something that someone else does not. Then they will get cocky and think they can compliance anything. Because of this they do not try hard and slack off at times. This will lead to their failure in the end. There is only one logical answer to these problems. We should separate kids based on their intelligence instead of age. Then, kids that are not as smart can learn without being humiliated by having to ask extra questions or not getting it. Kids with a higher intelligence can have a challenge. This will make them start trying in class. Hopefully this will get all students to try harder and succeed in their life. A lot of kids are not trying hard in class. They are getting bullied because they are not as smart as the rest of the kids in the class. They are getting their self-esteem shot down constantly. The solution that will help the most is to separate classes by intelligence instead of age. They will be learning stuff that challenges them, but is still possible for them to accomplish. I ask you to help out the next generation by challenging them to set new boundaries in their education and set the bar higher for future generations. You should keep in mind that they are the future of the world.

Sources used //learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/11/what-do-you-think-of-grouping-students-by-ability-in-schools/ //www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/18/elementary-teachers-grouping-reading-ability/1990917/

Sources //learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/04/should-stores-sell-violent-video-games-to-minors/

//www.esrb.org/ratings/ratings_guide.jsp

A common sight today would be younger children playing mature video games. This is a sad thing, because kids at this age shouldn’t be playing these games. I believe that stores should refrain from selling mature games to minors, for this would lead to mental immaturity is some more mature topics. The stores should still sell them to minors if the parents are absolutely okay with them playing the game, and if the game contains anything like nudity or sex then the game should not be rated mature but should be rated explicit or adult. The main reason that stores should not be allowed to sell mature games to minors is if a nine year old child would be exposed to mature content earlier in their lives (this is also why they should put nudity into an explicit rating) so they may not be able to mentally mature on some of those topics or not be that scared of going to jail. The child may also get addicted to drugs because if their favorite video game character smokes then it cannot possibly hurt him in real life anyway, but a common misconception is that you may think that these games will also lead to violent behavior in children because they think their friends will just respawn, but that would only happen if say a two year old played the games. Because at least a nine year old should have the common knowledge to know that death is permanent. That argument is completely absurd that kids will kill people thinking they will come back just think about it if they did drugs that would be one thing, but playing games a lot no if you were to get obsessed with a game do you think that it would change your look on reality? No it wouldn’t, but mature games still have bad influences to kids, so until they are at least fifteen they shouldn’t be allowed to play mature games. Because of the current age limit for mature games at seventeen, a lot more kids at younger ages play these mature games, and these games contain more mature content like functions where you can have kids in games and get STD’s. I know that from personal experience that some people make a goal of getting the most STD’s which can cause immaturity in kids in their early teens. This might cause kids to think that it is just something that won’t affect them later in their lives other themes like this would be drinking and other drug problems that might affect them, but this does not affect every kid that plays games that doesn’t mean it wont happen to your child.

Rachel Johnson, a young woman from England, was wearing shirts made for nine year olds when she was 17. She shared that she was buying hundreds of celebrity magazines per week. Doctors said she was two days from death because of anorexia. She said her eating disorder was made worse because of celebrities’ photoshopped pictures in magazines. If girls, such as Rachel, can’t look at pictures of “beautiful” women in magazines without wanting to starve themselves, something is wrong. There are millions of aspiring musicians, but virtually none will reach Paul McCartney’s success. There may be a million youth baseball players in the United States, but only a thousand get to reach the Major Leagues. How many young writers, including me, dream about achieving what Stephen King has? So what is success? Is it being the best, or is it being the best that one can be? We can’t consider ourselves failures just because we didn’t become elite. Christie Brinkley, at 60 years old, is in a bathing suit on the cover of People magazine. I looked at it. She’s still an attractive woman, and her cover shot was clearly airbrushed. Does Christie care? No, because none of it’s real. She knows that airbrushing is part of magazine modeling. Unfortunately, too many young girls, like Rachel, don’t know. In a video called “Body Evolution – Model Before and After”, you can watch a woman being photographed and edited. In the editing, her legs were lengthened, her stomach sculpted, her eyes enlarged, her calf muscles’ shaped. Even her hair was given a glow that the sunniest day in Florida couldn’t provide. If all of the editing was taken away, we would see a girl probably not much different than Rachel. Watch the Dove Evolution video. When the video opens we see the girl next door. Pretty, but blemished skin, flat hair and a shadow under her eyes. Like all of us most days. By the end, we see one of the most “beautiful” women ever. They do her makeup, they fix her hair, they transform her complexion, sculpt her neck and cheekbones. She becomes no one and the model girls like Rachel aspire to be all at once. However, most of the fixes are done on photoshop or an editing program. Jennifer Lawrence, star of The Hunger Games, known for her athletic figure, often says that it’s “dumb to be hungry to make people happy.” Enjoy the greatness in those gifted. Admire it, aspire to it. And know who you are and be secure working to be your best. No one should be intimidated by an airbrushed model any more than Superman’s strength.

//learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/30/do-photoshopped-images-make-you-feel-bad-about-your-own-looks/ //sandaretreats.com/blog/anorexia-sufferer-aimed-at-banning-airbrushing/

Football is becoming, if it already isn’t, the most popular sport in the United States. People will reserve a whole day just to watch football. This beloved activity is enjoyed by everybody everywhere of all genders and ages. Kids are quickly becoming fans of the sport, but the occasional injury leads some to believe that children should not be able to enjoy this wonderful sport. Contrary to certain beliefs, kids should be able to play football.

The NFL is where the best of the best football players go to play football for a career. Most of the current NFL players started as kids. If a player cannot get their career started until they’re fourteen, what are they going to do? This would result in overall less people playing college football, another widely watched football program. If there were less people playing college football, there would be less people to watch it. This would result in multiple jobs that people had to be lost, a big financial problem.

Football also teaches children valuable life lessons and team skills. It teaches them how to win humbly and lose graciously. Football also teaches children how to play as a team and cooperate with others. It teaches kids how to communicate with the people around them. It teaches kids perseverance, how to work hard and never give up. These are all extremely vital skills that children will need later on in their life. Football works you out like no other sport. It pushes your body and mind to limits it thought it didn’t know.

When people play physically demanding sports, pain is unavoidable. The same can be said for injuries. A twisted ankle or a broken wrist can and will happen, but it doesn’t affect the child for more than a few days or weeks. The media and the world today portrays concussions as a horrible thing that should be prevented at all costs. The truth is, an average concussion does not affect the person in the future. My uncle received several concussions in his days as an athlete and his life is no different from anyone elses. He still has a job and a normal income, and no disabilities of any kind. My brother also has received a concussion before. He got it a few years ago, but he still plays sports like a normal student.

When the sport of football was made, it was made for purposes of entertainment, and not much has changed since then. Football is still one of America’s most available and valuable sources of entertainment for everyone of any age. Playing football is one of the most valuable and helpful experiences a child can have.

Guskiewicz, Kevin. “Should Kids Play Football.” The Opinion Pages. The NY Times, 14 Dec. 2012. Web. 12 Feb. 2014. < //www.nytimes.com/2012/12/15/opinion/should-kids-play-football.html>.

“Concussions.” Teens Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014. < //kidshealth.org/teen/safety/first_aid/concussions.html>.

May we have people like Teachers check over and edit our editorials or does the rule of writing the editorial by ourselves exclude suggestions and editorials from experienced adults?

