scholarship essay contests for high school students

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25 Best Writing Competitions for High School Students – 2024

April 12, 2024

Over the past several years, the number of college applicants has been steadily rising. [i] As college admissions become more competitive, there are many steps a student can take to achieve high school success and become an outstanding candidate for college admissions: earning high SAT scores, securing strong letters of recommendation , and participating in various competitions will all boost your admissions prospects. [ii] In particular, writing competitions for high school students are a popular way to win scholarships and prize money, receive feedback on writing, build a portfolio of public work, and add to college application credentials!

Below, we’ve selected twenty-five writing competitions for high school students and sorted them by three general topics: 1) language, literature and arts, 2) STEM, environment and sustainability, and 3) politics, history and philosophy. It’s never too soon to begin thinking about your future college prospects, and even if you are a freshman, many of these writing competitions for high schoolers will be open to you! [iii]

Writing Competitions for High School Students in Language, Literature, and Arts

1) adroit prizes for poetry and prose.

This prestigious creative writing award offers high school students the opportunity to showcase their work in Adroit Journal . Judges are acclaimed writers in their respective genres.

• Eligibility: All high school students (including international students) are eligible to apply. Poetry contestants may submit up to five poems. Prose contestants may submit up to three pieces of fiction or nonfiction writing (for a combined total of 3,500 words – excerpts accepted).
• Prize: Winners will receive $200 and their writing will be published in Adroit Journal . All submitted entries will be considered for publication!
• Deadline: May 1st (specific deadline may vary by year).

2)  Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest

This unique essay competition allows writers the chance to explore and respond to Ayn Rand’s fascinating and polemic 1957 novel Atlas Shrugged . Specific essay topics are posted every three months; prizes are granted seasonally with a grand prize winner announced every year.

• Prize: Annual grand prize is $25,000.
• Deadline: Deadlines occur every season, for each seasonal prompt.
• Eligibility: Essays must be written in English and be 800-1,600 words in length.

Writing Competitions for High School Students (Continued)

3)  the bennington young writers awards.

Through Bennington College, this high school writing competition offers three prizes in three different genre categories: poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Winners and finalists who decide to attend Bennington College will ultimately receive a substantial scholarship prize.

• Eligibility: U.S. and international students in grades 9 through 12 may apply.
• Prize: First place winners receive $1,000; second place wins $500; third place winners receive $250. YWA winners who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington receive a $15,000 scholarship per year (for a total of $60,000). YWA finalists who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington will receive a $10,000 scholarship per year (for a total of $40,000).
• Deadline: The competition runs annually from September 1st to November 1st.

4)  Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) Student Essay Contest

Do you love Jane Austen? If so, this is the high school writing competition for you! With the JASNA Student Essay Contest, high school students have the opportunity to write a six to eight-page essay about Jane Austen’s works, focused on a specific, designated topic for the competition year.

• Eligibility: Any high school student (homeschooled students also eligible) enrolled during the contest year may submit an essay.
• Prize: First place winner receives a $1,000 scholarship and two nights’ lodging for the upcoming annual JASNA meeting. Second place wins a $500 scholarship and third place wins a $250 scholarship. All winners will additionally receive a year membership in JASNA, the online publication of their article, and a set of Norton Critical Editions of Jane Austen’s novels.
• Deadline: Submission accepted from February-June 1st (specific dates may vary by year).

5)  The Kennedy Center VSA Playwright Discovery Program

Young aspiring writers with disabilities are encouraged to apply to this unique program. Students are asked to submit a ten-minute play script that explores any topic, including the student’s own disability experience.

• Eligibility: U.S. and international high school students with disabilities ages 14-19 may apply.
• Prize: Multiple winners will receive exclusive access to professional development and networking opportunities at The Kennedy Center.
• Deadline: January (specific deadline date may vary by year).

6)  Leonard M. Milburg ’53 High School Poetry Prize

Through Princeton’s Lewis Center for the Arts, this prestigious writing competition for high school students recognizes outstanding poetry writing and is judged by creative writing faculty at Princeton University.

• Eligibility: U.S. or international students in the eleventh grade may apply. Applicants may submit up to three poems.
• Prize: First place wins $1,500; second place wins $750; third place wins $500.
• Deadline: November (specific deadline date may vary by year).

7)  Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

Nancy Thorp was a student at Hollins University who showed great promise as a poet. After her death, her family established this scholarship to support budding young poets.

• Eligibility: Female high school sophomores and juniors are eligible to apply. Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
• Prize: First place wins $350 and publication in Cargoes literary magazine, along with a $5,000 renewable scholarship (up to $20,000 over four years) if the student enrolls in Hollins University, and free tuition and housing for Hollins University’s summer creative writing program (grades 9-12). Second place wins publication in Cargoes, along with a $1,000 renewable scholarship ($4,000 over four years) if the student enrolls at Hollins and $500 to apply toward Hollins’ summer creative writing program.
• Deadline: October (specific deadline date may vary by year).

8)  National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Awards in Writing

Students may be nominated by their English teachers to win this prestigious writing award. Winners “exhibit the power to inform and move an audience through language” and prompts and genres may vary by competition year.

• Prize: A certificate will be awarded to students who are judged to have exceptional writing skills. Student names will be displayed on the NCTE website.
• Eligibility: U.S. high school sophomores and juniors are eligible for nomination.
• Deadline: February (specific dates may vary by year). Contest prompts released in August.

9)  National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

At Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, numerous opportunities for scholarships and awards await those who submit writing in various genres: literary criticism, drama, poetry, and fiction. In all, there are 28 generic categories of art and writing to choose from!

• Eligibility: Teens in grades 7-12 (ages 13 and up) may apply.
• Prize: Various types of recognition and scholarships (up to $12,500) are offered for these award winners.
• Deadline: Scholastic Awards opens for entries in September; deadlines range from December to January.

10)  National Society of High School Scholars Creative Writing Scholarship

In this creative writing competition for high schoolers, students have the opportunity to submit a piece poetry or fiction (or both – one in each category!) for the opportunity to be published on the NSHSS website and win a monetary prize.

• Eligibility: Rising high school students graduating in 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027 may apply.
• Prize: There will be three $2,000 awards for the fiction category and three $2,000 awards for the poetry category.
• Deadline: Submissions Accepted from May to October (specific dates may vary by year).

11)  National Writing Award: The Humanities and a Freer Tomorrow

This writing competition allows high school students the chance to be nominated by a teacher for a piece of writing in response to Ruth J. Simmons’ “Facing History to Find a Better Future.” Specific prompt topics may vary by year.

• Eligibility: Nominating teachers can submit work from 11th and 12th graders in one category (fiction, poetry, prose, or essay).
• Prize: One top prize of $1,000. Four additional prizes of $500 each. Winners will have the opportunity to have their work published by NCTE.
• Deadline: Applications are open September to October (specific dates may vary by year).

12)  New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award

Although this prestigious award isn’t exclusively for high schoolers (anyone younger than 35 may submit a work of fiction), if you’ve written a collection of short stories or even a novel, you should certainly consider applying!

• Eligibility: Any writer below the age of 35 may submit a novel or collection of short stories to participate in this competition.
• Prize: $10,000 award.
• Deadline: September (specific date may vary by year).

13)  Princeton University Ten-Minute Play Contest

This writing competition for high school students awards three annual top prizes for the best ten-minute play. Play submissions are judged each year by an acclaimed guest playwright.

• Eligibility: U.S. or international students in the eleventh grade may apply. Students may submit one play entry; entries must be ten pages or less. Plays must be written in English.
• Prize: First place prize is $500; second place is $250; third place is $100.
• Deadline: Varies by year. However, students are recommended to submit before the deadline date – the submission portal will close when a maximum of 250 applicants have applied.

14)  YouthPLAYS New Voices One-Act Competition for Young Playwrights

In this exciting writing competition, students have the chance to submit an original play script for a play of around 10-40 minutes in length. An excellent competition choice for any student considering a future in the theatre!

• Eligibility: Prospective authors ages 19 and under may submit a script for consideration in the competition. See specific writing guidelines here .
• Prize: First prize wins $250 and publication with YouthPLAYS; second prize wins $100.
• Deadline: Submissions run from January 1st to May 1st.

STEM, Environment, and Sustainability High School Writing Competitions

15)  engineergirl essay contest.

This wonderful essay contest invites students to explore topics related to engineering and science. Each year a new, specific prompt will be chosen for young writers who wish to compete.

• Eligibility: High school students are eligible to apply. Previous winners and close family members of employees of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine are not eligible.
• Prize: First place winners receive $1,000; second place receives $750; third place receives $500.
• Deadline: Competition opens in September and submissions are due February 1st of the following year. Winners are announced in the summer.

16)  Ocean Awareness Contest

The Ocean Awareness Contest is an opportunity for students to create written and artistic projects that explore sustainability, environmentalism, and positive change. High school freshmen (up to age 14) may apply to the Junior Division. Students ages 15-18 may enter the Senior Division.

• Eligibility: Students ages 11-18 may apply (international students included).
• Prize: Monetary prizes ranging from $100-$1000 will be awarded each year. Additionally, $500 will be awarded to ten students who identify as Black, Indigenous, or Latino via the We All Rise Prize program.
• Deadline: June 10, 2024 (specific deadline may vary by year).

17)  Rachel Carson Intergenerational Sense of Wonder / Sense of Wild Contest

If you are interested in issues of sustainability, environment, biology and the natural world, this is one of the high school writing competitions that is just for you! Essay prompts explore the natural world and our place within it and may include poetry, essays, and photography.

• Eligibility: Students must pair with an adult from a different generation (e.g. parent, grandparent or teacher – contestants need not be related). Entries must be submitted as a team.
• Prize: Winners will receive a certificate from RCLA; their first names, ages, and entry titles will be posted on the RCLA website.
• Deadline: November 16th, 2024 (specific deadline may vary by year).

18)  River of Words Competition

This writing competition for high school students is another top choice for those thinking of pursuing majors or careers in biology, environment, and sustainability; this specific contest hopes to promote positive education in sustainability by “promoting environmental literacy through the arts and cultural exchange.”

• Eligibility: Any U.S. or international student from kindergarten through 12th grade may apply.
• Prize: Winners will be published in the River of Words
• Deadline: January (specific deadline may vary by year).

Writing Competitions for High School Students in Politics, History and Philosophy

19)  american foreign service association essay contest.

With this writing competition for high school students, entrants may submit essays ranging from 1,000-1,500 words about diplomacy, history, and international politics (specific prompts vary by year).

• Eligibility: Students in grades nine through twelve may apply. Students whose parents are in the Foreign Service Association are not eligible.
• Prize: The first-place winner will receive $2,500, an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the winner and the winner’s parents, and an all-expense paid voyage via Semester at Sea. The second-place winner receives $1,250 and full tuition for a summer session at the National Student Leadership Conference’s International Diplomacy program.
• Deadline: Early spring (specific deadline may vary by year).

20)  Bill of Rights Institute We the Students Essay Contest

In this writing competition for high school students, civic-minded U.S. high schoolers may explore the principles and virtues of the Bill of Rights Institute. Interested applicants should review the specific submission guidelines .

• Eligibility: Any high school student aged 13 to 19 may apply.
• Prize: Prizes range from $1,500 to $10,000.
• Deadline: Submissions for 2024 due May 19th (specific deadline may vary by year).

21)  JFK Presidential Library and Museum Profile in Courage Essay Contest

For students interested in history and political science, this competition offers the chance to write about U.S. elected officials who have demonstrated political courage.

• Eligibility: U.S. high school students from grades 9-12 may apply.
• Prize: First prize is $10,000; second prize receives $3,000; five finalists receive $1,000 each; ten semifinalists receive $100 each; eight students receive honorable mention.
• Deadline: Submissions accepted from September to January (specific deadline may vary by year).
• Sample Essays: 2000-2023 Contest Winner Essays

22)  John Locke Institute Essay Competition

This essay competition is for students who would like to write about and cultivate “independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis and persuasive style” from one of seven intellectual categories: philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology or law.

• Eligibility: Students from any country may submit an essay.
• Prize: $2,000 for each subject category winner toward a John Locke Institute program; winning essays will be published on the Institute’s website.
• Deadline: Registration must be completed by May 31st, 2024; essay submission due June 30th, 2024 (specific deadline may vary by year).

23)  Society of Professional Journalists and the Journalism Education Association Essay Contest

This exciting writing competition for high schoolers allows students to explore topics related to journalism, democracy and media literacy. Specific prompts will be provided for contestants each year.

• Eligibility: All U.S. students from grades 9-12 may submit original writing to participate in this contest.
• Prize: First-place winners will receive $1,000; second place is awarded $500; third place receives $300.
• Deadline: February (specific deadline may vary by year).

24)  Veterans of Foreign Wars Voice of Democracy Youth Scholarship Essay

This audio essay allows high school students the opportunity to “express themselves in regards to a democratic and patriot-themed recorded essay.” One winner will be granted a $35,000 scholarship to be paid toward their university, college, or vocational school of choice. Smaller prizes range from $1,000-$21,000, and the first-place winner in each VFW state wins $1,000.

• Prize: College scholarships range from $1,000-$35,000
• Eligibility: U.S. students in grades 9-12 may submit a 3-5-minute audio essay.
• Deadline: October 31st
• Sample Written Essay: 2023-2024 Prize-winning essay by Sophia Lin

25)  World Historian Student Essay Competition

The World Historian Student Essay Competition recognizes young scholars who explore world historical events and how they relate to the student scholar personally. Ultimately the student writer must describe “the experience of being changed by a better understanding of world history.”

• Eligibility: Internationally, students ages K-12 may submit an entry. See specific prompt and submission guidelines for writing instructions.
• Prize: $500

Writing Competitions for High School Students – Sources

[i] Institute for Education Sciences: National Center for Education Statistics. “Number of applications for admission from first-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students were received by postsecondary institutions in the fall.” https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/TrendGenerator/app/answer/10/101

[ii] Jaschik, Scott. “Record Applications, Record Rejections.” Inside Higher Ed . 3 April 2022. https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2022/04/04/most-competitive-colleges-get-more-competitive

[iii] Wood, Sarah. “College Applications are on the Rise: What to Know.” U.S. News & World Report. 21 June 2022. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/college-applications-are-on-the-rise-what-to-know

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Jamie Smith

For the past decade, Jamie has taught writing and English literature at several universities, including Boston College, the University of Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon University. She earned a Ph.D. in English from Carnegie Mellon, where she currently teaches courses and conducts research on composition, public writing, and British literature.

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Best Writing Scholarships in 2024

Showing 159 scholarships that match your search.

Immerse Education

The Immerse Education Essay Competition provides the opportunity for students aged 13-18 to submit essay responses to a pre-set question relating to their chosen subject. 10 winners will receive a 100% scholarship, with runner-up prizes also awarded. 100% Scholarship Award For Cambridge, Oxford, Sydney & London Summer School Essay Competition.

Categories: Critical Essay

Organization: Immerse Education.

Deadline: January 04, 2025.

Additional awards: Runner-ups: 50% of scholarship.

Categories: Critical Essay.

Apply now →

Creative Writing Award

The winner will be offered the opportunity to occupy during her or his first academic year the residence room where J. D. Salinger lived; and Leadership standing in the Ursinus writing community. The winner will be expected to join the previous award winners in reading subsequent creative portfolios, and will help the Office of Admission in selecting the next winner. Award winners are also expected to be prominent members of Ursinus’ Literary Society, The Lantern, and the creative writing community.

Categories: Critical Essay, Journalism, Nonfiction, Novel Writing, Personal Essay, Playwriting, Poetry, Portfolio, Research, Screenwriting, and Short Fiction

Organization: Ursinus College.

Deadline: January 15, 2025.

Categories: Critical Essay, Journalism, Nonfiction, Novel Writing, Personal Essay, Playwriting, Poetry, Portfolio, Research, Screenwriting, and Short Fiction.

The Sub Pop Loser Scholarship

Sub Pop Records is extremely proud to offer a grand total of $15,000 in college scholarship money to three eligible high school seniors. To apply you must submit a one-page essay using any combination of our questions as a guide (or write something completely your own, be inspired and creative!). Applicants must be residents of Washington or Oregon in pursuit of higher education.

Categories: Personal Essay

Organization: Sub Pop Records.

Deadline: March 23, 2025.