Alice, The ideas and writing in your editorial must be your own or your team’s – but you can have a teacher or adult proofread or offer advice, just as you might when writing a college essay. — Michael

The word “graffiti” usually has negative connotations. A connecting line could be drawn between graffiti and criminals. The stereotype of graffiti is that people sneak out at night to a wall or train and quickly spray messages on them. Although graffiti might seem bad on the surface, when investigated deeper, it can be considered a fascinating art. According to the New York Times, art is defined as “something that shows mastery, has stood the test of time, speaks for the era in which it was created, is valued by the masses.” Art in the past was very formal, as in they would work on a piece of art for a period of time in their studio and then present it to the public. Today, art has diffused into many different categories with different art mediums. Graffiti uses spray paint and is less formal. It speaks for the fast paced style of the modern era. Graffiti expresses and portrays a myriad of things. It shows diversities in culture in a certain area. It can also show people’s opinions on certain topics. A popular graffiti artist, Banksy, has many works where political symbolism is present. Sometimes all graffiti shows is beautiful contrasting colors and designs that pop out. Isn’t this considered art? An argument for graffiti not being art would be that sometimes private properties are vandalized. I understand that it is illegal to do this, but think about all the other things art has portrayed. Art expresses both good and bad messages. Art is a way of expressing one’s personal feelings and culture, not what the world thinks is right. Some people choose to promptly paint together a picture and then flee from the police. They paint their moral beliefs, not what the public wants. George C. Stowers bases his criteria of what art really is on aesthetics. Graffiti definitely catches the passerby’s eye. It requires extensive planning, imagination, and knowledge of artistic elements like shape, color, and composition. Stowers gives the example of wildstyle, or words written with different letter fonts that interlock with each other. This requires the knowledge of composition and color to catch the pedestrian’s eye. Graffiti is a revolutionary art form and continues to grow popular with the crowd. It draws “oohs” and “aahs” from all age groups. It definitely is an art form that is one of a kind. The messages and symbolism in the graffiti are definetely vivid. Graffiti is not only an art, it is a messenger of diverse cultures, a mastered skill, a meaningful practice, a way of life.

//iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall07/Sanchez/art.html //learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/19/can-graffiti-ever-be-considered-art/

Applications are very useful in many ways to people around the world. An application is a program that performs tasks. They are excellent ways of discovering news or being entertained. Some people can’t afford televisions or computers. They can just buy a cheap app using device and download the apps needed for it to have the abilities of a TV or computer. Smart TVs and computers use plenty of apps but they are not as dependent on apps as tablets, iPods, and phones. Still, computers are full of apps, even the internet is an app. Phones of course are full of apps, the App Store itself is an app. There are plenty of applications that are great to use. People say games are useless. The truth is that they are a useful form of entertainment. Usually games will get boring at a point and we will delete it. If you have a younger child, games like Temple Run, Angry Birds, and Subway Surfers are great to keep them busy. In fact, Angry Birds teaches physics! Minecraft is a game that can teach a bit of geology, geometry, problem solving skills, and survival. I know of a class that has it’s own Minecraft server and the students can play Minecraft at home with their class. Many games like Chess use strategy which is useful to learn. Different age groups have different choices for games, but they are always there to keep you entertained! We can get different kinds of literature and music using apps. The difference is that now instead of having to purchase a book, newspaper, or magazine from a shop, we can just touch or click on something and we will get it. You don’t have to go to concerts or buy CDs to listen to music. You can just find it on the internet or buy it on the device using the store application. You can follow sports teams with ESPN or the app of any league. Apps can broaden your knowledge on many subjects. There are applications that test your skill in subjects. As I mentioned before, there are games that teach you things. If you are using apps for school, note taking apps such as Notability or Goodnotes are great. Applications make things easier for teachers and students with apps such as Edmodo and Skyward. You can keep up with the assignments due and grades. Applications help make things easier for everybody. Overall, applications are great ways to keep up with what’s going on in the world today. We can be entertained whenever we want. Applications are everywhere and we use it during our spare time. Every generation has their own way of spending spare time. This generation’s are applications. //fluency21.com/blog/2013/10/29/now-teachers-encourage-computer-games-in-class/ //learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/30/do-apps-help-you-or-just-waste-your-time/

Technology is advancing quickly in this age, and robots are already starting to have a role in today’s society. Robots will be used in many ways, some for entertainment, some for assistance, and some for more severe reasons, such as defense and overseas deployment. Personal robots can be used to help the elderly, entertain and keep children while the parents are at work, etc. Government bots could be used for military purposes and things that are too dangerous for humans. Robots, in today’s society, would be much more than just helpful; they would most likely become some of the most valuable items on the market. People complain that using robots is morally unacceptable, that we would just use them as slaves, giving them little to no respect, making them do all the work for us at the lift of a finger, but that is just an opinion. If you don’t want one, don’t get one! Robots have been used in media for a long time, and when people see something amazing that a robot can do, they would want one, and then may even go out and buy one. Also, people could purchase things to customize/upgrade their personal unit, and if things got out of hand, there could be a built in kill-switch to put the robot down peacefully. While on the topic of robot malfunctions and issues, I should talk about people growing to fear the robots, or the robots taking control of the human population, like in The Matrix. People have given robots a bad rap due in movies and video games, due to them not being human, so no harm is done when they are destroyed. People have been using robots, as tools of marketing towards younger audiences who are satisfied by violence, testosterone, and explosions, which in the long run has made these helpful machines look evil, and undesirable. The modern world of technology has been about bringing the world to you, making everything easily accessible. Think, mobile phones, computers, cars and motorbikes have all been created to make everything closer and easier to use. With a robot, you could possibly send one to check on Grandma, or guide you through a place you’ve never been, or act as an assistant when you go shopping and the like. Some businesses may allow employees or common people to rent a robot for a set amount of time, so you can try a robot, risk-free without purchasing one for yourself. The industry of robotics would help the economy. In a world of advancement, bots would be a great help for many people, from being used as a friend, to being used to defend your country.

Engineers, architects, and professions that have to do with any sort of science are in high demand in the job industry. This is due to the quickly advancing science and technology markets that need educated students to help keep up with the demand. Employers and universities alike are trying to solve the problem of a shrinking expertise in the open fields, and the government can’t do anything to help students during their studies as the STEM research field is very expensive. In fact, college courses in English and philosophy are significantly less expensive. The result is more than one-fifth of students taking STEM courses dropping out, which means the students taking english majors instead are attempting to fill the already full job market. The STEM courses, while more challenging to complete, give students an ideal skill set when looking for a job, but the five years it takes to complete your major and receive your diploma scares away students every year. Not that English and history aren’t interesting fields to enter, but the amount of recently graduated students that get jobs with those majors is not as high as those with a STEM strength. The available market of new openings in the English-based fields is steadily decreasing, while the demand for STEM market jobs is steadily increasing. This has attracted the attention of the Florida government, who suggests that universities lower the course costs of STEM to help attract more students. This is a good plan, but universities fail to act upon it because the government doesn’t have the power to make them lower the fees. A solution to this situation, regardless of the already debated cost, would be increasing STEM engagement at the middle and high school level. This will increase the likeliness of students completing college as a STEM major. This would help in the engineering field, where there is a large availability of openings and not enough engineers to fill the demand. The same effect is happening in the healthcare market. Software engineers are dwindling in the marketplace, yet these people design the next great thing in the world of technology. These fields can very easily be seen as wanted positions and a position that pays well. In fact, STEM job markets tend to have a higher work to profit ratio, meaning bigger paychecks every month, rather than a market in history where revenue can sometimes be hard to come by. The choice should be clear for any student considering their course selection for college applications; choose a difficult course in science or engineering, and your life after college will be easier and more enjoyable for the years to come.

Sources: //www.cnn.com/2011/US/05/17/education.stem.graduation/ //learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/04/200-prompts-for-argumentative-writing/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=1& //www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2012/12/12/why-english-majors-are-just-as-important-as-engineers/

As a teenager I have been faced with many situations that have not gone my way. For example, I was in Sam’s Club the other day and asked for a meatball sample, and the lady working the meatball stand refused my request. She stated that I needed a parent’s permission to try one. Parental permission–to try a meatball? I’m 16; I think I know my allergies and can monitor my food intake. This “rule” describes an unjust culture: one that asks teenagers to prepare for adulthood but doesn’t allow them to try a meatball by themselves. Because we, as teenagers, are generally seen as irresponsible, rules have been set to limit our freedoms. It is true that, due to our general lack of experience, we should be limited reasonably, but this oppression has surpassed reason. We, the teenagers of the United States, are becoming pressed, stressed, and depressed due to restrictive expectations and rules; therefore, we should agree to halt this increasing amount of mandates. The reasoning for restrictions is short-sighted. One person messes up; everyone suffers. The Sandy Hook and Colorado Springs incidents caused massive outrage and increased security throughout the US. However, this doesn’t decrease the amount of shootings (Hefling). Our school requires faculty members to be present for us to enter or exit school; non-faculty members could get punished if they let someone inside–even a trusted friend freezing in the cold. Yes, schools should be safe in an emergency, but too much caution affects freedom. The overall trust of teenagers is tarnished by a few irresponsible teens. It is illegal to be under 18 and drive between 11:00 pm and 5:00 am in Ohio on weekdays. The reasoning for this law? Some teenagers cause mischief at night; it should be noted that illegal mischief in teens has been decreasing in the last decade (Parker-Pope). Should it be illegal if a student has athletic practice and has to drive there before 5:00 am? That teen may lose his or her license–even if they have not broken a law. Perhaps a teen watched a late-night movie and needed to drive home. Should he have been there on a school night? Maybe not, but should it be illegal to drive after going to a movie? The law denies us teenagers to have relaxation and entertainment at night. Curfew should instead be up to parents to decide. When the world is becoming so stringent on rules and regulations that I can’t eat a meatball, something needs to be done. Since every teenager is different, rules should be, for the most part, regulated by parents. Stringent laws have gone too far.

Sources: Parker-Pope: //well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/02/the-kids-are-more-than-all-right/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

Hefling: //www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/02/school-shootings-security_n_4712407.html

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New York Times' Student Editorial Contest - 7 Tips to Help You Win

“You can make anything by writing,” goes the quote by C.S. Lewis, and the prolific author, wasn't wrong! 

Your words, if crafted clearly, can shape opinions, change minds, uncover the truth, and much more. 

If you’re a high school student with a passion for writing concise and persuasive arguments, then you should consider applying for the New York Times’ Annual Student Editorial Contest ,  which invites students from across the U.S. to send in their best writing on topics they’re passionate about.

Argumentative writing is a critical skill you need to excel in college, and winning competitive essay competitions is a great way to showcase your clarity of thought, ability to build cohesive arguments, and write concisely.

What is the Student Editorial Contest all about?

Now in its 11th year, NYT launched the contest to encourage students to write convincing evidence-backed opinion essays on topics they are passionate about — LGBTQ+ rights, school shootings, Black Lives Matter, anti-Asian hate, memes, art repatriation, video game culture, and pineapple on pizza, to name a few — in 450 words or less. The key here is to choose a topic you care deeply about and convince readers that they should care too. 

Who can apply for the contest?

All middle school and high school students around the world aged 13-19 can apply for the contest.  You can apply even if you’re in a gap year but must not be enrolled in a college at the time of application. Students attending their first year of a two-year CEGEP in Quebec Province, Canada, can also apply.

Note:  you are ineligible if you are the child or stepchild of an NYT employee or if you live in the same household as an NYT employee.  

What do the contest winners get?

Winning essays will be published on the NYT’s Learning Network , an online resource for teaching and learning. There is no financial award.

Is the contest prestigious?

The Student Editorial Contest is highly selective and prestigious. While there is no financial award, NYT receives thousands of entries every year and selects only a handful of winners. In 2023, the paper received 12,592 submissions and selected 11 winners. That means 0.09% of all submissions won! 

What are the rules of the contest?

Your editorial submission must meet the following requirements:

1. Be 450 words or less  

This word limit does not include the title and your reference list.

2. Submit original writing  

You cannot submit an essay published in a school newspaper or elsewhere.

3. Cite your sources

You must use at least one NYT article source and another external source.

4. You must be the author of your own work  

While other people (teachers. parents, etc) may review your work, your final submission must reflect your own ideas in your voice.

How will your submission be judged?

NYT journalists, Learning Network staff members, and educators from across the U.S. judge the essays and pick the winners. This is done based on the following criteria:

1. Viewpoint

Your essay has a clear argument and provides an evidence-based call to action for a cause.

2. Evidence

Your essay cites reliable sources and uses compelling evidence to support your argument

3. Analysis and persuasion

Your essay argues a particular point of view by providing historical context, acknowledging counter-arguments, using examples, and developing claims. 

4. Language

Your essay uses the correct grammar and punctuation and is free from errors. Additionally, it uses a language and style appropriate for an editorial and is an engaging read

5. Guidelines

Your essay follows all the contest rules, including citing and least one NYT and one non-NYT source

When is the submission deadline?

Tentatively, submissions for the 2024 contest will open from March 15 to April 19, 2024. 

What did previous winners write about?

Previous years’ winners have written compelling essays on the joys of multigenerational living , the cultural insensitivity of “voluntourism,” ,   navigating life with an incarcerated parent , the importance of student journalism , stigma and shame young girls feel when they get their period , and many more. You can find a list of the 2023 winning and runner-up essays here , and the 2022 essays here .  

Without further ado, here are 7 tips to help you win the contest!

1. Think of a relevant topic, especially one you can connect with personally

You only have 450 words to make your case, so choose a topic you have the strongest connection with. NYT says that the best writing they see is from students who are personally attached to the subject matter. For example, Ketong Li wrote about the ethical problems with voluntourism after traveling to Myanmar, while Lucas Cohen-d’Arbeloff wrote  about the impact of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill based on the experiences of his two dads.

2. Find a good reviewer to give you constructive feedback on your draft

While the idea and writing must be your own, NYT acknowledges that editorial writing is a collaborative process in newsrooms, with staff coming together to shape an argument. Thus, it's important you have a mentor, ideally, someone with editorial experience, who can help you make more sense of your thoughts, help you think critically, and finally craft an effective argument.

3. Break out of your “filter bubble”

NYT encourages you to include a diversity of opinions in your essay, addressing their merits and finally making your own independent argument. Additionally, NYT pays special attention to your citations: you must use at least one NYT article as a source and one or more from other reliable publications when presenting differing arguments. 

4. Make good use of the NYT’s resources

The NYT has a trove of resources to help you ace the contest, including a step-by-step lesson plan on argumentative writing ,  a webinar on teaching argumentative writing , and NYT columnists have videos explaining how to write editorials .  

5. Learn from previous winners

You will gain a deeper understanding of the kind  of editorials NYT looks for by reviewing previous years’ winning submissions . Additionally, two winners of the 2020 contest have annotated essays explaining how they crafted their winning writing:  Ananya Udaygiri on “How Animal Crossing Will Save the World”  and Abel John on “Collar the Cat!”  Ananya and Abel have also recorded videos with advice on choosing a topic  and how to cite evidence in your submission .

6. Keep your audience in mind

Remember, you’re writing for NYT readers. To that end, your tone and writing style should reflect the NYT’s editorial voice. You would learn a lot by reading and analyzing the NYT’s daily editorials! 

7. Practice, practice, and practice

Few people are gifted writers, and fewer still can make their point in 450 words! We highly recommend that you simulate the contest by choosing different prompts and writing editorials, and then incorporate any feedback that you receive. NYT has a list of prompts  use can use to practice.

Our final verdict — what do we think of the contest?

The Student Editorial Contest is highly competitive and being one of the winners would add significant prestige to your college application.  It would also go a long way in helping you get into a top journalism school. We like that the competition is global and there are no financial barriers to entry (the contest is free!). The contest is thought-provoking and seeks unique perspectives on issues part of our lives. Even if you don’t win, you will gain a lot of important experience in argumentative writing which would certainly help you in university!

Bonus — the Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you are interested in doing university-level research in literature, media, and journalism, then you could also consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program , a selective online high school program for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, over 4000 students applied for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form   here.

Also check out the   Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation , a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students.

Kieran Lobo is a freelance writer from India, who currently teaches English in Spain.

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Del Norte student wins New York Times contest with essay on in-person connections

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Ellen Xu allowed herself to be vulnerable.

The Del Norte High School student penned a story about her sometimes strained relationship with her father, who moved to China the summer after her sixth-grade year. Xu didn’t see her father again for three years.

“It’s a story I’ve shared with very few people,” Xu said.

After writing an essay, mostly for herself, she submitted it to a competition. Her work was published recently in the New York Times — and shared with people all over the world.

Xu, 16, is one of eight winners of the New York Times’ 3rd annual Personal Narrative Essay Contest for Students.

Her essay, titled “Autocorrect,” tells the story of conversing with her overseas father via telephone and yearning for an in-person connection. It was one of more than 11,000 submissions.