Additional awards: Second place scholarship of $5,000, third place scholarship of $3,000.

Categories: Personal Essay.

Islamic Scholarship Fund Program

Students who are Muslim or active members of the Muslim community may apply for the Islamic Scholarship Fund. The ISF awards multiple scholarships each year ranging from $3,000-$10,000, though the amounts and number of recipients will vary. Students must submit applications including essay questions, work samples, and letters of recommendation, and must also be majoring in an ISF-supported field related to media or politics.

Organization: Islamic Scholarship Fund.

Deadline: March 21, 2025.

Additional awards: Multiple awards of varying amounts will be given.

BBB Torch Talk Scholarship

BBB Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to educating consumers on a variety of marketplace issues; this scholarship is in pursuit of that goal. Applicants must attend high school in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington or Western Wyoming, and will submit a 500-word essay for BBB’s online magazine Torch Talk on one of the given topics.

Organization: Better Business Bureau.

Deadline: March 16, 2025.

Flag House Scholarship Award

Do you know of an unsung history-maker in your community? Is there an organization in your community working to keep the legacy of a historically significant, but often overlooked, individual alive and relevant? Identify a person living or from the past whose professional work, activism, or personal story has made a significant impact on you or your community. Describe why their story is unique and explain how they have changed history. Response should be limited to 350 words.

Categories: Research and Critical Essay

Organization: The Star-Spangled Banner Flag House.

Deadline: March 26, 2025.

Categories: Research and Critical Essay.

Unpublished Writer's Award

The winner of this award receives $1,000, an invitation to accept the award at our annual awards ceremony, promotion on our website, and a feature of their work in our Magajournal and quarterly newsletter. Applicant must email an original, unpublished fiction work (short story or novel excerpt) not to exceed 2,000 typed words on double-spaced pages

Categories: Short Fiction and Novel Writing

Organization: Go On Girl! Book Club.

Deadline: March 31, 2025.

Additional awards: Invitation to awards ceremony, promotion through website and publications.

Categories: Short Fiction and Novel Writing.

Christine B. Dexter Scholarship

The Christine B. Dexter Scholarship was established in honor of Christine B. Dexter after her passing from stomach cancer in 2008. This scholarship awards undergrad students a $2,000 scholarship towards their fall tuition. All recipients demonstrate a history of community service and resilience through their cancer journey.

Organization: Christine B. Foundation.

Marguerite Young Endowment Fund

The Marguerite Young Endowment Fund was established at The Pittsburgh Foundation to provide scholarships for students who plan to study theology. Candidates must be attending a Protestant seminary as a master of Divinity candidate, preparing for full-time ministry and/or be a seminary intern at a Protestant Church. Application must includes proof of this, as well as a personal essay.

Organization: The Pittsburgh Foundation.

Incight Scholarship

The INCIGHT scholarship is open to students in Washington, Oregon, and California who have a documented disability. Applicants must complete two detailed essay responses (video essays also welcome) in order to be eligible. The number of awards and total amount awarded will be determined during the selection process, and winners will be notified in June.

Organization: INCIGHT.

Deadline: April 01, 2025.

The AAF-Greater Evansville Scholarship

The AAF-Greater Evansville awards scholarships to deserving high school and/or college students yearly in April. To be eligible, students must plan to pursue a career in advertising, marketing, public relations or graphic design. Application varies yearly but includes various education details and personal statements.

Categories: Journalism

Organization: American Advertising Federation of Greater Evansville.

Categories: Journalism.

Aspiring Literary Scholar Award

The winner of this award receives $1,000, an invitation to accept the award at our annual awards ceremony, promotion on our website, and a feature of their work in our Magajournal and quarterly newsletter. Candidate must submit an essay not to exceed 800 words on the topic "The Power of The Written Word."

Dr. Jerry Pournelle Scholarship

The Dr. Jerry Pournelle Scholarship may be awarded to a candidate of any gender majoring in engineering, math, biological or physical sciences, or “science fiction as literature” as an eligible field of study. Applicants must submit a 500-1,000 word essay on one of several scientific topics.

Categories: Research, Personal Essay, and Critical Essay

Organization: The Heinlein Society.

Categories: Research, Personal Essay, and Critical Essay.

Dr. Yoji Kondo Scholarship

The Dr. Yoji Kondo Scholarship may be awarded to a candidate of any gender majoring in engineering, math, biological or physical sciences, or “science fiction as literature” as an eligible field of study. Applicants must submit a 500-1,000 word essay on one of several scientific topics.

Jack & Julie Narcolepsy Scholarship

Project Sleep’s Jack & Julie Narcolepsy Scholarship is a national scholarship program to support students with narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia. Students must complete an application form that includes a response to the esssay question: "If you could go back in time and speak to yourself on the day you were diagnosed, what would you say? Write a letter to yourself on that day."

Organization: Project Sleep.

What are writing scholarships?

Writing scholarships are financial awards given to students based primarily on written work, though other factors are usually taken into consideration as well. Most writing scholarships involve a prompt or series of prompts to which applicants must respond. Some writing scholarships — especially those that award large amounts of money — require applicants to submit past writing samples, or even a full portfolio.

The good news is that, with so many writing scholarships to choose from, you don’t have to apply for any that are “out of your league.” Indeed, though most students have heard of writing scholarships, you may not realize just how many different varieties there are! Here are five of the most common types of writing scholarships, all of which you can find in this directory.

1. Personal essay scholarships

Personal essay scholarships involve writing on a topic related to your own experience. You’ll often see personal essay prompts like, “How have your experiences influenced your choice of major?” and “What are your career aspirations and how do you plan to achieve them?” Other prompts may ask you to write about a role model, a life-changing event, an aspect of your identity, etc. Suggested length is usually about 500-1,000 words, but varies depending on the level of detail requested and how many essay questions are provided.

Just about every scholarship these days has a personal essay component of some kind. This is because personal essay responses both demonstrate writing skills and give the judges a clear sense of each applicant’s goals. No one wants to throw away money on an aimless student — so if you’re applying for a personal essay scholarship, make sure to convey both your writing abilities and your ambitions in your work!

2. Critical essay scholarships

Critical essay scholarships are more in line with what students might consider  “academic” essays. The prompts typically ask applicants to analyze works of literature. However, unlike open-ended English class essays, most critical essay scholarships provide a very specific prompt (e.g. “Examine The Great Gatsby in the context of its World War II-era revival”).

Critical essay scholarships can also involve non-literary subject matter. Some may ask applicants to evaluate a historical event or figure; others may ask them to defend their stance on a political or legal issue. Though the line between critical and personal essays can sometimes blur, for the purposes of this directory, we define critical essays as those that use evidence from an external source to prove a point.

3. Short fiction scholarships

Short fiction scholarships include scholarships for short stories, one-act plays, poetry, and any other form of fiction that isn’t a novel or full-length script. Short fiction scholarships tend to be easier to find than long-form fiction scholarships, since most judging panels don’t have time to read more than a few thousand words per entry. Therefore, if you write fiction and you’re hoping to nab yourself a scholarship, this category is the way to go! (That said, if you’re a hardline novelist, some places will accept a sample chapter or two as short fiction entries.)

4. Journalism scholarships

Journalism scholarships are for students interested in pursuing a career in news, magazine, and/or online journalism. These scholarship applications almost always ask for writing samples to show the candidate’s interest. Depending on the organization, they may prefer topical news reports, informative articles, thinkpieces, or a mix. Some journalism scholarships provide a prompt and ask applicants to write a new article, but the focus is usually on samples. Speaking of which…

5. Portfolio scholarships 

Portfolio scholarships are the most rigorous kind of writing scholarship, requiring a substantial body of work from each applicant — usually 5-10 pieces of writing, if not more. The upside is that awards for portfolio scholarships tend to be pretty sizable, and may even cover your entire tuition!

If you decide to apply to a portfolio scholarship, make sure you have several strong pieces of work in your oeuvre, and consider writing a few new pieces as well. What you shouldn’t do is rush through a dozen new pieces to throw together as a portfolio. If you don’t have samples at the ready from previous assignments or projects, you’ll be better off applying to a less intensive writing scholarship.

Why apply to writing scholarships?

Applying to writing scholarships is a huge undertaking, especially if you’re pursuing multiple scholarships at once. It can sometimes feel like the effort isn’t worth it, or that you have little chance of actually winning any awards. But in truth, submitting to writing scholarships is one of the best investments you can make in your education, your creative writing skills, and your professional life.

Scholarships for larger amounts do attract more applicants, but that doesn’t mean they’re impossible to land — only that you have to work a little harder to stand out. And you can definitely sway the odds in your favor by applying to lots of small scholarships ($500 or less) for which you’ll have fewer competitors. Remember that every little bit helps! For example, if you plan on taking out student loans, even a $500 scholarship could save you much more in interest down the line.

Another compelling reason to apply to writing scholarships is that oftentimes, you’ve already done the work, or the work required is minimal. For scholarships that require writing samples, you’ll simply submit what you’ve already written in the past — and even for scholarships with specific prompts, you rarely have to write more than a couple of pages. If you were seriously committed, you could apply to a scholarship every day, spending a single concentrated evening on each application.

Jumping off that thought, as English majors love to say: the more writing scholarships you apply for, the better a writer you’ll become. Writing tons of scholarship essays will make you a much more creative and efficient writer. Not only will this help with your personal writing projects, but it will also be invaluable to your education and even your career! Writing is a crucial skill for every major — you’ll always have to write papers and emails to professors, after all — and even if you don’t plan to pursue a writing-based job, you'll still need writing skills to polish your résumé.

Finally, remember that there’s a writing scholarship out there for everyone, no matter what your interests or intended field. This directory includes plenty of creative writing scholarships, yes; but there are also personal essay scholarships for future doctors, lawyers, salespeople, and so much more. You have nothing to lose by giving it a shot, so why not start searching for your dream writing scholarship today? (And if you’re unsure about your writing skills, you might benefit from some of the resources below.)

Resources to strengthen your writing skills

• 20 Writing Tips to Help You Become A Better Writer Today
• How to Stop Procrastinating and Build A Solid Writing Routine
• What is Creative Nonfiction? Memoirs, Literary Journalism, and More!
• How to Write a Memoir: Tell Your Amazing Story in 9 Steps
• How to Write a Fantastic Short Story In 7 Steps
• How to Self-Edit Your Manuscript Like a Pro
• 700+ Creative Writing Prompts to Inspire You
• 100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Authors

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23 Writing Competitions for High School Students

What’s covered:, why should you enter a writing competition, writing competitions for high school students, how do writing competitions affect my admissions chances.

Do you dream of writing the next great American novel? Are you passionate about poetry? Do you aspire to become a screenwriter? No matter what genre of writing you’re interested in—whether it’s fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or something else entirely—there’s a writing competition focused on it.

Writing competitions provide great motivation to put pen to paper (or finger to key). Moreover, they’re an excellent step toward getting published, and can ultimately start you on the path to becoming a professional writer.

One of the best ways to improve your writing is simply to write—and competitions provide an excellent impetus to do so. Writing competitions also serve as an introduction to what life is like for many writers; participants entering writing competitions will receive a prompt or must think of an original idea, compose a piece of work, and submit it for review.

Another benefit of entering a writing competition for high schoolers is that many offer cash awards and scholarships, which can be used to help with the costs of college.

Additionally, many writing competitions are run by colleges and universities, so submitting them is a great way to introduce faculty to yourself and your work. If you win an award—especially a prestigious award—it can significantly improve your odds of college acceptance.

1. The Adroit Prizes for Poetry and Prose

Type: Poetry and Prose

Submission Fee: $15

Prize: $200

Deadline: May 1, 2023

Eligibility:

• All secondary and undergraduate students

Guidelines:

• Each student may send up to five total submissions across the genres of poetry and prose
• Each poetry submission may include up to six poems (maximum of ten pages single-spaced). Each prose submission may include up to three works of fiction or creative nonfiction (combined word limit of 3,500 words; excerpts are acceptable).

Adroit Prizes are awarded to emerging high school and college writers in two categories: poetry and prose. Winning pieces are considered for publication in the Adroit Journal and winners receive an award of $200. The 2023 judges are Natalie Diaz and Ocean Vuong.

2. Ten-Minute Play Contest

Type: Plays

Submission Fee: N/A

Deadline: Passed, but the contest will reopen in 2024

Eligibility: Students in the eleventh grade in the U.S. (or international equivalent of the eleventh grade)

Guidelines: Applicants may submit only one play (10 pages maximum)

The Ten-Minute Play Contest is put on by Princeton University’s Lewis Center of the Arts. Applicants are allowed to submit one play that is no longer than 10 pages. Their submissions are judged by members of Princeton University’s Theater Program faculty.

3. Ayn Rand Anthem and The Fountainhead Essay Contests

Type: Essays

• Anthem: $2,000
• The Fountainhead : $5,000
• Anthem: Grades 8-12
• The Fountainhead : Grades 11-12
• Anthem: Essays must be written in English only and between 600 and 1,200 words in length, double-spaced
• The Fountainhead: Essays must be written in English only and between 800 and 1,600 words in length, double-spaced

In this essay competition, students pick one of three prompts about a topic related to Ayn Rand’s books and write an essay that goes through three stages of grading. Students are graded on their clarity, organization, understanding, and ability to stay “on topic.”

4. Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize

Type: Poetry

Prize: $500-$1,500

Eligibility: Students must be in the 11th grade in the U.S. or abroad

Guidelines: Applicants may submit up to 3 poems

The Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize is another contest run by Princeton University’s Lewis Center of the Arts. Winners are chosen by judges who are both poets and members of Princeton University’s creative writing faculty. Three monetary awards are available.

5. World Historian Student Essay Competition

Prize: $500

Eligibility: Students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs

Guidelines: Essays should be approximately 1,000 words

Winners of this competition receive a $500 prize along with a free yearlong membership to the World History Association . To apply, you must submit an approximately 1,000-word essay responding to the following prompt:

• Submit an essay that addresses the following topic and discusses how it relates to you personally and to World History: Your view of a family story related to a historical event or your personal family cultural background, or an issue of personal relevance or specific regional history/knowledge.

6. Jane Austen Society of North America Essay Contest

Prize: $250-$1,000

Deadline: June 1, 2023

Eligibility: Open to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students

• Must be submitted by the student through the official Essay Contest Submission website
• Entries may include a statement about the student’s mentor; however, a mentor statement is not required
• The essay must be 6-8 pages in length, not including the Works Cited page
• The essay must use MLA documentation, including a Works Cited page and parenthetical citations in the body of the text. Use endnotes only for substantive notes. Source material that is directly quoted, paraphrased, or summarized must be cited. Quotations from the Jane Austen work under discussion should be cited as well.

The Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) Essay Contest is an annual writing competition aimed at fostering an appreciation for its namesake’s work. The contest is broken down into three divisions—high school, college/university, and graduate school.

First-place winners are awarded a $1,000 prize along with free registration and lodging for two nights at JASNA’s Annual General Meeting—smaller monetary awards are also given to second- and third-place essayists.

This year’s essay topic:

• In Pride and Prejudice and Jane Austen’s other novels, we see proposals and marriages that are motivated by love, as well as those that are better described as arranged marriages or marriages of convenience. Many cultures today also expect arranged marriages (not the same as forced). In your essay, compare and discuss the different types of marriages or courtships found in the novels, whether those relationships are new or longstanding.

7. Bennington College Young Writers Awards

Type: Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction

Deadline: November 1, 2023

Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12

• Poetry: A group of three poems
• Fiction: A short story (1,500 words or fewer) or one-act play (run no more than 30 minutes of playing time)
• Nonfiction: A personal or academic essay (1,500 words or fewer)

Bennington College has a strong history of developing writers—it’s produced twelve Pulitzer Prize winners, three U.S. poet laureates, and countless New York Times bestsellers—and the Bennington College Young Writers Awards celebrate this legacy.

In addition to offering cash awards to winners and finalists in all three categories, winners and finalists who apply and are accepted to Bennington College are also eligible for substantial scholarships.

8. Rachel Carson Intergenerational Sense of Wonder/Sense of the Wild Contest

Type: Poetry and Essays

Deadline: November 16, 2023

• You are required to have a team of 2 or more people
• The team must be intergenerational

Guidelines: Maximum length of 500 words (approximately 2 pages)

This unique writing competition requires that entries must be submitted by a team of two people from different generations—for example, a high school student and a teacher. Contestants can compete in a number of categories and themes, each with unique submission requirements.