“I think of all the things I want to say: It’s not the same to call. It’s been two years since I was last with you. I just had my first driving lesson today and don’t you remember promising me years ago that you would be the one to teach me to drive? Do you know how many memories we’ve traded for texts and calls?” Xu wrote in her essay.

One judge commented, “I’m always blown away by the vulnerability and tenderness so many of these stories hold,” according to the New York Times.

To read Xu’s essay, visit https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/20/learning/the-winners-of-our-3rd-annual-personal-narrative-essay-contest-for-students.html#link-18241cba .

The contest was open to students aged 11 to 19. Entrants were asked to tell a short, powerful story about a meaningful life experience. Xu said the topic she used was the first that popped into her mind.

When she saw her name on the list of winners, she said she thought there must have been another Ellen.

“I was so, so shocked,” she said. “I was not expecting to win.”

Xu was at school when she found out, and promptly texted her mother, sister and father.

Her mother cried after she read the essay. One of her teachers said they teared up while reading it.

Her father read it after it was published.

“He was definitely feeling sad he missed out on pieces of my life,” Xu said.

Between the time the essay was penned and the award won, Xu’s father came for a visit and the two were able to connect in person.

Technology can advance relationships but there remains the desire of raw connection, she said. The human aspect of the communication is often lost in the technology.

Xu said she never thought her writing could resonate with so many readers. She said she read a comment on the New York Times website from a teacher who had shared her essay with her classroom in Zambia.

“It felt surreal. When I saw my writing on the screen alongside the other winning essays, I almost couldn’t believe it and had to keep double checking to make sure I had seen it correctly,” she said.

“It still amazes me that the New York Times journalists and judges took to my essay — that through my writing, someone on the other side of the screen was able to connect and find value in my words. It is an incredible feeling, and I’m truly grateful for the NYT for giving me and other students this platform to share our messages with the world.”

Xu has always loved writing. In the fourth grade, she won first place in creative writing from the San Diego California Association of Teachers of English with a story about a bird. It was in that moment she realized “writing is a way for me to share stories,” she said.

She is a fan of the “sense of wonder that writing can bring.” She is inspired by reading books such as the Harry Potter stories and a bevy of poetry.

Her writing varies from lighthearted to deeply personal. She hopes to someday write a novel.

While she intends on continuing with her writing, Xu doesn’t think she wants to do it as a profession. She’s still exploring her interests, which include technology, science, engineering and mathematics.

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Angela Brandt is a staff writer for the Poway News Chieftain and Rancho Bernardo News Journal.

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Competition

New York Times Personal Narrative Writing Contest

November 17, 2023.

High School

Description:

For this contest, we invite you to write a personal narrative of your own about a meaningful life experience. We’re not asking you to write to a particular theme or to use a specific structure or style, but we are looking for short, powerful stories about a particular moment or event in your life. We want to hear your story, told in your unique voice, and we hope you’ll experiment with style and form to tell a tale that matters to you, in a way you enjoy telling it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/10/learning/our-3rd-annual-personal-narrative-writing-contest.html

Writing Type

Essay, Prose, Nonf𝔦ction

Publication

International

Science News , Science News Learning

Science News and The New York Times announce 10 winners of the 4th Annual STEM Writing Contest

Together Science News and The New York Times Learning Network are pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 STEM Writing Contest . Ten talented young science communicators have been named winners for their ability to explain complex scientific topics such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), bioprinting, pyramids and glass frogs. The winning essays, which are published in The New York Times, were released in small batches over the course of the week.

In its fourth year, the STEM Writing Contest invited teenagers from all over the world to choose an issue or question in science, technology, engineering, math or health, and then write an engaging 500-word explanation that would be understood by scientists and nonscientists alike. Other thought-provoking topics this year included the impact of laughter on the human body, the effects of blue light from technology and multiple essays on artificial intelligence.

“We are thrilled to partner with The New York Times for the fourth year in a row on the STEM Writing Contest, which engages young people globally to explore and explain complex scientific ideas in accessible and exciting ways,” said Nancy Shute, Editor in Chief of Science News. “Science and technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace making the ability to communicate science clearly and concisely essential. It’s encouraging to see the immense potential of the next generation of science communicators. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners!”

The New York Times Learning Network received over 3,000 submissions from middle and high school students between the ages of 13-19, hailing from national and international locations. To provide some guidance, the Learning Network posted an educational activity called “ Think like a science journalist ,” created by Science News Learning, a program of Society for Science and Science News that offers evidence-based science journalism and classroom lesson plans to educators.

The judging panel was comprised of esteemed individuals from the STEM education, science journalism, and professional writing fields, including educators who consistently incorporate Science News Learning materials in their classrooms. Society for Science played a pivotal role in promoting the contest to teachers and their audiences, stressing the competition’s focus on science literacy and communication. After careful evaluation by the judges, 10 talented winners were selected. In addition to the winners, the judges recognized 11 runners-up and 23 honorable mentions from the finalist pool.

The 2023 STEM Writing Contest winners are:

Andrei Li: “ I Spy With My Little Muon: Peering Inside Pyramids With Cosmic Rays ” (age 18, Monarch Park Collegiate, Toronto, Ontario)

Catherine Ji: “ Whales and Cancer: A Deep Dive Into Cetacean Genes ” (age 14, New Trier High School, Wilmette, Ill.)

Daphne Zhu: “ Pine Beetle Infestation: Epidemic of North America’s Forests ” (age 15, Lynbrook High School, San Jose, Calif.)

Erica Frischauf: “ Hearing Colors and Tasting Sounds: What Is Synesthesia? ” (age 16, Lakewood High School, Lakewood, Ohio)

Judah Spiegel: “ Computing Creativity: Can A.I. Produce Art? ” (age 14, Albany High School, Albany, Calif.)

Justin Wang: “ Nature’s Solution to Plastic Pollution: The Amazing Power of the Wax Worm ” (age 16, Alhambra High School, Alhambra, Calif.)

Leah Li: “ Glass Frogs: Clearing the Mystery of Clotting ” (age 14, Milton Academy, Pearland, Texas)

Logan Ramanathan: “ 3-D Bioprinting: A Modern Day Prometheus ” (age 17, The Nueva School, Los Altos Hills, Calif.)

Siwen Cui: “ What the Nose Knows: The Underappreciated Olfactory Sense ” (age 18, Kent School, Kent, Conn.)

Yejin (Jenny) Son: “ An Awakening of a Geological Giant: The Next Deadly Eruption of Mount Baekdu ” (age 17, Chadwick International School, Songdo, South Korea)

Read more about the winners here:  https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/11/learning/ai-bioprinting-and-glass-frogs-the-winners-of-our-4th-annual-stem-writing-contest.html

Michael Gonchar, editor of The New York Times Learning Network, noted, “This is our fourth year running our STEM Writing Contest for middle and high school students, and just like in previous years, we are fascinated by the diverse range of topics — from the possibilities of bioprinting and muography to the powers of glass frogs and wax worms. We were thrilled to see the wide range of topics that students chose to explore and write about in this year’s contest.”

Applicants were required to submit entries guided by mentor texts provided by both Science News and The New York Times science section. Essays were then judged on how well a scientific concept was not only captured and explained but also on other writing elements, such as an engaging hook, an explanation of why the topic is important, accurate citation of expert sources, focus and clarity as well as analysis. Effective communication of scientific concepts is a critical skill that can benefit individuals of all ages, and this competition serves as an excellent platform to develop and hone these skills.

Thank you to all of our contest judges.

From the Society for Science Community:  Victoria Bampoh, Jennifer Donnelly, Phebe Martinez Fuentes, Terianne Hall, Lori Herbsman, Meghan Hess, Kehakashan Khan, Jefferson Marshall, Amanda Nix, Dawn Parker, Amy Telford, Peggy Veatch, Jieun Yoo

From The New York Times Science-Journalism Community:  David Brown, Shannon Stirone

From The Learning Network Community:  Kathryn Curto, Shannon Doyne, Jeremy Engle, Caroline Gilpin, Michael Gonchar, Annissa Hambouz, Simon Levien, Keith Meatto, Natalie Proulx, Trishna Ramsamooj, Katherine Schulten, Vanessa Vieux

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Complete Guide to the New York Times Student Review Contest

• Last modified 2023-11-22
• Published on 2023-11-14

Competition Information

Who can participate in this competition.