9. NSHSS Creative Writing Scholarship

Type: Fiction and Poetry

Prize: $2,000

Deadline: October 2, 2023

Eligibility: Rising high school students graduating in 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, and recently graduated 2023 seniors

• Poetry: Students may submit their original poetry in any style, from formal verse to free verse to experimental. The poem should be formatted as you wish it to appear in the publication.
• Fiction: Students may submit a piece of short fiction, which must be no more than 5,000 words and should not be single-spaced. The entry may be any genre of the student’s choice, including graphic novel or story.
• Must submit educator recommendation, academic resume, and current transcript with application

Winning works for this competition are chosen based on their creativity, technique, expression, and originality. Three winners are chosen in each category and each winner receives a $2,000 prize.

10. John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Contest

Prize: $100-$10,000

Eligibility: The contest is open to United States high school students in grades 9-12, U.S. students under the age of twenty enrolled in a high school correspondence/GED program,  and U.S. citizens attending schools overseas.

• Essays can be no more than 1,000 words but must be a minimum of 700 words. Citations and bibliography are not included in the word count.
• Essays must have a minimum of five sources.

The prestigious John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Contest is one of the most recognizable and prestigious writing competitions for high schoolers in the nation. Essays for the contest are required to describe an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917. The first-place winner of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Contest takes home a $10,000 award and second place receives a $3,000 prize.

11. YoungArts National Writing Competition

Deadline: Opens June 2023

Eligibility: 15- to 18-year-old visual, literary, or performing artist based in the United States

Guidelines: To be released

YoungArts supports talented young artists between the ages of 15 and 18 (or grades 10-12) in 10 disciplines, including writing. Applicants can submit entries in six genres—creative nonfiction, novel, play or script, poetry, short story, and spoken word.

12. SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest

Submission Fee: $5

Prize: $300-$1,000

Eligibility: All students enrolled in grades 9-12 in U.S. public, private and home schools within the United States

• The essay should be 300-500 words
• Entries may be typed or handwritten but must be double-spaced

This high school writing contest is presented by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and the Journalism Education Association (JEA) to increase awareness of the importance of independent media.

Last year’s prompt was:

• While consumers are drawn toward tweets and sound bites, how can journalists tell more of the story without losing readers’ interest?

13. VSA Playwright Discovery Program Competitions

Eligibility: High school students with disabilities

• 10-minute script
• Entries may be the work of an individual student or a collaboration between two students that includes at least one student with a disability

This writing competition, presented by the Kennedy Center, is open to students ages 15-18 (or enrolled in high school) with disabilities. Writers may submit a “ten-minute” script in any genre, including plays, musicals, multimedia, video, film, TV, and podcasts.

Entries can be the work of an individual or the product of collaboration—provided that at least one of the collaborators has a disability. Multiple winners are chosen and given the chance to work with industry professionals, attend Kennedy Center professional development activities, and participate in networking opportunities.

14. Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

Prize: $350

Eligibility: Women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school

Guidelines: No more than two poems by any one student may be submitted

For almost six decades, the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest has provided recognition, scholarships, and awards to the best female high school sophomore and junior poets. Submissions are reviewed by faculty members of Hollins University’s creative writing program and students enrolled in its M.F.A. in creative writing.

The first-place winner receives a $350 cash prize, a renewable $5,000 scholarship to Hollins University if they choose to enroll there, as well as free tuition and housing at the university’s Hollinsummer creative writing program. Their winning work is also published in Cargoes , the university’s student literary magazine.

15. Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

Type: Various

Submission Fee: $10 for individual entry, $30 for portfolio (can use Fee Waiver Form)

Prize: Varies

Deadline: Opens in September

Eligibility: Teens in grades 7–12 (ages 13 and up)

Guidelines: Varies by category

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. They offer 28 submission categories, including writing, critical essay, dramatic scripts, flash fiction, journalism, humor, novel writing, personal essay and memoir, poetry, science fiction and fantasy, and short story.

Works are judged by famous jurors who look for works that show originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. Students can earn a variety of scholarships through success in these competitions.

Works that celebrate individual differences or personal grief, loss, and bereavement are eligible for $1,000 scholarships. High school seniors submitting winning portfolios of six works are eligible for up to $12,500 in scholarships.

16. Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest

Type: Creative Writing and Poetry

Prize: $100-$1,500

Deadline: June 13, 2023

• Students ages 11-18 from around the world
• Students can participate as an individual or as a club, class, or group of any size
• All students must provide the contact information for an Adult Sponsor (teacher, parent, mentor, etc.)
• Creative Writing: no more than 5 pages (approximately 1,250 words)
• Poetry: no more than 2 pages
• A written reflection is required to accompany your submission, regardless of category. It is like the introduction to a book or an artist’s statement in a museum.

The 12th annual Ocean Awareness Contest is a platform for young people to learn about environmental issues through art-making and creative communication, explore their relationship to a changing world, and become advocates for positive change. Students can participate in six different categories, including poetry and spoken word, and creative writing.

This year’s prompt centers around climate issues:

• Research and choose an inspirational scientist, activist, artist, educator, or other hero who is working to solve climate change issues. Create a piece of art, writing, or media that highlights their efforts, organizations, and/or positive impacts. We are familiar with the amazing work of environmental giants like Greta Thunberg and David Attenborough. We challenge you to introduce the Bow Seat community to a Climate Hero whose work we may not know about yet – but should.

17. John Locke Global Essay Competition

Submission Fee: N/A (unless late entry)

Prize: $2,000-$10,000 toward attending any John Locke Institute program

Deadline: June 30, 2023 (must register by May 31, 2023)

Eligibility: Candidates must be no older than 18 years old on June 30, 2023 (Candidates for the Junior Prize must be no older than 14 on the same date)

Guidelines: Each essay must address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category, and must not exceed 2,000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, footnotes, bibliography, or authorship declaration)

Students competing in this competition have the opportunity to write an essay in one of seven categories—philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, and law. Each category has three prompts, from which students choose and respond to one.

Essays are judged on knowledge and understanding of the relevant material, the competent use of evidence, quality of argumentation, originality, structure, writing style, and persuasive force.

If you miss the deadline, you can submit a late entry up until July 10. Late entries will be charged a $20 late fee.

18. AFSA National High School Essay Contest

Prize: $2,500

• Students whose parents are not in the Foreign Service are eligible to participate.
• Students must be in grades 9-12 in any of the 50 states, Washington, D.C, the U.S. territories, or—if they are U.S. citizens/lawful permanent residents —attending high school overseas.

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

The AFSA Essay Contest focuses on knowledge of foreign policy and the American Foreign Service. Last year’s prompt was:

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

The first-place winner receives $2,500, a paid trip to the nation’s capital with their parents from anywhere in the U.S., and an all-expenses-paid educational voyage courtesy of Semester at Sea. The runner-up wins $1,250 and full tuition to attend a summer session of the National Student Leadership Conference’s International Diplomacy program.

19. EngineerGirl Writing Contest

Prize: $100-$500

• The contest is open to individual students in the following three competition categories—Elementary School Students (grades 3-5), Middle School Students (grades 6-8), or High School Students (grades 9-12).
• You can also qualify with corresponding homeschool or international grade levels.
• High school student essays must be no more than 750 words
• You must also include a reference list of 3-10 resources

In this competition, students choose one of four prompts related to the 20 Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century and explore the technologies that have been developed in the last century and technologies that are being developed today. Students are judged based on their presentation and examples of engineering (~35%), their celebration of diversity (~50%), and their quality of writing (~15%).

20. The Blank Theatre Young Playwright’s Festival

Prize: Play is produced

Eligibility: Playwrights must be 19 years old or younger as of March 15, 2023; co-authored plays are welcome, provided all authors are 19 or younger

• Original plays or musicals of any length or genre and on any subject
• Up to three plays per playwright or team

While winners of this theater competition do not receive a cash prize, they have the unique opportunity to be mentored by leaders in the field, then will have their play directed and performed by professional artists during the following summer. The 12 best submissions are produced and professionally performed.

21. Saint Mary’s College of California River of Words Contest

Type: Poetry and Arts

• The contest is open to K-12 students, ages 5-19
• Students must be enrolled in school to be eligible
• Participants may submit up to 5 entries for poetry and 5 entries for art (total of up to 10 entries)
• Poems should not exceed 32 lines in length (written) or 3 minutes (signed)
• Collaborative poems and artwork are accepted, but only one student (chosen as the group representative) will be eligible for any prizes awarded

The River of Words contest aims to promote environmental literacy through the exchange of arts and culture. River of Words has been inspiring educators and students through this competition for over 25 years.

The goal of River of Words is to connect youth with their watersheds—the environments they live in—through engagement with art and poetry related to the idea of “place.” They look for art and poetry that shows the connection between students and the worlds around them.

22. Ayn Rand Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest

Prize: $10,000

Deadline: November 6, 2023

Eligibility: Open to all 12th grade, college, and graduate students worldwide

Guidelines: Essays must be between 800 and 1,600 words in length

In this essay competition, high school seniors pick one of three prompts about a topic related to Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged and write an essay that goes through three stages of grading. Students are graded on their clarity, organization, understanding, and ability to stay “on topic.”

23. Writopia Lab’s Worldwide Plays Festival

Prize: Play produced

Eligibility: Playwrights ages 6 to 18

• 8 minutes maximum
• Any genre or style
• Plays should have no more than three characters
• There can be no narrator of the play who is not emotionally invested in the story
• Students must incorporate at least one of the following props or costumes —blue plates, a yellow blouse, a Valentine’s heart with the word “Love,” a flower crown, a plush hotdog, a Mardi Gras bead with jester heads, a pack of clothespins, Russian nesting dolls, a set of miniature cymbals, a lavender blouse, a lei, or a roll of aluminum foil

Since 2010, Writopia Lab has been producing, designing, and directing one-act plays submitted by young playwrights. These winning plays are then performed by New York City theater professionals. The contest looks for playwrights who embody fearlessness and imagination. Writopia Lab says, “Write deeply! Write fiercely! Write politically and personally! And don’t be afraid to write with a sense of play – they are called plays, after all.”

While we can’t know exactly how activities outside of the classroom will affect your college admissions odds, the 4 Tiers of Extracurricular Activities provide a helpful framework for understanding how colleges view your extracurriculars.

Extracurricular activities in Tiers 1 and 2 are reserved for the most exclusive and acclaimed awards, and can significantly improve your odds of college admission. By contrast, Tiers 3 and 4 are reserved for more common extracurriculars, and have less of an impact on your chances of college admission.

For example, if you place in a nationally renowned writing competition—a Tier 2 activity—this will positively affect your admissions chances. On the other hand, if you receive an honorable mention in your high school’s poetry contest—a Tier 4 activity—your admissions chances will not be significantly affected.

That said, if you are applying to an English Literature or Creative Writing program with a well-developed essay and recommendations that emphasize your commitment to language, participation in Tier 3 and 4 writing competitions could help admissions officers conceptualize your passion for your future career.

Curious how the writing competition you participated in will affect your college admission chances? CollegeVine can help! Our free chancing calculator uses a variety of factors—including grades, test scores, and extracurriculars—to estimate your odds of getting into hundreds of colleges and universities, while also providing insight into how to improve your profile.

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David McCullough Essay Prizes

Programs & events, student opportunities.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Submit Essay

General Requirements

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

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

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

Past Winners

Read the winning essays submitted by previous years’ contestants.

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

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

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The 10 Best Writing Scholarships for High School Students

Some of the best and most rewarding scholarships require applicants to write a personal essay, poem, or other written work. 

Are you interested in a certain genre, like sci-fi or young adult literature? There’s a scholarship for people who like to write those kinds of books!

Do you have a portfolio of written work from your high school career? Many scholarships seek extensive portfolios that center on a particular subject – why not revise your portfolio and submit your materials to a scholarship evaluation committee?

We’ve found ten of the best writing scholarships for high school students and undergraduates. 

Prizes range from the several thousands to the tens of thousands of dollars, while others come with publishing-related perks and paid-for professional development opportunities.

YoungArts’ National Arts Competition for Writing

Open exclusively to students in grades 10 or 12 (or ages 15-18), YoungArts’ National Arts Competition evaluates submissions for five categories : creative nonfiction, novel, play or script, poetry, and short story and spoken word.

Of previous winners, the organization remarks that their portfolios were creative, thought-provoking, and intentional. There are separate requirements for each category. 

For novels , candidates share the first 20 pages of their novel along with a 200-word synopsis. 

Spoken word artists will submit two to three written poems, with the total material not exceeding ten pages. Spoken word category applications may also submit a video performance for each poetry submission.

There are five levels of prizes awarded to candidates whose work reveals innovative and outstanding technique, depth, and perspective. 

The Level 1, 2, and 3 prizes are worth $3,000, $1,500, and $1,000 (respectively). The Silver prize is worth $5,000, while the Gold prize totals $10,000.

The National Press Club Scholarships

The National Press Club Journalism Institute offers four scholarship awards to individuals pursuing a future career in journalism and supporting a commitment to civic discourse and transparency.

One award – the Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship – is given to a high school senior pursuing a career in journalism. The candidate must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher. 

A second award – the Scholarship for Journalism Diversity Honoring Julie Schoo – bestows a $5,000 one-year award to the winner. This prize is renewable for up to three years, amounting to up to $20,000 in scholarship funds devoted to college expenses. Applicants share the same requirements as the Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship.

Past winners of the various scholarships have gone on to study at UC-Berkeley, Harvard, Columbia, and Brown.

Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Essay Contest

The Regions Riding Forward Scholarship was conceived to honor stories of inspiring Black Americans. Whether it’s a national public figure, regional superstar, or local hero – all tales are worth telling, and Regions wants to hear them.

Applicants provide a 500-word or less written or 3-minute or less video essay about a Black American who has inspired them. 

Regions promises to award $5,000 scholarships to 30 high school seniors and $3,500 scholarships to 30 first-year, sophomore, or junior college students!

The evaluation committee will recognize 15 written essay submissions and 15 video submissions for each of the two application cohorts. 

Competitive applicants should have an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher and be in good academic standing at their current institution of learning.

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the United States’ longest-running program dedicated specifically to creative teenagers.

Students in grades 7-12 can select from over 25 categories of writing and art, with writing categories including critical essay, memoir, and flash fiction.

The critical essay, for example, is meant to inform or even convince a reader about a particular topic. Examples include reviews and editorials. 

Graduating high school seniors are eligible to submit an entire writing portfolio comprising six separate works which are indicative of the writer’s broad range in style and technique. 

The Gold Medal Portfolio winners will earn a $10,000 prize , while Silver Medal with Distinction Portfolio winners will receive $1,000 scholarships.

The Davidson Fellows Scholarship in Literature

Both the U.S. News and World Report and Forbes Magazine have named the Davidson Fellows Scholarship one of the country’s most prestigious scholarships. Most recently , applicants were allowed to participate in teams of two!

The committee awards $50,000, $25,000, and $10,000 scholarships to exceptional students who have completed a significant work of literature. 

To be eligible for a Davidson Fellows Scholarship in Literature, applicants must be 18 years old or younger and provide proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent residence.

Candidates submitting a piece to the Literature category must provide a 60-75 page portfolio , containing three works from the four genre selections: fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and drama or screenplay. A literacy narrative is an additional requirement.

Applicants must submit a process essay, a video describing their work, and two letters of recommendation from those who are familiar with their work.

Previous grand prize winners have shared portfolios that focus on preventing atrocities, providing positive representations of marginalized identities, and preserving family legacies.

Leroy F. Aarons Scholarship Award

Leroy F. Aarons was committed to providing an accurate representation of LGBTQ individuals and their lives in the media.

The scholarship award grants up to $5,000 in tuition money to an LGBTQ student intent on pursuing a journalism career. 

Current or incoming undergraduate students enrolled in a journalism or communications field are eligible to apply. Along with an application, candidates should share a one-page resume, proof of enrollment in an undergraduate program, and five work samples . 

Topics include writing about a senior LGBTQ activist in the applicant’s community or addressing a local legislative initiative. 

Videos can go from two to five minutes while image galleries can hold between ten and 30 images. Students can also submit infographics.

Winners promise to uphold the Excellence Contract , which requires them to maintain a 3.2 GPA in the year to which the scholarship applies. If the student’s GPA dips below a 3.0, they may be put on probation.

The committee selects prize winners based on their demonstrated awareness of the issues faced within the LGBTQ community and their dedication to accurate, unbiased news coverage.

Writer’s Digest Popular Fiction Awards

Any high school student can share a short story of 4,000 or fewer words from within one of six genres: romance, mystery/crime, horror, thriller/suspense, sci-fi/fantasy, or young adult. 

The mystery/crime genre involves your average “whodunit” plot structures, as well as police, forensic, and legal dramas. 

Thriller/suspense are described as stories that delve more into the motive and backstory to crimes and criminals and seek to increase our adrenaline.

The grand prize winner will receive $2,500 along with an interview in an issue of Writer’s Digest, the winning story published on writersdigest.com, a paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference in New York City, and a $100 gift certificate to writersdigestshop.com.

Talk about perks!

The Amy Lowell Poetry Traveling Scholarship

Amy Lowell was an American poet who passed away in 1925.

Her scholarship honors her legacy by supporting travel expenses for talented American poets. While this is not a college-specific scholarship, the money can be spent on expenses like studying abroad.

In the most recent cycle , there were two winners selected from over 200 applicants. To apply, candidates submit an application along with a curriculum vitae and poetry sample, which consists of up to 40 typed pages.

The committee shares that there is no minimum age requirement to submit works and that while many recent winners have already been published, there is no requirement that candidates have previously published their poetry.

The Horror Writers Association Scholarships

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) offers two $2,500 scholar awards to support emerging horror writers. Students submit one application, which gets shared with the review committees of both scholarships. 

The Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Scholarship is available to female applicants, while the HWA Scholarship is available for applications of any gender. 

When reviewing applications, the committee will be primarily focused on the candidate’s academic record and plan and the likelihood that they will contribute to and grow the genre.

The scholarship funds may not be used for college tuition expenses. Those who win financial awards have two years’ worth of time to spend their funds, which must be used to further their horror writing career or professional development. 

Appropriate activities include online writing courses, writing and publishing presentations, subscription fees, etc.

Ayn Rand Scholarships (Anthem, The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged)

Ayn Rand is the author of three canonical novels, each of which has its accompanying scholarship award: Anthem, The Fountainhead, and Atlas Shrugged.

The Ayn Rand Institute has awarded over $2 million in scholarship money to contest winners and, most recently, they awarded $40,000 to hundreds of students worldwide.

The Anthem Scholarship is open to all 8th through 12th graders. First place wins $2,000 and there are 83 other prizes of $25 to $500. 

Applicants write a 600-1200 word essay in response to one of several prompts, with the purpose being to justify their argument clearly and creatively.

All high school juniors and seniors can apply for the Fountainhead Scholarship , which grants a $5,000 first prize and 83 other prizes ranging from $25 to $1,250 to those who pen an 800-1600 word essay that best articulates their view and understanding of the philosophy behind the novel.

The Atlas Shrugged Scholarship is only available to high school seniors, undergraduates, and graduate-level students. 

The grand prize is $10,000, and other prizes range from $50 to $2,500. 

One of the topics might prompt an applicant to describe the economic and moral forces interacting behind the disappearance of specific goods within the novel.

Haven’t read any of the novels? No worries! The ARI will send applicants a free copy of any novel. At the very least, applicants will receive a free book!

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 18 top scholarships for high school seniors.

Financial Aid

Aside from grants and loans , private scholarships are some of the best ways to help fund your college education. There are thousands of scholarships out there for high school seniors, all with different eligibility requirements, deadlines, and award amounts, so it's definitely worth your time to do some research.

To help you find scholarships—and free money!—for college, we've compiled a list of some of the best college scholarships for high school seniors based on availability and award amounts . These scholarships are generally flexible (so you'll be able to use them at any accredited college you attend), and they also don't have any geographical restrictions (so you're eligible to apply no matter where you live in the US).

The list is broken down into four sub-lists . You can click these links to jump between sections, or just keep scrolling:

• Scholarship competitions
• Merit-based scholarships
• Need-based scholarships
• Specialty awards 

Don't forget to check out the end of the article for strategies on getting the most scholarship money possible!

Scholarship Competitions

The following scholarships are awarded based on performance in some sort of contest . These types of scholarships can be pretty intensive, so give yourself extra time to effectively prepare if you plan on pursuing one of them.

All scholarships are competitions—to win the following scholarships, though, you'll have to go head-to-head with other students.

Voice of Democracy Scholarship Competition

Students compete for this award by writing and recording an audio essay on a patriotic theme. The theme for the 2023-2024 contest is "What Are the Greatest Attributes of Our Democracy?" The first-place winner gets a grand prize $35,000 scholarship to the American college, university, or technical school of their choice. The program gives out a total of $2 million in awards and incentives each year.

• Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12
• Deadline: October 31, 2023

The Fountainhead Essay Contest

Students compete for this award by writing an essay on one of three topics related to Ayn Rand's book The Fountainhead. The first-place winner will receive a grand prize of $5,000 . Runners-up also receive awards. Each year, a total of $22,500 is given out in prize money.

• Eligibility: High school students ages 13+
• Deadline:   Likely April 2024

Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest

Students compete for this award by writing an essay on one of three topics related to Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged. The first-place winner will receive a $10,000 prize. Runners-up also win prizes, and $40,000 in scholarship money is awarded annually.

• Eligibility: High school seniors, college students, and graduate students
• Deadline: November 6, 2023

American Legion National High School Oratorical Contest

Are you a good public speaker, or do you just want an excuse to hone your public-speaking skills? Then this competition would be a good fit for you. Students compete for this award by preparing and performing an eight- to 10-minute oration on some aspect of the US Constitution, as well as giving a three- to five-minute speech on an assigned topic. You can view this year's topics here .

The first-place winner receives $25,000 , second place receives $22,500, and third place receives $20,000. There are also smaller awards for state winners. More than $203,500 in prize money is given out annually.

• Eligibility: US high school students under 20 years of age
• Deadline: Varies by state , as contests are arranged by local American Legion departments

Create-a-Greeting Card Scholarship Contest (Gallery Collection Scholarship)

This scholarship is pretty unique—and it's great for students with some untapped artistic talents! Students compete for this award by submitting a photo, piece of artwork, or computer graphic to be used on the front of a greeting card. The winner will receive $10,000 , and the winner's school will also get $1,000.

• Eligibility: High school and college students ages 14 or older
• Deadline: May 15, 2024

To win these scholarships, you have to show that you're tough—or at least that your brain is tough.

Scholarships Based on Academic Strength

The following scholarships are generally awarded based on students' academic performance in conjunction with a few other factors , such as leadership skills and commitment to community service. As a result, the most competitive applicants will be dedicated, high-achieving students who are also invested in their communities.

Coca-Cola Scholars Program

Coca-Cola Scholars are judged primarily on their academic performance, extracurricular activities, leadership experience, and community service. This scholarship program is fairly big: 150 awards of $20,000 each are given out every year, and the program gives out $3.55 million dollars annually. You can learn more about the Coca-Cola Scholarship by reading our guide to winning the award .

• Eligibility: US high school seniors; can't be children or grandchildren of Coca-Cola employees (current and former)
• Deadline: October 2, 2023

Burger King Scholars Program

Applicants for this scholarship are judged on their GPA, work experience, extracurricular activities, and community service. Award amounts range from those as small as $1,000 to those as large as $50,000 . To apply for this award, applicants must be Burger King employees or  the spouse or child of a Burger King employee. 

• Eligibility: Employees and their spouses/partners/children, US high school seniors
• Deadline: Likely December 2023 (or until they receive 50,000 applications—so apply early!)

Ronald McDonald House Charities Scholarships

For these, award eligibility requirements will vary based on your local Ronald McDonald House Charity chapter. For example, some have ethnic eligibility requirements. Deadlines and award amounts will also vary by location, but some of the bigger national awards can be as large as $100,000 ! Check out our how-to guide to learn more about getting an RMHC scholarship.

• Eligibility: High school seniors, but other requirements may apply depending on scholarship
• Deadline: Varies depending on scholarship, but usually January

If your family income isn't enough to cover college expenses, need-based scholarships would be a great option for you.

Scholarships Based on Financial Need

The following scholarships take financial need into account when choosing award recipients. For many of these programs, though, financial need is just one of many criteria considered .

In other words, strong applicants will also be successful students, leaders, or community activists. For most of these applications, you'll likely have to submit documentation about your family income.

Horatio Alger Scholarship Award

This generous need-based scholarship is geared toward students who have faced and overcome great obstacles. To be considered eligible, your gross adjusted family income must be at o r below $55,000 . At the national level , there are 105 awards of $25,000 each; at the state level , there are scholarships of $10,000 each for all 50 states (plus the District of Columbia).

This one scholarship application will get you considered for many other national, state, and specialized scholarships , which means less work for you and more opportunities for scholarship funding!

• Eligibility: US high school juniors with a GPA of 2.0 or above who plan on getting a bachelor's degree
• Deadline: Likely March 15, 2024

Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship Program

Applicants to this need-based scholarship are judged on their leadership skills and commitment to community service. To be considered eligible, you must identify as a minority student and be a US citizen. As many as 60 new scholarships are awarded annually. The scholarships are four-year awards, and recipients can receive as much as $30,000 over four years .

• Eligibility: US minority high school seniors with a minimum SAT of 1000/ACT of 21* who plan on getting a bachelor's degree in the US
• Deadline: Likely January 2024

*JRF recognizes the difficulties posed by COVID-19; students applying without standardized test scores will not be disadvantaged in the selection process. 

Engebretson Foundation Scholarship

This need-based scholarship is pretty straightforward: it's awarded to one student each year who demonstrates not only financial need, but also shows impressive academic aptitude and leadership ability. The annual award winner receives $5,000 per semester of college . Winners may reapply for the prize every year.

• Eligibility: High school seniors with high GPAs and SAT/ACT scores as well as financial need who plan to attend a four-year college
• Deadline: Likely March 2023 (note that applications must be submitted via email or regular mail )

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College Scholarship Program

In addition to providing funding for college, this scholarship program offers personal advising on selecting a college, navigating the financial aid process, and transitioning from high school to college. Applicants are judged on academic ability and achievement, financial need, persistence, desire to help others, and leadership skills. Awards are given to students each year and can be as high as $55,000 per academic year. 

• Eligibility: High school seniors who have an unweighted GPA of 3.5 or higher. Applicants must also demonstrate financial need (family gross income of $95,000 or below) and plan to attend a four-year college
• Deadline:  November 2023

Elks National Foundation Most Valuable Student Competition

Applicants to this need-based scholarship are judged on their scholarship and leadership abilities. Each year, 500 scholarships are given out across the country, with award amounts ranging from $1,000 to $12,500 per year . Applications must be submitted to the Elks Lodge closest to your home address, so make sure to research the Elks Lodges in your area before you apply.

• Eligibility: US high school seniors who plan to attend a four-year US college
• Deadline: November 2023

Gates Scholarship

The Gates Scholarship aims to help scholastically outstanding minority high school seniors reach their full potential. Every year, 300 students receive a scholarship covering the full cost of attendance (including tuition, fees, room, board, books, and transportation) that is not already covered by other financial aid and expected family contribution . Read more about the Gates Scholarship and how to win it in our complete guide .

• Eligibility: US minority high school seniors who are Pell-eligible (Pelligible?), have a minimum 3.3/4.0 GPA, and plan to attend a four-year US college
• Deadline: Likely September 15, 2023

These next scholarships are unique—just like every student applicant!

Specialty Scholarships

The following scholarship programs are national awards that target students who have specific or unique interests or achievements . Whether you're the next president of the SPCA or even the USA, you should be able to find a specialty scholarship that's perfect for you!

Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship

Are you a proud vegetarian? This might seem like a niche award, but the scholarship is very real! Applicants are judged on their "compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegetarian diet/lifestyle." If you've promoted vegetarianism at school or in your community, you'll likely be a great candidate for this scholarship. The first-place winner usually receives $10,000 and two runners-up each receive $5,000, but the award total increased to $30,000 for 2024, so the awards for this year will be even larger.

• Eligibility: High school seniors
• Deadline: February 20, 2024

Adobe Design Circle Scholarship

Is graphic design your passion? Are you always brainstorming invention ideas? Do you see a website layout and think, “I could make this better?” The Adobe Design Circle Scholarship is open to students who plan to pursue any design-related major through an accredited program. This award offers 10 annual scholarships up to $25,000 per academic year for tuition and fees.  

The exact amount of each scholarship varies, determined by factors including projected cost of attendance (e.g., for a state university vs. a private college) and the applicant’s expected financial need. Scholarships can be renewed for up to four years, or until graduation, pending satisfactory degree progress. The Design Circle also provides a variety of mentorship opportunities to the scholarship winners, such as shadowing, internships, workshops, and networking.

• Eligibility: Students pursuing any year of their undergraduate studies
• Deadline: Likely March 2024

Equitable Excellence Scholarship Scholarship

The Equitable Excellence scholarship (formerly the AXA Achievement scholarship) targets students who have empowered society through achievements that mitigate risk . This idea can be interpreted pretty broadly, so spend some time figuring out what risk means to you and whether you've participated in making the world a safer place through any of your activities.

Every year, hundreds of students representing all 50 states; Washington, DC; and Puerto Rico receive one-time scholarships of $2,500, $10,000, or $25,000 .

• Eligibility: US high school seniors
• Deadline: Likely December 2023 (or until they receive 10,000 applications—so apply early!) 

William Randolph Hearst Foundations US Senate Youth Program

If you're passionate about public service, this is the scholarship for you. The Senate Youth Program targets students who participate in their high school student government and plan to study history or political science in college . Applicants are judged on their leadership skills, academic performance, community involvement, and extracurricular activities. Each winner will receive a $10,000 award in addition to an all-expenses-paid educational week in Washington, DC.*

• Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors
• Deadline: Varies depending on the state you're in , but typically September-November

*Currently, the 2024 program is scheduled to happen in person. However, the event could be moved online due to COVID-19 or other public health concerns. 

Tips here, get your tips here!

Making the Most of Your Scholarship Applications: 3 Key Tips

If you're going to go through all the work of submitting a scholarship application, then you want to make sure you have an excellent shot at winning awards . The following three tips will help you submit the greatest number of successful scholarship applications possible.

#1: Do Your Own Research

As you've probably noticed, many of the above scholarships are fairly generous national awards, so they’re going to be quite competitive. Unfortunately, even if you’re a strong contender, the sheer size of the applicant pool will likely lower your chances. So what's a student to do?

The good news is that there are countless scholarship programs out there. It just takes a bit of digging to find one that matches your interests, location, background, identity, etc. The more niche a scholarship program is, the better chances you'll have of winning an award (assuming you're qualified for it). So do some research on scholarships programs that operate in your area or are offered to students with your particular interests, experiences, skills, or passions.

The Ronald McDonald House Charities scholarships are a good place to start. You can also pay a visit to your guidance counselor, who should have more information on local scholarships.

In addition, you could branch out on your own by searching online for scholarships in your area . If you have a particular talent, skill, or interest, look for scholarships that are offered to students based on those criteria.

#2: Apply Broadly

Applying for scholarships—like applying to colleges—is, in part, a numbers game. You wouldn't apply to just one school if you wanted to optimize your chances of getting into a great college, would you?

Many scholarship applications ask similar questions and require similar information, so if you apply to one program, you might as well apply to a bunch . It's free to apply for most scholarships anyway—all it takes is a few hours of your time.

Finally, take advantage of applications that submit you for consideration for many scholarship awards , such as the Horatio Alger Scholarship mentioned above.

#3: Make Note of Deadlines

Scholarship applications are all over the place—there's no defined "scholarship season" for submission deadlines, but many are due before college application deadlines . As such, it's better to start your scholarship search sooner rather than later so you don't miss out on any great opportunities .

The summer before your senior year is a good time to start making note of programs you're interested in. Keep track of application deadlines by maintaining a spreadsheet that you update regularly. This is especially helpful if applications require you to ask for letters of recommendation ; you can make sure to give teachers and mentors plenty of advance notice to write you a letter.

What's Next?

Want to get a head start on scoping out scholarships? Then check out our comprehensive guides to winning some of the most competitive national scholarships available, including the Gates Scholarship , the Coca-Cola Scholarship , the Walmart Scholarships , and the McDonald's Scholarships .