The New York Times Student Review Contest welcomes participants aged 13 to 19 from around the world. However, students under the age of 18 must obtain permission from a parent or guardian to enter.

What important dates should I remember?

Submission Start Date: The competition will open for submissions on November 1st.

Submission Deadline: All entries must be submitted by December 6th at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.

Winner Announcement: The list of winners is usually announced approximately 2 months after the competition ends.

What Can I Review in the New York Times Student Review Contest?

Participants can choose to review works from various different categories, as shown in the image above. These categories include:

• Architecture
• Restaurants
• Video Games

Important Note: A new rule has been introduced for this year’s competition. The reviewed work must be a piece that made its debut in 2023.

Is there a word limit?

Reviews must not exceed 450 words in length, excluding the title.

Can I submit multiple reviews?

No, submissions are limited to one per student.

Can I submit a review as part of a group?

Collaborative submissions are not permitted. Students must participate as individuals.

What are the plagiarism guidelines for submitted work?

Your article must be your original work. It shouldn’t be plagiarized, written by someone else, or generated by AI. It should not have been published in a school newspaper, other contests, or anywhere else.

This year, students must submit an “artist’s statement” to describe your process. It’s worth noting that this statement will not be evaluated for quality, and therefore won’t affect the selection of finalists or the publication of winning entries.

How will the competition be judged this year?

The New York Times Student Review Contest maintains the same scoring criteria as in previous years, focusing on the following five aspects:

• Opinion: The response should present a clear point of view supported by evidence, and convey the participant’s experiences and reactions in a clear and engaging manner.
• Attention to detail: The review should consistently display relevant and accurate details from the creative work.
• Audience: Reviews should be crafted for a broad audience, with particular consideration for the target audience of the creative work.
• Language: Reviews should engage readers with compelling narrative language, using an appropriate style, and tone, as well as correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Guidelines: Reviews must adhere to all New York Times contest rules, including the maximum word limit of 450 words, and should be relevant to the category reviewed by New York Times critics.

These criteria are evaluated using four scores: Excellent (4), Proficient (3), Developing (2), and Beginning (1).

Who are the judges for this contest?

The judging panel for the contest includes the Learning Network staff, a team of New York Times journalists, and many other educators from across the country.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a review.

A review is similar to an argumentative essay , as the reviewer has to analyze the work closely, understand the context and the meaning behind the text, and then explain why it is meaningful enough for you to review. Then, provide an opinion that establishes a position on the subject matter, and gather evidence to support your stance.

How can I make my review stand out?

The contest organizers encourage reviews that offer fresh, meaningful, and interesting perspectives on the work being reviewed, whether positive or negative. One way to make your review stand out is to create a compelling introduction. Start with a hook that relates to the work you’re reviewing, and briefly introduce the subject matter. For example, you can pose a thought-provoking question, share a surprising fact, or present a relevant quote.

I don’t know how to write a review. How should I start?

If you’re unsure how to begin your review, the contest organizers will be releasing a step-by-step guide to writing reviews, so stay tuned on the official website.

How Can I Gather Feedback on My Review?

Before submitting, be sure to share your work with friends, family, or teachers for feedback. They can provide valuable insights into the clarity and effectiveness of your writing. Constructive criticism can help you refine your review before submission.

In conclusion, the New York Times Student Review Contest is an excellent opportunity for young writers to showcase their critical thinking and writing skills. This contest offers a platform to express your unique perspective– be it on books, movies, or any other creative work. We wish the best of luck to all the participants, and look forward to reading your insightful reviews!

Further Your Writing Skill with Aralia

This class is offered in the summer every year. Students from 13 to 18 years old wanting to learn how to shape their written English into effective and publishable creative pieces will find this particular Writing Competition course very exciting. The class will be shown a range of tools to learn the nuances of controlled, purposeful writing, including: figurative language, effective structuring and specific forms that they will apply to their own pieces.

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• Competitions

Interested in learning more?

Aralia Education is an innovative online education platform for ambitious middle and high school students worldwide. Aralia’s instructors propel students forward by helping them build a strong foundation in traditional academic courses. They also actively engage and guide students in exploring personal interests beyond their school curriculum. With this holistic approach, Aralia ensures its students are well-prepared for college and equipped for success in their future careers.

• College Accelerator Program
• Comprehensive Introduction to High School
• Academic Empowerment Program
• Test Preparation Bootcamp
• Private Lessons
• Student Awards

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Your Ultimate Guide to Writing Contests for 2024

Because you just never know....

I first published a writing competition guide in 2022 and it was so popular, I've updated it for 2024 for this week's blog post. If you're a planner like me, I love outlining my year ahead, not just in term of writing goals but also for literary events, writing competitions, authors I'd like to meet and so on. (Yes, I know we're only in September but what can I say...I love having stuff to look forward to!)

Writing competitions are an incredible opportunity to get your work in front of industry professionals so in this week’s blog post I’ve curated a list of contests - most of which are an international competition - that you may want to consider as part of your author journey.

In fact you may (or may not) know that my own author career started as a result of winning a writing competition in 2016 which led to a 3-book deal. While it can be nerve-wracking to submit your work, the benefits far outweigh any discomfort, helping you understand where you need to improve, who the competition is, and what the publishing industry is looking for.

If you win, there’s often a cash prize along with the prestige that comes from winning first place. However, even if you're not a grand prize winner taking home prize money, coming in second place, third place, or having an honorable mention in a literary magazine is a fantastic confidence boost. Imagine how good it would feel to share your winning story on social media!

So if you’re serious about your writing and becoming a published author , check out my round up of upcoming writing competitions, many of which have submissions open now . As many of you are from all around the world these are not just United States based; the majority of these are open to international entries .

While this blog mainly focuses on adults entrants, for writing contests for college students, high school students, and young writers , I would suggest looking at the New York Times student contest calendar . There are lots of student writing contests to choose from, many of which are open to young people all around the world and they cover lots of submission types including personal essay contests, short story competitions, science fiction, letters, flash fiction, diary entries, songs, raps, and even visuals such as graphic novels and illustrations. Check out this link to see which might work best. The competitions covered below mainly focus on a work of fiction although in some cases you can compete with non-fiction or a poetry collection. Most writing contests require unpublished work and I'm sure I don't need to add that it must be your original work! When reviewing these competitions, please do check the terms and conditions carefully , focusing on requirements such as word count, minimum and maximum length, and what contact information should be added and where it should be included (usually, judges of an annual contest prefer to read submissions anonymously.) I've added entry fees in local currency and there are often options for fee reductions depending on your circumstances.

1. The Commonwealth Short Story Prize

Prize : There will be five winners, one from each region (Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, Caribbean, Pacific).

The overall winner will receive £5,000 and the remaining four regional winners £2,500.

Entry fee : Free

Deadline : November 1, 2023

About : The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is an annual award for unpublished short fiction administered and funded by the Commonwealth Foundation . The story should be adult fiction and entrants must be citizens of a Commonwealth country . Submissions are accepted in English, Bengali, Chinese, Creole, English, French, Greek, Malay, Maltese, Portuguese, Samoan, Swahili, Tamil, and Turkish.

2. Writer's Digest Short Story Competition

Prize : $3,000 in cash, published in Writer’s Digest magazine, and a paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Conference. There are also cash prizes for second, third, and fourth places.

Entry fee : Early-Bird $30, Final $35

Early-Bird Deadline : November 15, 2023

Final Deadline: December, 15, 2023

About : Submit a 1500 word short-story (or less) to the Writer's Digest Short Story Competition for an opportunity to win cash prizes and publication in the magazine. Open to all. ​

3 . The Exeter Novel Prize

Prize: First prize - £1000 plus a trophy and five runners up will receive £100 and a paperweight

Entry fee : £20 (or £120 with appraisal)

Deadline : January 1, 2024

About : The competition is open to everyone, living anywhere in the world, published, self-published or yet to be published, who does not have representation by a literary agent, and who does not receive a contract from a commercial publisher by the closing date. ​

4 . Unleash Book Prize

Prize : $1,000 advance and standard contract option to publish with Unleash Press for one winning manuscript

Entry fee : $35

Deadline : December 15, 2023

About : Unleash Press are looking for submissions for novels, short story collections, and creative nonfiction manuscripts. 5 . First Novel Prize

Prize : 1st place: £1000, Shortlist Prize: £500

Entry fee : £25

Deadline : Submissions open February 1, 2024

About : The First Novel Prize aims to discover a powerful new voice in fiction writing, across the English language world. Prizes are available for unpublished or independently published novelists. The submission should be over 50,000 words and of an adult genre. 6 . Mississippi Review Contest

Prize : $1000

Entry Fee : $16

About : The contest is open to all writers in English except current or former students or employees of The University of Southern Mississippi. Fiction and non-fiction entries should be 1000-8000 words; poetry entries should be three to five poems totaling ten pages or less. 7 . The Disquiet Prize

Prize : a full scholarship, accommodation, and travel stipend to attend the tenth annual DISQUIET International Literary Program in Lisbon (June 23-July 5, 2024). Genre winners will receive a tuition waiver for DISQUIET 2024 in addition to publication. Winners who are unable to attend the progam in Lisbon may elect to receive a $1000 cash prize in lieu of the tuition waiver. Deadline : January 5, 2024

Entry fee : $15

About : The DISQUIET Prize is open for submissions in fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. ​ As more annual awards are announced, I will add the details to this blog post so do check back occasionally and in the meantime, I would urge you to work on your unpublished manuscript - you just never know, your idea could be a winning entry and lead you to becoming one of the many published authors who have cemented their writing career this way. Best of luck!

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Best Essay Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 50 contests that match your search.

Annual Contest Submissions

So To Speak

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

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

Additional prizes:

Publication

💰 Entry fee: $4

📅 Deadline: March 15, 2024 (Expired)

Journalism Competition 2024

Write the World

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

What are the most important issues taking place close to home? Perhaps a rare bird sighting near your town? Or a band of young people in your province fighting for access to higher education? This month, immerse yourself in a newsworthy event inside the borders of your own country, and invite us there through your written reporting.

Best entry: $100

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

📅 Deadline: July 22, 2024

swamp pink Prizes

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

From January 1st to January 31st, submit short stories and essays of up to 25 pages or a set of 1-3 poems. Winners in each genre will receive $2,000 and publication.

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)

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NOWW 26th International Writing Contest

Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop (NOWW)

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

2nd: $100 | 3rd: $50

💰 Entry fee: $7

📅 Deadline: February 29, 2024 (Expired)

Creative Nonfiction Prize

Indiana Review

Genres: Essay, Fiction, and Non-fiction

Send us one creative nonfiction piece, up to 5000 words, for a chance at $1000 + publication. This year's contest will be judged by Lars Horn.

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)

Climate Change Writing Competition

Genres: Essay, Memoir, and Non-fiction

This month, dear writers, ahead of COP27, help us raise the voices of young people in this urgent fight. In a piece of personal narrative, tell the world’s leaders gathering in how climate change impacts you. How has this crisis changed your environment, your community, your sense of the future? Storytelling, after all, plays a critical role in helping us grasp the emergency through which we are all living, igniting empathy in readers and listeners—itself a precursor to action.

Runner-up: $50

📅 Deadline: October 18, 2022 (Expired)

Artificial Intelligence Competition

New Beginnings

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

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

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: December 15, 2023 (Expired)

Hispanic Culture Review Contest 2022-2023

Hispanic Culture Review

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

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

$100 for photography, poetry, and essay winners

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: February 01, 2023 (Expired)

Red Hen Press Women's Prose Prize

Red Hen Press

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

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

Publication by Red Hen Press

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2024 (Expired)

WOW! Women On Writing Quarterly Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest

WOW! Women On Writing

Genres: Non-fiction and Essay

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

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

💰 Entry fee: $12

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024

World Historian Student Essay Competition

World History Association

Genres: Children's and Essay

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

📅 Deadline: May 01, 2024

Aurora Polaris Creative Nonfiction Award

Trio House Press

We seek un-agented full-length creative nonfiction manuscripts including memoir, essay collections, etc. 50,000 - 80,000 words.

📅 Deadline: May 15, 2024

100 Word Writing Contest

Tadpole Press

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

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

2nd: writing coach package

💰 Entry fee: $15

Berggruen Prize Essay Competition

Berggruen Institute

Genres: Essay

The Berggruen Prize Essay Competition seeks to stimulate new thinking and innovative concepts while embracing cross-cultural perspectives across fields, disciplines, and geographies. Inspired by the pivotal role essays have played in shaping thought and inquiry, we are inviting essays that follow in the tradition of renowned thinkers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Michel de Montaigne, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Submissions should present novel ideas and be clearly argued in compelling ways for intellectually serious readers. Submissions are accepted in English and Chinese with a $25,000 USD prize in each language category. Winners will be celebrated at an award ceremony featuring dialogues with esteemed scholars and thinkers. Winning essays will be published in our award-winning magazine Noema, offering insightful perspectives from both East and West to a worldwide audience. Submission deadline is June 30, 2024.

Publication in Noema Magazine

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024

Lazuli Literary Group Writing Contest

Lazuli Literary Group

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

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

Publication in "AZURE: A Journal of Literary Thought"

📅 Deadline: March 24, 2024 (Expired)

Narratively 2023 Memoir Prize

Narratively

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

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

$1,000 and publication

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2023 (Expired)

Military Anthology: Partnerships, the Untold Story

Armed Services Arts Partnership

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

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

$500 Editors' Choice award

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

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

Literary and Photographic Contest 2023-2024

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

As we move forward we carry our culture wherever we go. It keeps us alive. This is why we propose the theme to be “¡Hacia delante!”. A phrase that means to move forward. This year we ask that you think about the following questions: What keeps you moving forward? What do you carry with you going into the future? How do you celebrate your successes, your dreams, and your culture?

Publication in magazine

📅 Deadline: February 07, 2024 (Expired)

Jane Austen Society of North America Essay Contest

Jane Austen Society of North America

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

$1,000 scholarship

Two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s Annual General Meeting

📅 Deadline: June 02, 2022 (Expired)

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

Sunspot Literary Journal

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

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

$500 + publication

Runners-up and finalists are offered publication

African Diaspora Awards 2024

Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc

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

Up to $1000 in cash prizes for the African Diaspora Award 2024. African-themed prose and poetry wanted. Top finalists are published in Kinsman Quarterly’s magazine and the anthology, “Black Butterfly: Voices of the African Diaspora.”

Publication in anthology, "Black Butterfly: Voices of the African Diaspora" and print and digital magazine

Work-In-Progress (WIP) Contest

Unleash Press

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

We aim to assist writers in the completion of an important literary project and vision. The Unleash WIP Award offers writers support in the amount of $500 to supplement costs to aid in the completion of a book-length work of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Writers will also receive editorial feedback, coaching meetings, and an excerpt/interview feature in Unleash Lit.

Coaching, interview, and editorial support

💰 Entry fee: $35

📅 Deadline: July 15, 2024

Vocal Challenges

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

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

$1,000 — $5,000

📅 Deadline: March 07, 2024 (Expired)

Stories of Inspiration

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

Publication in Kinsman Quarterly's online magazine

📅 Deadline: December 31, 2024

Indignor Play House Annual Short Story Competition

Indignor House Publishing

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

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

2nd: $250 | 3rd: $150

Annual Student Essay Contest

Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum

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

📅 Deadline: March 04, 2024 (Expired)

Personal Essay Competition 2024

Genres: Essay and Memoir

We want to hear about an experience in your life, rife with characters and description and conflict and scene… but we also want to hear how you make sense of this experience, how it sits with you, and why it has surfaced as writing. Open a window into your life and invite your readers to enter.