Looking for scholarships with low-hassle applications? Our article on the easiest scholarships to apply for will give you a great starting list.

Wondering if you can get a scholarship for something like being left-handed ? Learn more about the weirdest scholarships you can win in our guide.

Need more help with your scholarship search? Read our expert guide on how to find college scholarships and the best scholarship search websites .

Francesca graduated magna cum laude from Harvard and scored in the 99th percentile on the SATs. She's worked with many students on SAT prep and college counseling, and loves helping students capitalize on their strengths.

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11 Writing Contests for High School Students with Cash Awards

Calling All High School Student Writers! If you’re searching for scholarships or finding ways to fund your future education, look no further than these wonderful writing contests. 

If you are a talented young writer , you can find plenty of contests that will allow you to submit your writing for consideration. Many of them offer cash prizes and/or scholarships. 

Below are 11 writing contests for high school students, but you can find plenty of other niche and general contests by searching online.

1. Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards celebrate art created by students aged 13 and older in grades 7 to 12 on a regional and national scale. You are allowed to submit in various categories and styles, with the chance to win awards with cash prizes or scholarships. Types include science fiction and fantasy writing, critical essays, humor, dramatic scripts, and more.

Prizes may vary. Gold medal portfolio winners can earn a $10,000 scholarship, and silver medal winners with distinction can earn a $1,000 scholarship. There are more options for various categories. Fees to apply vary by region, but the cost is generally $7 for a single entry and $25 for a portfolio entry.

Since these contests vary, you can use Scholastic’s Affiliate Partner search to determine when projects are due for your specific category.

2. Young Lions Fiction Award

Are you 35 years old or under? This prestigious opportunity is right for you. The incredible and historic New York Public Library sponsors this award. Writers are welcome to submit a novel or collection of short stories. Each year, a reading committee of Young Lions members, writers, editors, and librarians selects five finalists. It then moves on to a panel of judges who will choose the winner.

The winner of this award will receive a $10,000 scholarship.

The deadline to apply is usually in September of the scholarship year. And, even better, it is entirely free to apply! 

3. Ocean Awareness Contest

All students ranging from age 11 to age 18 from around the world are encouraged to participate in the Ocean Awareness Contest by submitting an original piece of artistic work. These submissions can be in visual art, creative writing, film, interactive/ multimedia, performing arts, poetry, or spoken word.

The Junior Division is for students ages 11 to 14, and the Senior Division is for students ages 15 to 18.

In the Junior Division, the Gold Award is $1,000, Silver $750, Bronze $250, and Honorable Mention $50. In the Senior Division, the Gold Award is $1,500, Silver $1,000, Bronze $500, and Honorable Mention $100.

Students can choose from five different prompts and respond through their choice of submission.

4. The Adroit Prizes for Poetry and Prose

Are you a Senior in high school or at the undergraduate level? Are you obsessed with words stories, and driven to write? Then the Adroit Prize for Poetry and Prose might be yours. The Adroit Prizes awards two students with talent and aptitude in poetry or prose each year. 

Submissions may include up to six poems (maximum of ten pages single-spaced) and/or up to three works of prose (combined word limit of 3,500 words). Students may submit excerpts of longer pieces if they choose. 

Simultaneous submissions are also accepted as long as students acknowledge in their cover letter that the work has been submitted elsewhere. Students may only submit one work per genre, per year, but they can submit entries to the poetry and prose categories in a given year. The submission fee is $13, but students can fill out a form if they need financial assistance.

All submissions will be considered for publication in the Adroit Journal, and winners will be awarded $200. 

The deadline for this prize is typically in April of every year.

5. NSHSS Creative Writing Scholarship

High school students interested in creative writing are encouraged to submit their work for this fantastic scholarship. Sponsored by the National Society of High School Scholars, this scholarship is for those students with a passion for the written word and a story to tell. Students can submit any work of their choosing as long as the work itself has yet to be previously published. These works can be in either poetry, fiction, or both. 

In the poetry category, students may submit their original poetry in any style, from formal verse to free verse, and experiment. Please note: the poem should be formatted as you wish it to appear in publication.

In the fiction category, students may submit a piece of short fiction, at most 5,000 words, double-spaced. The student may choose any genre, including graphic novels or short stories.

A prize of $2,000 will be awarded to one student winner in each category.

6. YoungArts Competition

Emerging artists ages 15 through 18—or grades 10 through 12—are encouraged to apply for this award in various disciplines, including visual arts, writing, and music. Each student must submit a portfolio of their work. The winner is selected through a blind adjudication process by an independent panel of highly accomplished artists. 

There is a $35 application fee, but it can be waived based on financial restraints.

Winners of the YoungArts Competition receive monetary awards up to $10,000. But the money is just one part of this award. The selected students will also receive creative and professional development experiences with renowned guest artists and be eligible for a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the arts nomination! 

You can sign up for application news and updates by visiting the website.

7. The American Foreign Services Association Essay Contest

US students grades 9 through 12, as well as students in the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, or U.S. citizens attending school abroad or at home, are welcome to submit an essay identifying the United States’ strengths and weaknesses in establishing peace in foreign countries. Essays must be between 1,000 and 1,250 words and answer three questions about US foreign policy and national security.

The winner will receive not only a $2,500 cash prize but they will also win a Washington D.C. trip and a scholarship to attend Semester at Sea. A runner-up will receive $1,250 and a scholarship to attend the International Diplomacy Program of the National Student Leadership Conference.

There is no application fee.

8. The Lewis Center Ten-Minute Play Contest

If you love plays and think you have something to say, feel free to apply and see if it makes your day. Students in the eleventh grade (or international equivalent) are eligible for the annual Lewis Center Ten-Minute Playwriting Contest. Each year’s jury consists of members from the Princeton University Program in Theater faculty.

Applicants may submit only one play of 10 pages maximum. 

The award for first prize is $500, second prize is $250, and third prize is $100.

9. We the Students Essay Contest

Have you ever wondered what it's like to live in modern-day America? Then this contest might be just for you. Run by the Bill of Rights Institute, the contest asks students to answer, “What are the essential qualities of a citizen in your community in 21st-century America?” This essay must land somewhere between 500 and 800 words. 

To apply, students must be US citizens or legal residents between 14 and 19 attending public, private, charter, or religious schools in the U.S., U.S. territories or districts, or Armed Forces schools abroad. Home-schooled students and those enrolled in correspondence or GED programs can also apply.

One national winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a scholarship to the Constitutional Academy. Six runners-up will receive $1,250 each, and eight honorable mentions will receive $500 each. 

10. Young Writers Awards

There is something special about promoting students to write to express themselves in a healthy, controlled manner that may further their education beyond the classroom. And it does not hurt to start young. To promote this cause, Bennington College invites submissions from grades 9 through 12 for this annual award.

Students may submit work in three different categories:

• Poetry: a group of three poems
• Fiction: a short story (1,500 words or fewer) or a one-act play (no more than 30 minutes of playing time)
• Nonfiction: a personal or academic essay (1,500 words or fewer)

A first-, second-, and third-place winner is selected in each category. First-place winners receive $500, second place receives $250, and third place receives $125.

The competition typically runs from September 3 to November 1 each year, with winners posted on the website in mid-April. And the best part? There is no fee to enter!

11. YouthPLAYS

Playwriting is an art form; the only way to improve is to start as soon as possible. That is why students under 19 are highly encouraged to submit a one-act, non-musical play of at least ten pages for consideration. The play presented should be the work of a single author, appropriate for high school audiences, and contain at least two characters, with one or more of those characters being youths in age-appropriate roles. The contest encourages large casts with multiple female roles.

One winner will receive $200, have their play published by YouthPLAYS, and receive a copy of Great Dialog, a program for writing dialog. One runner-up will receive $50 and a copy of Great Dialog.

These writing contests are a fantastic way to expand your portfolio, improve your writing, and connect with fellow writers. While each contest offers a unique experience, the experience of writing, submitting, collaborating, and sharing your work will bolster your confidence moving forward into wherever you take your career moving forward.

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United States Institute of Peace

National high school essay contest.

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

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

2023 National High School Essay Contest

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

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

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

There were eight honorable mentions:

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

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

2023 National High School Essay Contest Topic

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

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

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

Contest deadline: April 3, 2023

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

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

2022 National High School Essay Contest

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

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

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

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

Partnerships for Peace in a Multipolar Era

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

Contest deadline: April 4, 2022

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

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

2021 National High School Essay Contest

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

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

Diplomats and Peacebuilders: Powerful Partners

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

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

Contest deadline: April 5, 2021

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

2020 National High School Essay Contest

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

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

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

2020 National High School Essay Contest Topic

Why Diplomacy and Peacebuilding Matter

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

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

2019 National High School Essay Contest

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

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

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

2019 Essay Question

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

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

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

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

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

2018 National High School Essay Contest

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

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

2017 National High School Essay Contest

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

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

2017 Essay Contest Topic

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

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

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

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

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

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

Memo Template

TO: Ambassador ______________________

FROM: Only use your first name here

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

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

Background:

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

Proposed Steps:

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

Recommendation:

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

Companion Guide for the 2017 National High School Essay Contest

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

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

2016 National High School Essay Contest

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

Summer II 2024 Application Deadline is June 26, 2024.  

Click here to apply.

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10 Writing Scholarships You Should Check Out as a High Schooler

There’s a lot to think about while applying to college, from choosing the right path to making sure you have enough experience. One of these considerations is the financial challenge that comes with higher education. This is why it’s important to keep an eye on available scholarships. Scholarships can alleviate such pressure and allow you to focus on your dreams instead.

In this article, we've curated a list of ten scholarships designed for high school students interested in writing. These scholarships not only provide financial support but also serve as platforms for budding wordsmiths to showcase their potential. Whether you're an essayist or a fiction writer, these scholarships can pave the way for your literary ambitions.

Without further ado, here are the ten writing scholarships:

1. Davidson Fellows Scholarship

Application deadline: February 14, 2024

Eligibility: Applicants must be younger than 18 years of age and a permanent resident or citizen of the US

Scholarship amount: Ranging from $10,000 to $50,000, which can only be used for qualified tuition and related expenses

Entry fee: Free

Organized by the Davidson Institute, this program offers scholarships to students who complete a significant piece of research work. This is one of the most prestigious opportunities in the country and winning the scholarship will definitely boost your college applications . Students interested in writing can opt for the Literature category, where you must submit a 60-75 page portfolio of creative work with at least three of the following genres — fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama/screenplay. You must also submit a literacy narrative that reflects on your process of developing the creative work.

2. Optimist International Essay Contest

Application deadline: Early February

Eligibility: Students below the age of 19 who have not yet completed secondary school as of October 1 of the year of the contest

Scholarship amount: Up to $500 at the club level and a $2,500 college scholarship at the district-level competition

Each year, Optimist International announces a new essay topic and participants are invited to submit a 700-800-word essay for a chance to win prizes. The topic for 2023-2024 is ‘Optimism: How It Connects Us’ and your essay can be inspired by your experiences or otherwise. It will be judged on the basis of the interpretation of the topic, creativity, style and grammar. This program is a good way to hone your critical thinking and writing skills. Do keep in mind that you will have to contact your local Optimist Club in order to apply. Club-level winners will then move to the district-level competition.

3. Lumiere Foundation

Application Deadline : There are 4 cohorts (You can apply here!)

Fall 2023: August 27th, 2023

Winter 2023: November 26th, 2023

Spring 2024: January 14th, 2024

Summer 2024:

No previous knowledge of your field of interest is required!

Eligibility :

You must be currently enrolled in high school or plan to enroll as a freshman in college in the fall of 2023.

Students must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement. (Note. Students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4)

Scholarship Amount : N/A

Note . While there is no cut-off for income, past scholars have typically come from households earning less than $50,000 annually (for a typical household of 4) with minimum assets.

While not a university scholarship, the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation is a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Born out of the Lumiere Research Scholar Program (one of the largest 1-on-1 research initiatives for high school students), the foundation offers the same independent research opportunities in literature and writing at no cost .

The Lumiere Breakthrough Scholar Program is the equivalent of the Individual Research Scholar Program at Lumiere Education. In our flagship program, we pair talented high-school students with world-class Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project . At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll learn about the cutting edge of your field and develop an independent research paper.

4. YoungArts Lin Arison Excellence in Writing Award

Application deadline: June 2024 (for the competition)

Eligibility: High school seniors who have won the National YoungArts Competition

Scholarship amount: $50,000 which can be used for tuition, room and board at an accredited school

The National YoungArts Foundation is a non-profit that hosts a competition for budding artists in ten different categories, one of which is writing. Participants can submit novel excerpts, poetry, non-fiction, scripts or spoken word. Winners receive monetary awards and the opportunity to attend the National YoungArts Week. One finalist of the writing category, a high school senior, is then awarded the Lin Arison Excellence in Writing Award which offers a generous scholarship to help you pursue your higher education . While this may seem like a long shot, the National YoungArts Foundation is a respected organization and taking part in the competition can be worth the effort.

5. Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

Application deadline: Between December and January, depending on the region

Eligibility: High school students over the age of 13

Scholarship amount: Varies with each scholarship

Entry fee : $10 per entry or $30 per portfolio

To participate in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, you must submit a completed work of art or writing. The writing categories include journalism, humor, flash fiction, memoir, critical essay, poetry, and more, and will be judged on the basis of your skill, uniqueness, and personal voice . Your work will be judged at a regional level first, winners of which will move on to the national level. Award winners are then eligible for multiple scholarships like university scholarships , portfolio scholarships , and summer scholarships . This is a great option for those who have a written project in a niche sub-section of writing.

6. Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards

Application deadline: January 16, 2024 or when 1000 applications have been received

Eligibility: Current high school seniors who are under the age of 22 and plan to enroll in a university/school by Fall 2024

Scholarship amount: Five awards available, each of $10,000 which will be processed over a period of four years

As one of the world’s largest publishing houses, a Penguin Random House award is prestigious and will boost your writing career. That said, this scholarship is best for students who have set college plans but are looking for financial aid. Winners also get to attend a virtual development week with one-on-one coaching with Penguin . Your written submission can belong to poetry, spoken word, fiction/drama, personal essay/memoir, or the book bans prompt (a written piece about a banned book that changed your life). You can go through the winning entries here . Seeing as the competition closes with the first 1000 applicants, it’s best to apply early to this one!

7. Immerse Essay Competition

Application deadline: January 4, 2024

Eligibility: Students aged 13 – 18 (open to international applicants as well)

Scholarship amount: Top 10 winners get a 100% scholarship to study at an affiliated university and runners-up get partial scholarships to study with Immerse

Immerse Education is an educational institute based in the UK that provides young students with academic programs. The essay competition directs participants to write a response to a pre-set question in a specific category (while a wide range of categories are available, English Literature and Creative Writing are generally included) . Topics are split by age, with one section for 13-15 year olds and another for 16-18 year olds. The scholarship can be redeemed against summer schools in New York, Cambridge, London, Sydney and more, making it ideal for students specifically looking for summer experience .

8. The Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship

Application deadline: February (tentatively, based on previous years)

Eligibility: High school seniors who have a minimum GPA of 3.0 (international students can apply as well)

Scholarship amount: $5,000

This scholarship is organized by the National Press Club and is meant for students who are pursuing a career in journalism . Your application must include 3 writing samples which can be articles or multimedia stories. Three letters of recommendation are needed as well as documentation of your college application/acceptance. Coupled with the GPA requirement, this can be a fairly selective scholarship. Should you win, you will also receive one year of membership at the National Press Club.

9. Dennis Etchison Young Writers Scholarship

Application deadline: August 1, 2024

Eligibility: Students in grades 10 – 12 who are interested in horror/dark fiction

Location: Online

Scholarship amount: $500

Offered by the Horror Writers Association, this scholarship is solely for writers of horror or dark fiction. To apply, you will need to send writing samples (either one short story, 3 chapters of a novel, or 4 poems) and a letter of recommendation. If you win, the scholarship amount can be used for college tuition as well as other writing-enhancing activities like writing festivals, residencies, courses, textbooks, software, and more . The stipend must be spent within two years. As a bonus, the winner will also be mentored by a professional author for 6 months!

10. National Society of High School Scholars’ Creative Writing Scholarship

Application deadline: October (tentatively, based on previous years)

Eligibility: All high school students as well as recent graduates

Scholarship amount: $2,000

This scholarship is primarily for writers of poetry and short fiction. You can either submit a poetry piece of any style or a short fiction piece of any genre, or both if you feel like . In the end, three applicants from each category win the prize after being judged on their work’s creativity, technique, expression, and originality. If you win, the funds will be sent directly to the university you’ve enrolled at and your entries will be published on the NSHSS website. The NSHSS is an educational organization and this is just one of the many scholarships it offers.

11. New York Women in Communications’ Scholarship

Eligibility: High school seniors, undergraduate and graduate students. Students must live in NY, NJ, CT, or PA, and have an overall GPA of 3.2 or higher

Scholarship amount: $2,500 which will be directly sent to the university you enroll in

Any student pursuing communications-related fields like advertising, broadcasting, journalism, digital media, public relations, etc., should consider this scholarship . It is offered by a non-profit organization known as the New York Women in Communications (NYWICI). The application process does require an interview as well, marking it as a relatively competitive scholarship. As a winner, you will also get a one-year membership at the NYWICI and access to all its events!

If you’re looking for the opportunity to do in-depth research on various topics in literature or linguistics, you could also consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs , selective online high school programs for students I founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.

Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.

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Essay Scholarships offer students an opportunity to stand out based on their writing. You are evaluated by how you put your thoughts on paper and not on your GPA or community service. The essay competition represents an opportunity for creative students, those with good ideas and those capable of in depth research to stand out.

Missed the deadline? Subscribe to the free monthly newsletter and get scholarship information delivered directly to you (click this link) .  

Deadlines change, please check the sponsor’s website for specific dates.

Cancer Survivor Scholarship - This program is no longer being offered. Deadlines varies by state The American Cancer Society has many local divisions that ask cancer survivors to write essays about their experiences.

AES Engineering Solutions Scholarship Deadline is in early October AES Engineering offers scholarships to students to help them pay for their education. Students will be judged on their essay.

Williams-Mystic Essay Contest in Honor of Joseph Conrad Deadline is in mid October Create an essay about the ocean or any major body of water (fiction or nonfiction) using 1000 to 5000 words and submit it for consideration. The essay can be a great story or it can deal with the environment, political activism, history or nature.

Bennington Young Writers Competition Deadline is in early November High school students in grades 10 through 12 can submit their writing to the Bennington Young Writers Competition.  Over 2000 students have submitted poetry, fiction and nonfiction in past years to be eligible for the $500 first place prize and the $250 second place awards.

Voice of Democracy Audio Essay Deadline is in early November Can you write? Do you have strong opinions about certain subjects?  The Voice of Democracy Program is an audio essay contest for students in grades 9 through 12.  If you are enrolled in a public, private or parochial high school or home study program in the United States and its territories you are eligible to participate.

First Freedom Student Competition Deadline is in mid November The First Freedom Student Competition is open to 9th to 12th grade high school students. You are required to submit an essay or video commenting on the history and current-day relevance of religious freedom in our country.

Americanism Essay Contest Deadline is in early December The Fleet Reserve Association Essay Contest asks 7th through 12th grade students to write an essay up to 350 words on a different topic every year. The best essay will get a prize of a $10,000 U.S. Savings Bond, with $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000 Savings Bonds awarded to the first, second and third place winners in each grade category. All regional winners are judged at the national level and receive a certificate of recognition.

Being an American Essay - This program is no longer being offered. Deadline is in mid December In 1000 words or less, you need to answer the question: How does the Constitution establish and maintain a culture of liberty?

Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Deadline is in mid December  The Foot Locker Scholar Athletes program honors high school athletes who engaged in leadership activities in their communities.

To compete you need to answer three essay questions (between 200 and 350 words each) and obtain two non-family recommendations.

George S. & Stella M. Knight Essay Contest Deadline is in late December  To participate in the George S. & Stella M. Knight Essay Contest you must do research and write an essay that deals with: an event, person, philosophy, or ideal associated with the American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence, or the framing of the United States Constitution.

Apprentice Ecologist Initiative Deadline is in late December  An $850 educational scholarship will be awarded annually to the authors of the top Apprentice Ecologist essay in the Apprentice Ecologist Initiative™. This tax-free and merit-based scholarship is available to any full or part-time student (aged 13 to 21) who is a candidate for a degree/diploma at a primary, secondary, or accredited post-secondary educational institution from any country around the world.

Profile in Courage Essay Contest Deadline is in early January  Students are asked to write a Profile in Courage, an essay of no more than 1,000 words about an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official that occurred during or after 1956, the publication date of Profiles in Courage.  The official may have addressed an issue at the local, state, or national level.

GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program Deadline is in early January GE has created a scholarship program to award 20 students a year a $10,000 renewal scholarship (the maximum scholarship is $40,000).

Washington Crossing Foundation Scholarship Awards Deadline is in mid January In order to compete in the Washington Crossing Foundation Scholarship Awards, students are asked to write a one-page essay indicating why they are interested in a career in government service.  Include in the essay any inspiration to be derived from the leadership of George Washington in his famous crossing of the Delaware.

National MS Society Scholarship Program Deadline is in mid January The National MS Society Scholarship Program was established to help highly qualified students who have been diagnosed with MS or who have a parent with MS achieve their dreams of going to college.

American Mensa Educational & Research Foundation Scholarship Deadline is in mid January If you’re looking for a college scholarship that is based solely on your ability to write here it is. The American Mensa Education & Research Foundation college scholarship program is based on essays written by you, no grades, academic programs or financial need issues are considered.

Union Plus Scholarship Deadline is in late January The Union Plus Scholarship Program is offered through the Union Plus Education Foundation. To be eligible you must the child of a union member or a union member.

DuPont Challenge Science Essay Deadline is in late January The DuPont Challenge© Science Essay Competition encourages students in grades 7 through 12 to express their enthusiasm for science by writing an essay. The essay must be at least 700 words and no more than 1000 words and it must be submitted online.

National Peace Essay Contest Deadline is in early February The Academy for International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding runs the National Peace Essay Contest. They believe that questions about peace, justice, freedom, and security are vital to civic education. Over 1,100 students submit entries to the essay contest annually.

Optimist International Essay Contest Deadline: Varies by district The Optimist International Essay Contest is sponsored by Optimist International. You must enter the contest through your local Optimist Club (each club has their own deadlines, however, all club contest are done by early February).

National Co-op Scholarship Program Deadline is in mid February Several colleges that provide cooperative education for their students are participating in the National CO-OP Scholarship . They are offering over 100 scholarships ranging up to $30,000 ($6,000 per year up to 5 years).

AFA Teens College Scholarship Deadline is in mid February The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA), a national nonprofit organization, has established a college scholarship to encourage teens to express their thoughts about Alzheimer’s disease and to engage the younger generation in this cause.

Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship Deadline is in mid February The $5,000 Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship is awarded to two high school seniors who have promoted vegetarianism in their schools and/or communities.

Spirit of Anne Frank Awards Deadline is in early March The Anne Frank Center is looking for high school seniors that have played a leadership role in their community. The Spirit of Anne Frank Award will go to a student who has exhibited some of the principles and ideals of Anne Frank.

EngineerGirl! Food Engineering Essay Deadline is in early March Every year the EngineerGirl Essay Contest asks boys and girls to write an essay about a different subject. The competition is run by the National Academy of Engineering.

Kaplun Essay Contest Deadline is in early March The Kaplun Essay Contest is broken up into two levels. Level 1 is for 7th through 9th graders, they get one essay. Level 2 - Is for 10th through 12th graders, they get another essay.

Society of Professional Journalists Freedom of the Press High School Essay Contest Deadline is in late February The Society of Professional Journalists believes that the American people need to understand and be informed about the issues in order to make decisions that impact their lives. Journalists provide this information in an accurate, comprehensive, timely and understandable manner.

Young Naturalist Awards Deadline is in early March The Young Naturalist Award is a research-based science competition for students in grades 7-12 to promote participation and communication in science. The student needs to plan and conduct a scientific investigation, one that will include observations, questions, predictions, trips into the field to gather data, and analysis.

DNA Day Essay Contest Deadline is in mid March The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) sponsors Annual DNA Day Essay Contest.  Students in grades 9-12 are eligible to participate.  The contest asks students to think about the important concepts of genetics.

Sylvia K. Burack Writing Award Competition - This program is no longer being offered. Deadline is in mid March The Sylvia K. Burack Writing Award is a writing contest for juniors and seniors made in memory of Sylvia K. Burack, an editor and publisher of The Writer magazine.

PFLAG National Scholarship Program Deadline is in mid March The PFLAG National Scholarship Program is sponsored by Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) a national non-profit organization. In addition to the National Scholarship Program, there are many local programs, see below for more information.

Ayn Rand Institute "Anthem" Essay Contest Deadline is in mid March Anthem is a short novel written by Ayn Rand.  It takes place in the future when the world has entered a dark age.  Written in pre-war (1937) England, it talks about a period of time when the concept of individuality no longer exists and the word "I" has disappeared from the language.

Youth Scholarship Program Deadline is in late March The Electronic Security Association maintains the Youth Scholarship Program, which will award scholarships to two children of active-duty police officers and firefighters. The first place winner will receive $7,500 to put toward their college education and the second place winner will receive $2,500. Awards are based on a combination of academic achievement, national test scores, extracurricular participation and an essay titled, “What it means to me to have my parent or guardian involved in securing our community.”

American Foreign Service Association - National High School Essay Contest Deadline is in mid April The American Foreign Service Association has an essay competition open to 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th graders who are required to write an essay of 1000 to 1250 words.  

Signet Classics Student Essay Contest Deadline is in mid April Read a Signet Classic and write an essay. Each English teacher can only submit one junior and one senior essay.  See the Penguin Books Website for more details about how the essays must be submitted.  Students must be between the ages of 16-18.

Holocaust Remembrance Project Essay Contest Deadline is in mid April The Holocaust Remembrance Project is a writing contest about the Holocaust.  Participants should study the holocaust and then, in an essay of no more than 1,200 words: (a) analyze why it is so vital that the remembrance, history and lessons of the Holocaust be passed to a new generation; and (b) suggest what they, as students, can do to combat and prevent prejudice, discrimination and violence in our world today.

Toby Nussbaum Contest Jewish Heritage- Writing Contest Deadline is in early May To celebrate Jewish Heritage Week the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York is sponsoring The Toby Nussbaum Jewish Heritage Writing Contest for students in the New York City school system.  To enter you must write 250 to 300 words about the current year's theme.

NPG Essay Scholarship Contest Deadline is in mid April Negative Population Growth (NPG) is a national membership organization whose goal is to educate the American public and political leaders about the detrimental effects of overpopulation on our environment, resources and quality of life.  One of the ways they do this is with their Annual Scholarship Contest.

Ayn Rand Institute "Fountainhead" Essay Contest Deadline is in late April The Fountainhead is a novel written in 1943 by Ayn Rand. It was an early literary success for her.  Over 6.5 million copies of the book have been sold worldwide.

It is the story of Howard Roark, is a young architect who acts on principal and works in obscurity rather than changing his artistic and personal vision.  His fight is to practice modern architecture as opposed to more traditional work.  More information about the essay contest can be found on the Ayn Rand Institute Website.  Submitted essays must be no fewer than 800 and no more than 1,600 words.

Young Native Writers Essay Contest Deadline is in late April The Young Native Writers Essay Contest is open to Native American high school students with a relationship with a Native American tribal community.

Skandalaris Family Foundation Scholarship Deadline is in early May The Skandalaris Family Foundation is an independent, non-profit foundation that awards scholarships to students characterized by their special talents, leadership skills, unselfish ways, strong values, and commitment to excellence. The majority of their scholarships will be granted to residents of the State of Michigan, but the scholarship is not limited to Michigan residents.

We the Living Essay Contest - This program is no longer being offered. Deadline is in early May The essay contest asks high school students in the 10th through 12th grade to write about the book in an essay of 700 to 1500 words.

BP Community Scholarship Program Deadline is in mid May The BP Scholarship Program is sponsored by BP employees and dealers in the New York and New Jersey area.

James Beard Foundation Scholarship Program Deadline is in mid May Whether you’re interested in baking, pastry, culinary arts or some other aspect of food or hospitality management, the James Beard Foundation School Scholarships may be for you.  Fourteen US and international schools are participating in this culinary scholarship and each program is somewhat different in both the amount of tuition waiver and what programs of study are eligible.

JASNA Essay Contest Deadline is in mid May The Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) Essay Contest celebrates the life and work of the author. Students at the high school, college and even graduate level are encouraged to enter. This essay contest is open to students worldwide.

Dream Deferred Essay Contest Deadline is in late May The Dream Deferred Essay Contest was inspired by a 1951 Langston Hughes poem, What happens to a dream deferred? Just as the Langston Hughes poem helped inspire the civil rights movement, the contest sponsors feel that essay contest will also be regarded as an opportunity for American and Middle Eastern youth to unite over the issue of advancing civil liberties in the Middle East.

Samsung Techwin America Scholarship - This program is no longer being offered. Deadline is in mid May The Samsung Techwin America Scholarship is for high school students. To enter applicants must submit a 300 word essay on: How will technology enable the collaboration process in the future?

Big Dig Scholarship - This program is no longer being offered. Deadline is in early June Make your grandchildren rich, at least in theory.  This essay scholarship asks you imagine that you could bury something in your backyard that would make your heirs wealthy.

Automotive Hall of Fame Scholarship Deadline is in late June The Automotive Hall of Fame Scholarship is for high school seniors and college students with an interest in the automotive field and financial need. In addition to the eligibility requirements listed below, you need to write an essay describing your career goals and objectives for the next five years.

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Top writing contests for high school students.

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Some skills are hard to convey on your college application. For students who are active in a musical instrument, they have participated in band or orchestra and have often achieved a long list of achievements. Students who are passionate about science or research can find multiple extracurriculars or summer programs that allow them to grow and highlight their skills. 

However, those students who love to write might find it more difficult to showcase the time and energy they have spent honing their craft. Having a good grade in English and Literature classes, good AP scores and a well-written personal statement might not be enough to showcase your abilities to the admission officers at your dream school.

Writing contests are a great way for high school students to showcase their creative skills.

Some schools might not have many extracurricular activities for aspiring writers. Instead, students might want to turn to outside sources to get recognition for their writing success. A writing competition is a great way to do so. 

Many top writing contests for high school students will offer cash prizes or even a scholarship to a summer writing program. Better yet, many writing contests will grant multiple levels of recognition, so if you don’t win the top prize, you still are acknowledged for your hard work and skillset. Placing this award on your college applications can go a long way towards helping to build a strong candidate profile. Furthermore, participating in a contest is a fun way to hone your writing skills and challenge yourself while you are still in high school.

While winning a writing contest does take time, with all the planning, drafting and editing, it can be an excellent way to showcase how serious you are about the craft. For affected by school closure, participating in a writing contest can be a great way to build up your resume while keeping your writing skills sharp. You can find contests across an extensive variety of genres so that you can choose one that fits your style. Here are some of the top writing contests for high school students.

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Meet the billionaire owner behind the nba champion boston celtics, wwe raw results winners and grades as bray wyatt stable debuts, young lions fiction award.

• Award Amount: $10,000 
• Deadline: Usually in September

Established in 2001 by the New York Public Library, the Young Lions Fiction Award was created to acknowledge the next generation of fiction writers. Five finalists are recognized, with one taking home the grand prize of $10,000. To qualify, the author must be 35 or younger and submit a novel or a collection of short stories. 

53-Word Story Contest

• Award: Publication in Prime Number Magazine and a free book from Press 33
• Deadline: 21st of each month

Hosted by Prime Number Magazine and Press 53, writers are put to the test and have to respond to a prompt with a 53-word story . The prompt changes each month, and the responses must be 53 words exactly—no more and no less. Only stories—i.e., no poems—are permitted, and only one submission per writer per month is allowed. 

The Adroit Prizes For Poetry And Prose

• Award: $200
• Deadline: Typically the end of April
• Fee: $12; can be waived based on financial need

Adroit Prizes is open to all secondary and undergraduate students. Students can include up to six poems (maximum 10 pages) or three works of prose (maximum 3,500 words). You can also submit excerpts from longer pieces of your work. 

Even if you aren’t awarded the top prize, your work could still be published in The Adroit Journal. You can submit both a poetry and prose piece within the same contest period.