📅 Deadline: June 24, 2024

High School Academic Research Competition

Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal

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

Indigo Research Intensive Summer Program

📅 Deadline: March 20, 2024 (Expired)

The Hudson Prize

Black Lawrence Press

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

💰 Entry fee: $28

Brink Literary Journal Award for Hybrid Writing

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

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

💰 Entry fee: $22

📅 Deadline: February 16, 2024 (Expired)

The Letter Review Prize for Unpublished Books

The Letter Review

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

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

Optional Publication of Excerpt, Letter of Recommendation

Irene Adler Prize

Lucas Ackroyd

Genres: Essay, Non-fiction, and Travel

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

2x honorable mentions: $250

📅 Deadline: May 30, 2024

Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize

Gotham Writers Workshop

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

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

$1000 + free 10 week course with Gotham Writers

International Essay Competition 2023/24

Avernus Education

Welcome to our prestigious International Essay Competition. At Avernus Education, we are thrilled to provide a platform for young minds to showcase their prowess in Medicine, Engineering, Law, Economics, Psychology, History and Politics. These varied subject categories underscore the importance of interdisciplinary study, a crucial foundation for future leaders in our increasingly interconnected world. Winners receive an exclusive Avernus Education Scholarship worth over £5000 - granting them free entrance to our exclusive summer camp at Oxford University! Outstanding Runners Up receive 5 hours worth of Credits for Avernus Education courses, conferences and tutoring services.

100% Scholarship Award to our Oxford University Summer Programme (worth £5995)

Partial scholarship

📅 Deadline: February 19, 2024 (Expired)

Young Sports Journalist 2024

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

Publication in magazine and online

📅 Deadline: April 05, 2024 (Expired)

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

Why you should submit to writing contests

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Resources to help you win writing competitions in 2024

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

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

Free online courses

On Writing:

How to Craft a Killer Short Story

The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction

How to Write a Novel

Understanding Point of View

Developing Characters That Your Readers Will Love

Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character

Stop Procrastinating! Build a Solid Writing Routine

On Editing:

Story Editing for Authors

How to Self-Edit Like a Pro

Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites

How to Write a Short Story in 7 Steps

How to Write a Novel in 15 Steps

Literary Devices and Terms — 35+ Definitions With Examples

10 Essential Fiction Writing Tips to Improve Your Craft

How to Write Dialogue: 8 Simple Rules and Exercises

8 Character Development Exercises to Help You Nail Your Character

Bonus resources

200+ Short Story Ideas

600+ Writing Prompts to Inspire You

100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Fiction Authors

Story Title Generator

Pen Name Generator

Character Name Generator

After you submit to a writing competition in 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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South Korean Parliamentary Election Projected to Hand Defeat to Leader

The vote on Wednesday was a big test for President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has forged closer ties with the United States and Japan but whose domestic agenda has stalled.

By Choe Sang-Hun

Reporting from Seoul

In the two years since he was elected, President Yoon Suk Yeol has made his mark in foreign policy, forging deeper ties with the United States and Japan. But his business-friendly domestic agenda has been stalled by his own missteps and an opposition-controlled Parliament.

Now, Mr. Yoon is facing the threat of being a lame duck for the remainder of his single, five-year term.

In a parliamentary election held on Wednesday, voters were projected to have handed Mr. Yoon and his party a crushing defeat, giving the opposition one of its biggest electoral victories in recent decades. Polls closed at 6 p.m. and official results were expected on Thursday morning.

Dozens of parties were vying for the 300 seats in the National Assembly, South Korea’s single-chamber legislature. However, the contest was largely between Mr. Yoon’s conservative People Power Party and the main opposition camp, the liberal Democratic Party.

This was the first general election since Mr. Yoon won the presidency in 2022, beating Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party by a razor-thin margin. While the results will decide the makeup of the Assembly for the next four years, they also serve as a verdict on the two rival leaders .

Exit polls conducted Wednesday by South Korea’s three major TV stations predicted that Mr. Yoon’s People Power Party and an affiliate would win no more than 105 of the 300 seats in the Assembly. Mr. Lee’s Democratic Party and a partner were projected to garner as many 197. A separate exit poll by the cable channel JTBC predicted a similar outcome.

For the past two weeks, candidates have greeted voters at subway stations, woven through their districts on trucks mounted with loudspeakers, and even knelt and bowed before voters, as is customary in the country. All that canvassing stopped as voters began filing into balloting stations across the country at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, which was declared a national holiday for the election.

The outcome of the contest is unlikely to have any immediate impact on Mr. Yoon’s efforts to expand security cooperation with Washington and Tokyo to deter North Korea, as foreign policy is concentrated in the hands of the president.

But Mr. Yoon’s long-stalled domestic agenda — corporate tax cuts and other business-friendly measures as well as his efforts to drastically increase the number of doctors — looks increasingly imperiled.

In contrast, Mr. Lee is likely to get a big push from the election if the exit poll projections are accurate. He hopes to run for president again in 2027.

The rivalry between the two leaders has become symptomatic of the deep political polarization in South Korea.

Mr. Lee’s party billed the election as an opportunity for South Koreans to punish Mr. Yoon over everything from rising consumer prices to allegations of corruption and abuse of power involving his family and the government.

“We must serve a warning that if the worker is not faithful enough, he can be driven out of his job,” ​Mr. Lee said this week​,​ a comment that South Korean news media said hinted at the possibility of impeaching Mr. Yoon if the opposition wins enough seats.

Under Mr. Yoon, Mr. Lee and his wife have been scrutinized by prosecutors and now face various criminal charges. The opposition for its part has passed bills that mandate investigations into allegations of corruption involving Mr. Yoon’s family and former prosecutors and judges. The president has vetoed those bills.

Each side, analysts said, focused on demonizing the other instead of offering policy proposals. Mr. Yoon’s party called Mr. Lee and his party “criminals.” The opposition warned that South Korea under Mr. Yoon was turning into a “dictatorship,” accusing him of using prosecutors and state regulators to suppress unfriendly journalists and politicians; at times, Mr. Yoon’s bodyguards have even gagged and carried away citizens who shouted criticism at him.

“I have never seen an election like this: No campaign promise or policy has become an election issue, except for the forces from the opposite poles clashing to win at all costs,” said Heo Jinjae, an analyst at Gallup Korea.

For one voter, in Seoul, the capital, the choice was between bad and worse.

“Instead of it being a battle of good policy, the election is about picking the least worst candidate,” said the voter, Hong Yoongi, 28, who lives in the city of Seongnam, just outside Seoul. “It’s a shame.”

Kim Eun-joo, a resident in her early 40s, voiced a similar notion but said she cast her vote as a warning against Mr. Yoon’s government.

“I don’t trust any party,” she said. “But I know that the economy has worsened and politics have become more disruptive under President Yoon.”

Nearly a third of the country’s 44 million eligible voters had already cast their ballots in early voting on Friday and Saturday. Experts said that the election would be decided largely by two overlapping blocs of swing voters. The first was people in their 20s and 30s. The second was the roughly 20 percent of eligible voters who hold the middle ground between progressives​ and conservatives. Many voters in their 40s and 50s are progressives, while people in their 60s and older tend to vote conservative.

The two main rival parties competed for swing voters by playing up their enemies’ gaffes and past remarks.

Mr. Yoon committed one such gaffe when he visited a grocery store last month and made a comment that left South Koreans wondering whether he knew how much green onions, a staple, cost amid inflation. Since then, opposition candidates have brandished green onions at campaign rallies as a symbol of Mr. Yoon’s supposed disconnect from everyday life.

Pre-election surveys showed that a majority of voters in their 20s and 30s and those who called themselves moderates disapproved of Mr. Yoon’s performance.

“If anything, this election serves as a report card on Yoon Suk Yeol’s two years in office,” said Jaung Hoon, a political science professor at Chung-Ang University in Seoul.

Jin Yu Young contributed reporting.

Choe Sang-Hun is the lead reporter for The Times in Seoul, covering South and North Korea. More about Choe Sang-Hun

2024 ESSAY CONTEST

The Honorable Robert A. Katzmann Justice For All: Courts and the Community Initiative & the Appellate Courts Committee of the New York County Lawyers Association In Honor of Second Circuit Judge Rosemary S. Pooler

Contest Information and Prompt

Contest entry and rules.

In honor of Judge Rosemary S. Pooler and the 70th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown , the theme for this year’s essay contest is “70 years of Brown v. Board of Education : The Promise of Equal Protection of the Laws.” Consistent with this theme, students are asked to consider how the federal courts have interpreted and applied Brown since that decision was rendered, and to think critically about how the principles motivating that decision and the decision itself have influenced and continue to influence individuals, communities, and American society.