The Lewis Center Ten-Minute Play Contest

• Award Amount: $100 to $500 
• Deadline: March 31 each year

Any student in their junior year can submit a 10-minute play in the Lewis Center Ten-Minute Play Contest . The play can be at most 10 pages and can be of any topic. The plays will be judged by Princeton University faculty members. 

Young Writers Awards

• Award Amount: $125 to $500 
• Deadline: Typically November 1

Students in 10th, 11th and 12th grade can enter into the Young Writers Awards hosted by Bennington College. 

Students can submit either: 

• Three poems
• A short story (1,500 words or less) or a one-act play (no more than 30 minutes long)
• A personal or academic essay (1,500 words or less)

In each category, a first, second and third place winner will be recognized. 

 The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers

• Award Amount: Full or partial scholarships to The Kenyon Review program
• Deadline: Typically November 30

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers is open to young poets in 10th or 11th grade. You can enter in any previously unpublished poem of your choice and compete to win a full scholarship to The Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop and have your work published in The Kenyon Review, a highly-regarded literary magazine. 

Signet Essay Contest

• Award Amount: $1,000 to be used towards your higher education
• Deadline: April 22, 2020

If you are a Wuthering Heights fan, then the Signet Essay Contest is the one for you. Five high school juniors or seniors can win an award for their two to three-page essays. You must select one of five prompts based on the events and characters in Wuthering Heights. The essays must be submitted by the high school English teacher or the parent if the student is homeschooled. 

Ocean Awareness Contest

• Award Amount: Scholarships up to $1,500
• Deadline: June 15, 2020

The Ocean Awareness Contest aims to recognize writers while raising awareness about the climate crisis. Students can submit visual art, film, music, poetry, prose or interactive and multimedia pieces. You can even submit as a club, class or group if you want. Each category has specific qualifications, so make sure to check the website to ensure that you aren’t accidentally disqualified because you didn’t follow the rules. 

Finding The Right Writing Contest For You

Participating in a writing contest is not only a good way to earn some cash for college, but also to be recognized for your talents. There are many different genres and types of contests available, so you can find one that fits your skill set. Even if you enter and do not win, it is still an excellent way to gain experience and continue to improve. 

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Best Writing Competitions for High School Students

1. Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

Awards: Scholarships of up to $12,500

Entry deadline: December or January depending on your region

2. Jane Austen Society Essay Contest

Awards: $1,000 scholarship + free trip to conference (1st), $500 scholarship (2nd), $250 scholarship (3rd)

Entry deadline: June 1st

3. John Locke Essay Competition

Awards: $2,000 scholarship (for 1st in each of the 8 categories)

Entry deadline: June 30th

4. Princeton University Contests (Poetry and Playscript)

Awards: Poetry: $1500 (1st), $750 (2nd), $500 (3rd), Play: $500 (1st), $250 (2nd), $100 (3rd)

Entry deadline: April 3rd (for poetry) March 31st (for play)

5. The Bennington Young Writers Award

Awards: $500 (1st in each category), $250 (2nd in each category)

YWA winners who enroll at Bennington receive a $15,000 scholarship each year for a total of $60,000. 

Entry deadline: November 1st

6. The Virginia Woolf Essay Prize (Year 12 Girls Only)

Awards: first prize receiving £300, second prize £200, and third prize £100, commendations and high commendations awarded as well Entry deadline: Mid-July

7. VFW Voice of Democracy

Awards: $35,000 college scholarship (grand prize), $1000-$2,100 (other national scholarships), $1000 (each state winner)

Entry deadline: October 31st

8. AFSA's National High School Essay Contest

Awards: $2,500 (1st) + paid trip to the nation’s capital from anywhere in the U.S. for the winner and his or her parents + an all-expense paid educational voyage courtesy of Semester at Sea. $1,250 + full tuition to National Student Leadership Conference’s International Diplomacy summer program (2nd)

Entry deadline: Early April

9. The Adroit Prizes for Poetry and Prose

Awards: $200 cash award x2 students, works published in the Adroit Journal

Application deadline: Early May

10. EngineerGirl Annual Essay Contest

Awards: $500 (1st), $250 (2nd), $100 (3rd)

Entry deadline: February 1st

Keeping AEC Green Essay Contest

Scholarship description.

The Applied Software/GRAITEC Sustainability Scholarship Program is an achievement-based scholarship awarded to students in their last two years of high school. Students are recognized for their ability to grasp sustainability in the construction industry, develop research skills to comprehend and address significant problems, demonstrate creative thinking for solutions, and consider the challenges in implementing the solutions.

Eligibility

• Currently enrolled high school/home-schooled students
• Expecting to receive high school diploma during current academic year. Planning to pursue a degree at an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution.
• Able to verify a minimum overall B/3.0 GPA in high school coursework.

Just write an essay on a sustainable construction-related topic for a chance at over $1,500 in college scholarships. No confusing guidelines or complicated requirements, only a simple hunt for a few good ideas.

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Top 160 Scholarships for Black Students in June 2024

Will Geiger is the co-founder of Scholarships360 and has a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. He is a former Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Kenyon College where he personally reviewed 10,000 admissions applications and essays. Will also managed the Kenyon College merit scholarship program and served on the financial aid appeals committee. He has also worked as an Associate Director of College Counseling at a high school in New Haven, Connecticut. Will earned his master’s in education from the University of Pennsylvania and received his undergraduate degree in history from Wake Forest University.

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Historically, access to higher education has not always been equal. Many groups, including African American and Black students, have been left out of educational opportunities.

Because of this, many colleges and scholarships aim to support African American students as they pay for college. These scholarships include specific scholarships for African American women, full ride scholarships, and scholarships generally for students from minority backgrounds.

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The Scholarships360 Research Team reviews all scholarships individually and strives to exclude any scholarship where any of the below applies:

• The scholarship requires a fee to apply
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• The scholarship requires paid membership in an organization (with certain exceptions for reputable trade organizations and others)
• Student are required to sign up for a site or service to apply*
• The scholarship seems primarily used for lead generation** or idea harvesting purposes***
• The scholarship website has many grammatical errors and/or advertisements
• The scholarship or scholarship providing organization seem untrustworthy
• There is no evidence the scholarship was previously awarded
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• There is no available contact information

If you believe a scholarship has been published in error, please reach out to [email protected] and we’ll take a look!

* There are certain exceptions to this, for example if the sponsoring organization is a major corporation or nonprofit with its own scholarship application system. ** Lead generation scholarships will require students to sign up for an app or website and require minimal (if any) application requirements. ***Idea harvesting scholarships will require students to submit blog posts or other materials that companies may use for marketing purposes.

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BLM² Scholarship

Offered by The BLM² Scholarship Foundation

The BLM² Scholarship is open to college-bound high school seniors who plan on enrolling full-time in a postsecondary institution in the upcoming Fall. As the… Show More

The BLM² Scholarship is open to college-bound high school seniors who plan on enrolling full-time in a postsecondary institution in the upcoming Fall. As the BLM² Scholarship Foundation prides itself on providing minorities with scholarships to help reduce the financial burden of paying for college, minority students are especially encouraged to apply. If you're a college-bound minority excited to pursue your postsecondary education, keep on reading to learn more! Apply now and take a step towards your future. Show Less

$1,000 Appily Easy College Money Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Appily

This easy scholarship from Appily is open to U.S. high school students (Class of 2025, 2026, 2027) and college transfer students. One scholarship will be… Show More

This easy scholarship from Appily is open to U.S. high school students (Class of 2025, 2026, 2027) and college transfer students. One scholarship will be awarded each month. Show Less

Macy’s Mission Every One Scholarship (Phase I) This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Are you a Black/African college student currently enrolled at an HBCU (Historically Black College or University)? If so, Macy's Mission Every One Scholarship (Phase I)… Show More

Are you a Black/African college student currently enrolled at an HBCU (Historically Black College or University)? If so, Macy's Mission Every One Scholarship (Phase I) may be a great opportunity for you! Each year, the scholarship awards up to $5,000 each to 150+ Black students currently enrolled at an HBCU. To apply, interested students must submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), a transcript, and a few short essay responses. If this sounds like a good opportunity for you, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more. Show Less

The ​Bill H. James Foundation Scholarship for Aspiring African American Engineers

Offered by The ​Bill H. James Foundation

The Bill H. James Foundation Scholarship for Aspiring African American Engineers is funded by The ​Bill H. James Foundation, an organization that believes that receiving… Show More

The Bill H. James Foundation Scholarship for Aspiring African American Engineers is funded by The ​Bill H. James Foundation, an organization that believes that receiving the proper support and guidance can transform an already bright individual into so much more. Thus, every year, the "Bill H. James Foundation Scholarship for Aspiring African American Engineers" awards scholarships of varying amounts to African American college juniors, seniors, and graduate students in California who are pursuing a degree in engineering. If this scholarship sounds like a fit for you, keep on reading for more application details. Show Less

$5,000 Christian Connector Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Christian Connector

Students applying to the $5,000 Christian Connector Scholarship must be current high school students (Class of 2025, 2026, or 2027) interested in attending a Christian…

Students applying to the $5,000 Christian Connector Scholarship must be current high school students (Class of 2025, 2026, or 2027) interested in attending a Christian university or college.

William A. Crawford Minority Teacher Scholarship

Offered by Indiana Commission for Higher Education

The William A. Crawford Minority Teacher Scholarship is open to Black and Hispanic/Latine individuals from Indiana who are planning to teach in an accredited school… Show More

The William A. Crawford Minority Teacher Scholarship is open to Black and Hispanic/Latine individuals from Indiana who are planning to teach in an accredited school in Indiana upon graduation. Applicants must be first-time undergraduate students and must agree in writing to apply for teaching positions in Indiana and, if hired, teach in Indiana for at least three years. To renew the scholarship for subsequent academic years, a recipient must reapply for the scholarship each year and maintain the cumulative grade point average (GPA) required for admission to the institution’s school of education or at least a 2.0 on a 4.0 scale or the equivalent if the school does not require a minimum GPA. If you're an aspiring Black or Hispanic/Latino teacher from Indiana, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more. Show Less

FOZA Scholarship for Awareness of Maternal Suicide

Offered by Friends of Zayne Adams (FOZA) Inc.

Are you a Black, Latine, or Indigenous American high school senior or undergraduate student (excluding seniors) who has lost a parent due to maternal suicide… Show More

Are you a Black, Latine, or Indigenous American high school senior or undergraduate student (excluding seniors) who has lost a parent due to maternal suicide as a result of postpartum depression? If so, we are sorry for your loss, and recommend that you check out the FOZA Scholarship for Awareness of Maternal Suicide if you are looking for ways to fund your post-secondary education. Each year, the scholarship awards $1,000 to multiple current and incoming post-secondary students who have lost a parent due to postpartum depression-related maternal suicide. If this sounds like a good opportunity for you, we encourage you to apply. Keep on reading to learn more. Show Less

Top 5 scholarships for Black students in 2024

We’ve hand-picked the following scholarships based on the strong reputation of their organizations, the value of the awards, and being open to a wide number of students. Apply with confidence to these 5 top scholarships for Black students:

• Ron Brown Scholarship – For Black high school seniors who plan to study global entrepreneurship and/or community engagement. Worth $10,000 per year
• Blacks at Microsoft Scholarship – For Black high school seniors pursuing a bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, computer information systems, or a business field. Worth up to $20,000
• The Gates Scholarship – For low-income minority high school seniors, offers a full ride to college
• Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest – For Black high school seniors or college students, worth $8,000
• Scholar Dollars Essay Scholarship for Black Students – For Black high school upperclassmen, college students, and graduate students. Worth $500

Related:  Top scholarships for Black women

How to win scholarships for Black students

As with any scholarship opportunity, scholarships for Black students are highly competitive, and in order to achieve success, you’ll need to craft an application that stands out from the crowd. One great way to write a strong application is to spend some time reflecting before you start your essays.

Because these applications are offered specifically to Black students, they will often ask questions relating to your heritage and its importance in your life. Before answering these questions, try to reflect on what your Black background means to you, and talk to family members or friends to get some ideas for your application. You can jot down some informal notes about your findings, and come back to this document as you fill out your applications.

How to write a great essay

Once you have an idea of what you want to say in your essays, it’s time to make sure you say it in the most compelling way possible. Try to be succinct, charismatic, and insightful in your responses. Oftentimes, getting someone to proofread your essays can help you gain some perspective.

We have a host of resources to help you fine-tune your applications, including guides on writing 250 word or 500 word essays, writing about yourself , and answering some of the most common scholarship essay prompts . You can also check out our guides for starting and ending your essays, as well as a guide on how to write a winning scholarship essay .

Related:  List of top HBCUs

Tips for African American students applying for scholarships

• Consider Historically Black Colleges and Universities (also known as HBCUs) in your colleges search! HBCUs include top schools like Howard, Spelman, and Morehouse have historically served African American students and have many merit scholarships for black women and men .
• In addition to merit scholarships, you should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (or FAFSA) to qualify for need-based financial aid.
• Check out our scholarship search tool to stay up-to-date on current scholarship opportunities custom-matched to your demographics, interests, and major.
• Make sure to put a lot of work into your scholarship essays . This includes working on writing about yourself , and learning to write for word limits. Some common word limits for scholarship essays are 250 and 500 words.
• Talk to the guidance counselor at your high school to see if there are any local scholarships you can apply for.

Prestigious scholarships for Black and African American students

These scholarships are some of our top picks, as they come with high awards, can be used at any accredited college, and are very prestigious to receive.

Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship

Black high school seniors can apply to this program to earn $35,000 over their four years of college. They also receive invitations and funding to attend annual leadership conferences in New York to help support them through their college journey and beyond. In order to qualify, you’ll have to be a member of a minority group, demonstrate financial need, and demonstrate civic engagement through volunteer work, leadership roles, or other similar achievements.

Ron Brown Scholar Program

Black high school seniors who show interest in business and public service and who come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds can qualify for this scholarship. The program offers up to $40,000 over a student’s four years of college. Community service, academic achievement, and financial need are all weighed heavily in this scholarship.

Blacks at Microsoft Scholarship

Students who are of African descent and who are planning to major in engineering, computer science, computer information system, or business programs such as finance and business administration, are eligible. Students apply in their senior year of high school. The scholarship can provide up to $20,000 over four years of college. You’ll need to submit letters of recommendation for this one, so if you are planning to apply, make sure to request them earlier rather than later .

What you should know about HBCUs

HBCUs have historically been extremely important in the education of Black students. For many years, they were the only universities that admitted Black students. Fortunately, this is no longer true. However, they continue to provide unique benefits for Black students across the country. Here is a list of some of the highest-rated HBCUs:

Also see:  Top HBCUs in America

There are many scholarship opportunities specifically for Black students attending an HBCU. These include the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame General Scholarship . We also have a full list of HBCU scholarships to check out.

Don’t forget financial aid

While scholarships are a great way to pay for your education, it’s important not to forget financial aid as you move through the application process. Be sure to fill out the FAFSA to discover your eligibility for federal funding such as the Pell Grant , Stafford Loans , and state grants, as well as institutional aid. If your school requires the CSS Profile , make sure to fill that out too. And be sure to check in with your local community to see if there are any grants available for students.

Resources for Black students

If you have a good idea of the type of work you want to get into, it’s a good idea to seek out some Black professional organizations in your field. These organizations often offer their own scholarships, and they also host events that unite professionals in the field. From these events, you may gain additional guidance on your career trajectory, or even land a job or internship.

Professional organizations can vary widely in scope and focus. Some may be regional organizations, whereas others will be national. For example, the National Association of Black Accountants boasts of over 200,000 members nationwide, and could be a great resource for Black students interested in accounting.

And they are far from the only ones – whether you plan to be a physicist , cardiologist , a psychologist , or a host of other professions, there is an organization out there for you! Even students who are not set on a career path may benefit from joining or investigating these organizations. The firsthand experience with professionals in the field can help you decide whether it is a good fit for you or not.

Black Student Unions

Most colleges around the country have  Black Student Unions, which unify Black students on campus. If you are considering attending a school, you may find it beneficial to reach out to their Black Student Union. They may be able to steer you in the direction of school-specific scholarships and other resources. They can also offer insight about the experience of being a Black student on that school’s campus.