The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868 following the Civil War, includes the Equal Protection Clause, which provides that the state shall not “deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

In Brown v. Board of Education , 347 U.S. 483 (1954), decided 70 years ago this year, the Supreme Court ruled that state laws that segregated students based on race violated the Equal Protection Clause. In so holding, the Supreme Court overruled an earlier decision in Plessy v. Ferguson , which held that if public facilities were equal, racial segregation did not violate the Equal Protection Clause.

In articulating its landmark decision in Brown , the Supreme Court explained that it “must consider public education in the light of its full development and its present place in American life throughout the Nation[,]” and could not view the problem before it by “turn[ing] the clock back to 1868 when the [Equal Protection Clause] was adopted, or even to 1869 when Plessy v. Ferguson was written.” According to the Court:

[E]ducation is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments. Compulsory school attendance laws and the great expenditures for education both demonstrate our recognition of the importance of education to our democratic society. It is required in the performance of our most basic public responsibilities, even service in the armed forces. It is the very foundation of good citizenship. Today it is a principal instrument in awakening the child to cultural values, in preparing him for later professional training, and in helping him to adjust normally to his environment. In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education. Such an opportunity, where the state has undertaken to provide it, is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms.

The Court went on to explain that racial segregation is harmful in and of itself. Separating students “from others of similar age and qualifications solely because of their race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever to be undone.” And this “feeling of inferiority” may affect certain children’s ability to learn and deprive them of the benefits they would otherwise receive from their education.

The Court concluded that,

in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. Therefore, we hold that the plaintiffs and others similarly situated for whom the actions have been brought are, by reason of the segregation complained of, deprived of the equal protection of the laws guaranteed

Decisions informing Brown or that apply Brown:

• United States v. Carolene Prod. Co. , 304 U.S. 144 (1938): In Carolene Products Company , the Supreme Court recognized that “prejudice against discrete and insular minorities may be a special condition, which tends seriously to curtail the operation of those political processes ordinarily to be relied upon to protect minorities” thus requiring judicial intervention.
• San Antonio Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Rodriguez , 411 U.S. 1 (1973): In Rodriguez , the Supreme Court upheld Texas’s system of financing public schools through property tax assessments, which created a disparity in resources between wealthier and poorer tax districts, against a challenge under Brown and the Equal Protection Clause. In reaching this decision, the Court reasoned that “where wealth is involved, the Equal Protection Clause does not require absolute equality or precisely equal advantages.”
• Grutter v. Bollinger , 539 U.S. 306 (2003): In Grutter , the Supreme Court held that “student body diversity is a compelling state interest that can justify the use of race in university admissions” at least to a limited extent. The Court recognized that the benefits of diversity in an educational setting included enabling students to better understand persons of different backgrounds, and that a diverse student body helped make classroom discussion “livelier, more spirited, and simply more enlightening and interesting”.
• Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard Coll. , 600 U.S. 181 (2023): In Students for Fair Admissions , the Supreme Court held that Harvard College’s and the University of North Carolina’s admission policies, which gave preference to certain applicants solely based on their race, were unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause. The Court reasoned that the contested admission policies “further[ed] stereotypes that treat individuals as the product of their race, evaluating their thoughts and efforts—their very worth as citizens—according to a criterion barred to the Government by history and the Constitution”, thus contradicting the “core purpose” of Brown and the Equal Protection Clause.

You may want to consider one or more of the following prompts:

• Now, 70 years later, do you think that Brown’s promise of fully integrated public education has been achieved? If not, what else needs to be done?
• What does it mean to afford individuals “equal protection of the laws”?
• Brown concerned discrimination in school based on race. Do you think that students today face discrimination in school for reasons other than race? What can be done to change that?
• Are there circumstances under which the federal judiciary should not let popular views or positions influence its decision making? If so, what are they? If not, why not?
• When should the Supreme Court overrule prior cases, as it did when it overruled Plessy v. Ferguson in Brown?
• What types of diversity are meaningful in an educational setting?
• Are there other benefits like public education that we think are so important that they should be provided on an equal basis as a matter of right?
• In order to put their rulings into effect, judges often issue orders that require people or organizations to do certain things. Imagine you are a judge issuing an order to your school. What would you order to make your school a fairer place

Who May Enter : The contest will be open to high school students in New York. Students attending public, private, parochial, and charter schools, as well as home-schooled students of equivalent grade status, are all invited to participate. Note: Children of federal judges or federal judiciary employees are not eligible to participate.

Timeline for Submissions : Entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on April 26, 2024.

Length and Format : Essays must be between 500 and 1000 words (2-4 double spaced pages). The essays must be double spaced and typed using size 12, easily readable font (e.g., Times New Roman, Garamond, etc.). Proper use of citations and bibliographies is not required, but will be credited during the judging. Citations and bibliographies are not included in the word count. Essays must be submitted electronically as a PDF to [email protected] . In the subject line of the email, please put your full name and “2024 Essay Contest Submission” (for example: Jane Smith 2024 Essay Contest Submission). Please submit the contest entry form, available here , as a separate PDF in your email. Please do not put your name on your essay.

Judging : Judging will be based on the following criteria:

• Understanding of Brown v. Board of Education and how the federal courts have interpreted and applied Brown since that decision was rendered
• Analysis of how the principles motivating the Brown decision and the Brown decision itself have influenced and continue to influence individuals, communities, and American society
• Clarity and effectiveness in expressing the theme
• Grammar, spelling, and composition
• First place: $1,000
• Second place: $400
• Third place: $100

Release Forms : Contest finalists will be required to submit a release form allowing the Second Circuit to publish their essays in print publications and on public court websites (student essays published on public websites or documents intended for circulation to the public will be identified only by students’ initials).

Disqualification : Providing false information, failure to adhere to contest rules, plagiarism, off-topic essays, and failure to meet the submission deadline are all grounds for disqualification.

Essay Contest Flyer

These are just a few suggested resources. Students are encouraged to utilize other resources they may find as well.

• Brown v. Board of Education
• United States v. Carolene Products
• San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez
• Grutter v. Bollinger
• Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College

https://www.annenbergclassroom.org/resource/conversation-constitution-brown-v-board-education

https://landmarkcases.c-span.org/Case/8/Brown-v.-Board-of-Education

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/brown-v-board-of-education-of-topeka

• Courthouse Visits
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U.S. Court of Appeals Library Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse 40 Foley Square New York, NY 10007

[email protected]

(212) 857-8930

2024 Justice For All: Courts and the Community Initiative

Election 2024 Preview

• + Add to Calendar Google Calendar iCal Calendar Outlook Calendar

Location   Kennedy Library

Errin Haines , Editor-at-Large for  The 19th* ,  Lisa Lerer , national political correspondent for  The New York Times , and  Amna Nawaz , co-anchor of  PBS NewsHour , explore key issues for the 2024 elections with  Molly Ball , senior political correspondent for  The Wall Street Journal .

How to Attend

All Forums are free and open to the public. Reservations are strongly recommended, and may be made by clicking the "Register" link on this page, or by calling 617-514-1643. Registration guarantees a seat in the building, but not in the main hall. Doors to the main hall open approximately one hour before the start of each program.

Watch Past Forums

Kennedy Library Forums are webcast live and recorded whenever possible. Written transcripts of most recorded events are also available. View our past Forums or visit our YouTube channel to view past forums.

Staten Island teen takes first prize in NYPL nationwide anti-censorship essay contest

• Updated: Apr. 14, 2024, 1:39 p.m. |
• Published: Apr. 14, 2024, 1:28 p.m.

Rosebank resident Tara Isabel Lago, 18, was named the grand-prize winner of the New York Public Library's National Teen Writing Contest. (Courtesy of New York Public Library) New York Public Library

• Ann Marie Barron | [email protected]

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A Staten Island college student has been named the grand-prize winner of the New York Public Library (NYPL) National Teen Writing Contest, which focused on the value of our freedom to read.

The NYPL and Teen Vogue recently announced that Tara Isabel Lago, a Rosebank resident and student at Columbia University, took home the grand prize for her work, “Why is the freedom to read important to you?” Lago was awarded a cash prize of $500, and her essay will be published in Teen Vogue.

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