Additional organizations to check out

• Black Career Network – a great resource for landing a job after graduation or an internship while you’re still in school
• United Negro College Fund (UNCF) – an organization that offers a wide array of dependable and lucrative scholarships for Black and African American students
• HBCU Network – a catch-all hub of resources for students attending an HBCU or considering attending one
• I’m First – if you are a first-generation college student, this is a great hub of resources to answer questions you may not even know you had. This can make your application process and your first semesters in school much easier and more successful

Frequently asked questions about scholarships for Black students

Are there scholarships specifically for black women, do i qualify for scholarships for black students if i am multiracial, what are the advantages of hbcus, explore these additional scholarship categories.

• Top scholarships at HBCUs
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• Top scholarships for women
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2024 High School Essay Contest Winning Essay

You are here, in this section, disinformation: a threat to every level of diplomacy.

BY IAN ROSENZWEIG

In his intellectual explorations, Benjamin Franklin, the first diplomat of the fledgling United States of America, committed himself to truth. Franklin created “Junto,” a discussion group, “in the sincere Spirit of Enquiry after Truth, without fondness for Dispute, or Desire of Victory” (Canada). Franklin recognized the value of truth over personal benefit or gain. But today, truth is becoming elusive. In public life, biased media publish sensationalized content, and social media platforms allow unverified information – from deep fakes to fabricated “facts” – to gain traction. Artificial intelligence, too, has allowed disinformation and misinformation to infiltrate the public sphere. Beyond depriving global citizens of the United Nations (UN)-declared right to information, which is expressed in Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, these disinformation tactics influence intergovernmental affairs. They allow nations to exploit each other and sow seeds of distrust. Accordingly, the UN is seeking to raise awareness about and combat disinformation. Disinformation is more than a danger to individual relationships between specific nations. It impacts every global conflict and major geopolitical challenge, from pandemics to immigration policy, and is therefore a pervasive diplomatic challenge itself. Diplomats can mitigate the damage that disinformation causes by ensuring truth in their dealings, promoting public trust-building initiatives, engaging in honest, principled efforts, and collaborating to take direct action against those who spread disinformation.

Some international disinformation efforts are targeted toward individual nations, creating public distrust, sowing division, and violating the fundamental expectation that nations be granted sovereignty over their land and people. Election interference provides a prominent example of disinformation efforts. The Russian Federation and its “Internet Research Agency” (IRA) are frequently cited for disinformation tactics used to interfere in other nations’ elections (Gerrits 4). According to a report from the Policy Department for External Relations of the European Parliament, the IRA “purchased around 3,400 advertisements on Facebook and Instagram during the US 2016 election campaign,” reaching millions of American voters (Colomina, Sánchez Margalef, and Youngs 15). The IRA is also presumed to be responsible for disinformation regarding casualties of the Russian war in Ukraine (Silverman and Kao). Other disinformation, although not necessarily of Russian origin, has been flagged in recent European democratic procedures, including the 2016 Brexit referendum and the 2016 referendum in the Netherlands on the EU Association Agreement with Ukraine (Gerrits 6). These matters, although originating in national elections, are relevant to the diplomats of the countries involved and to every global power, including the US. Ideologically, protecting democracy is one of the foremost priorities of the US and its foreign policy. Pragmatically, interference in election initiatives as contentious as Brexit has the potential to reshape international decisions and relationships, thus impacting every nation. And beyond election interference, disinformation campaigns have successfully impacted issues from public health to armed conflict, allowing one nation to dictate other nations’ actions by creating public unrest and pressuring governments (Guterres 2). Through preventing the spread of disinformation, nations preserve democracy and sovereignty and protect uninformed and vulnerable populations worldwide.

In addition to influencing national politics and their global impacts, disinformation also creates tension in international diplomatic relations. In 2017, a series of reports regarding apparent Qatari support for terror, including accusations of praise for Hamas and Iran and a ransom payment to al-Qaeda, led the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other Arab League countries to sever diplomatic ties with Qatar and implement a blockade on the nation (Windrem and Arkin). Qatar referred to the reports, which Qatar claims were uploaded to Qatari news sites via a hack orchestrated by the UAE, as a “smear campaign,” and US officials reported that the accusations were “false” and “apparently planted” (Windrem and Arkin). NBC News reported that the campaign against Qatar was also an effort to damage relations between Qatar and the US – an effort which seems to have been successful given then-President Donald Trump’s signaled support for the blockade against Qatar (Windrem and Arkin; Wintour). Normal relations between Qatar and the group of Arab League nations did not resume until 2021 (Krasna). This crisis highlights how disinformation damages international relationships. Had the US not investigated the accusations of the “smear campaign,” its relations with Qatar could have deteriorated. Such a shift could have upended diplomatic dynamics in the middle east and incited significant foreign policy changes. Similarly, disinformation regarding crime and immigration in Sweden led to tensions between Sweden and the US in 2017, which could have further negatively impacted the US’s relations in the Nordic and Baltic regions (Fjällhed). Disinformation can cause such “butterfly effects” in international affairs – ramifications beyond initial intentions can arise from disinformation. Without fighting disinformation globally, the Foreign Service invites more, similar crises to arise, some of which may not be resolved without great harm to the US.

Although the fight against disinformation is urgent, it is a formidable challenge that cannot be addressed hastily. The UN has called for greater control and oversight of disinformation. A 2021 resolution passed by the General Assembly tied the fight against disinformation to treaties including the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discriminations (United Nations General Assembly 1). It then, among other clauses, “call[ed] upon States to counter all forms of disinformation through policy measures, including education, capacity-building for prevention and resilience to disinformation, advocacy and awareness-raising” and it requested that the Secretary-General “seek the views of States, United Nations entities and relevant stakeholders” and submit a report (United Nations General Assembly 4). In response, Secretary-General António Guterres released a report in 2022 in which he noted that “Any analysis of disinformation needs to be multifaceted” because disinformation wreaks havoc across initiatives is not confined to isolated issues (Guterres 2). His report raises elections, public health, armed conflict, minority rights, and climate change as examples of fields that disinformation can impact. Secretary-General Guterres further emphasized that efforts to mitigate disinformation must not infringe upon freedom of expression or allow oppressive regimes to further limit their citizens’ rights (2). His recommendations for solutions included platform transparency regulations, public information campaigns, ensuring media independence, and increasing media literacy initiatives, all while considering both state and non-state actors (17-19).

The existing UN action indicates a commitment to truth, and American diplomats are in a unique position to promote international acceptance of the UN's findings given the international influence of the US. Through actively and forcefully adhering to and promoting UN guidelines, ensuring that US diplomats are not engaging in dishonest diplomatic action, and providing American support for UN information campaigns, the United States Foreign Service creates a global environment that recognizes the gravity of the disinformation crisis. Given that disinformation can influence every single initiative to which the Foreign Service is committed, and given the moral leadership that the US has the capacity to express, it is imperative that US policy pursues truth not just internally but throughout its diplomatic dealings. The US must hold its allies to a standard of truth. Without a guarantee of truth, transparency, and international dealings free of disinformation, the US cannot claim its mantle of moral leadership.

While disinformation has become an even more pressing concern since the aforementioned UN resolution and report because of the rise of generative artificial intelligence, neither the UN nor the global community has taken firm action. Efforts have been limited to remediating damage and building institutional trust, not dismantling the systems that propagate disinformation. Individually, however, the US has been more proactive. Surrounding the 2018 midterm elections, US Cyber Command interfered with the disinformation campaigns of Russia’s IRA, sending warnings to its operators, disconnecting servers, and disrupting internet connection (Jensen). Although such perturbation may not disarm the IRA in the long-term or deter Russian disinformation campaigns, sustained and multilateral efforts – coordinated and agreed upon by diplomats – have the potential to subvert the disinformation industry in Russia and elsewhere.

The US is already engaging in international efforts, including a partnership with Bulgaria announced in September 2023, to counter disinformation (United States Department of State). But there is an open opportunity for an international treaty, that incorporates more than two countries, to join the ranks of past landmark UN actions like the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. Such an agreement would not only affirm the standards for public information campaigns and honest diplomacy outlined by the Secretary-General’s report but commit the international community to tangible and concerted work to combat disinformation. While the US alone disrupted the Russian IRA’s schemes, an alliance of nations would be able to more decisively and universally inhibit the spread of disinformation. The US Foreign Service has the chance to reignite the spirit of the US’s original diplomat, Benjamin Franklin, and prioritize truth before all else. With appropriate leadership, the war-torn and divided international community can unite against disinformation, which can derail any international effort, and cooperate to preserve good faith and truth, without which diplomacy cannot function.

Works Cited

Canada, Mark. “Talking Politics in 2021: Lessons on Humility and Truth-Seeking from Benjamin Franklin.” The Conversation , 8 February 2021, theconversation.com/talking-politics-in-2021-lessons-on-humility-and-truth-seeking-from-benjamin-franklin-153924.

Colomina, Carme; Sánchez Margalef, Héctor; Youngs, Richard. Policy Department for External Relations. The impact of disinformation on democratic processes and human rights in the world . European Parliament. April 2021. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2021/653635/EXPO_STU(2021)653635_EN.pdf .

Fjällhed, Alicia. “Managing Disinformation Through Public Diplomacy.” Public Diplomacy and the Politics of Uncertainty , Palgrave Macmillan, 2020, pp. 227–53.

Gerrits, André W.M. "Disinformation in International Relations: How Important Is It?". Security and Human Rights 29.1-4 (2018): 3-23. https://doi.org/10.1163/18750230-02901007 .

Guterres, António. Countering disinformation for the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms . Report No. A/77/150. United Nations. 12 August 2022. https://undocs.org/en/A/77/287 .

Jensen, Benjamin. “Waging War against the Troll Farms.” Navy Times , 13 March 2019, www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2019/03/13/waging-war-against-the-troll-farms/ .

Krasna, Joshua. “Understanding the Wave of Normalization in the Middle East.” Foreign Policy Research Institute , 13 January 2021, www.fpri.org/article/2021/01/understanding-the-wave-of-normalization-in-the-middle-east/ .

Silverman, Craig, and Kao, Jeff. “Infamous Russian Troll Farm Appears to Be Source of Anti-Ukraine Propaganda.” ProPublica , 11 March 2022, www.propublica.org/article/infamous-russian-troll-farm-appears-to-be-source-of-anti-ukraine-propaganda .

United Nations General Assembly. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). New York: United Nations General Assembly, 1948.

United Nations General Assembly. 2021. Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 24 December 2021 – Countering disinformation for the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedom . A/RES/76/227. https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/76/227 .

“U.S. and Bulgaria to Collaborate on Combatting Disinformation.” United States Department of State , 25 September 2023, https://www.state.gov/u-s-and-bulgaria-to-collaborate-on-combatting-disinformation/ . Press Release.

Windrem, Robert, and Arkin, William M. “Who Planted the Fake News at Center of Qatar Crisis?” NBCNews.Com , NBCUniversal News Group, 18 July 2017, www.nbcnews.com/news/world/who-planted-fake-news-center-qatar-crisis-n784056 .

Wintour, Patrick. “Donald Trump tweets support for blockade imposed on Qatar.” The Guardian , 6 June 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/06/qatar-panic-buying-as-shoppers-stockpile-food-due-to-saudi-blockade .

Works Consulted

Bjola, Corneliu. “The ‘Dark Side’ of Digital Diplomacy: Countering Disinformation and Propaganda.” Elcano Royal Institute , 15 January 2019, www.realinstitutoelcano.org/en/analyses/the-dark-side-of-digital-diplomacy-countering-disinformation-and-propaganda/ .

Foreign Threats to the 2020 US Federal Elections . National Intelligence Council. 10 March 2021. https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/ICA-declass-16MAR21.pdf .

Henrikson, Alan K. “ https://dl.tufts.edu/pdfviewer/g445cq755/5d86p9662 .” Fletcher Forum of World Affairs , vol. 32, no. 3, 2008, pp. 5–6, https://dl.tufts.edu/pdfviewer/g445cq755/5d86p9662 .

Jackson, Dean. Issue Brief: How Disinformation Impacts Politics and Publics . National Endowment for Democracy. 29 May 2018. https://www.ned.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/How-Disinformation-Impacts-Politicsand-Publics.pdf .

Manfredi-Sánchez, Juan Luis, and Huang, Zhao Alexandre. “Disinformation and Diplomacy.” The Palgrave Handbook of Diplomatic Reform and Innovation , Palgrave Macmillan, 2023, pp. 375–96.

Mapping and Analysis of Efforts to Counter Information Pollution in Europe and Central Asia Region . UNDP. November 2022.

Nakashima, Ellen. “U.S. Cyber Command Operation Disrupted Internet Access of Russian troll factory on day of 2018 midterms” Washington Post , 27 February 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-cyber-command-operation-disrupted-internet-access-of-russian-troll-factory-on-day-of-2018-midterms/2019/02/26/1827fc9e-36d6-11e9-af5b-b51b7ff322e9_story.html .

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Education roundup: Two Jackson High School seniors win Mary Regula Memorial Scholarships

CANTON – The National First Ladies Library & Museum has announced two Jackson High School seniors have won the Mary Regula Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded annually to deserving Stark County high school juniors or seniors who have written a compelling essay telling the story of significant historical events in American history through the eyes of the first ladies, according to a news release.

The first-place winner, Alexandra Sondike, received a $1,000 scholarship for her essay titled “Unfair Legacy,” about the life of first lady Pat Nixon.

The second-place winner, was Caitlyn Geisheimer, received an $800 scholarship for her essay titled “The War of 1812: Through the Eyes of Dolley Madison.”

The scholarship program was begun when the National First Ladies Library & Museum was founded in the late 1990s. It was revived in 2024 as the Mary Regula Memorial Scholarship to honor Mrs. Regula’s role as the founder of the National First Ladies Library.

The winners were announced April 27 at the National First Ladies Library & Museum’s annual VIP Champagne Reception to kick off the 2024-25 featured exhibit, “Leaders in Literacy: First Ladies as Teachers, Educators, and Librarians.” Both students attended the VIP reception to receive their awards.

Two from Stark win BBB Life Lessons Essay Contest scholarships

Two Stark County students have won scholarships in the sixth annual BBB Life Lessons Essay Contest. AnnaSophia Bates from Hoover High School won fourth place, and Lauren Durr from Jackson High School won sixth place.

This year’s essay theme was centered around the vital role that trust plays in the marketplace. There is no minimum GPA requirement to apply, and the funds can be used toward any type of post-high school education including college, universities, trade schools, career or technical schooling.

The contest is for graduating seniors in the BBB serving the Canton Region and Greater West Virginia’s service area. Six scholarships were awarded in amounts ranging from $500 to $2,500. There were 132 essays submitted by students from 63 schools.

For more information on the BBB Life Lessons Essay Contest go to https://bit.ly/CantonBBBLifeLessonsEssayContest.

Louisville, GlenOak educators win speech and debate awards

The National Speech & Debate Association has announced Katy Russell of Louisville Senior High School and Megan Rea of Glen Oak High School as winners of the Diamond Coach Award, recognizing a professional career that combines excellence and longevity in speech and debate education. This is the highest honor coaches can achieve as a part of the National Speech & Debate Association. This is Russell’s second Diamond Award and Rea’s first.

Since 1925, the National Speech & Debate Association has been recognizing student and coach achievements in speech and debate. Coaches earn points in the national honorary through team participation, student achievement, public service, and leadership work. To earn a Diamond Award, a coach must be a member of the National Speech & Debate Association for at least five years. Coaches earn additional awards with more points earned in the Honor Society. A coach who attains 15,000 points is awarded a first Diamond; they receive a second Diamond for 30,000 points, a third for 60,000 points, and so on. Five years must pass between each Diamond Award.

Walsh joins NASA Technology Transfer University program

NORTH CANTON – Walsh University has become a NASA Technology Transfer University through a new relationship with NASA’s Glenn Research Center. This relationship allows Walsh University access to NASA’s technology resources and research, which will be integrated into the university’s curriculum and entrepreneurship initiatives.

Walsh University will incorporate NASA-developed technologies into classroom settings, offering students hands-on experience with real-world, NASA-proven innovations. This opportunity aims to foster the incubation of new business ideas and concepts among students, enhancing their STEM education and entrepreneurial skills, according to a news release.

Walsh University appoints director of library services

NORTH CANTON – Walsh University has appointed Brian Richards as the director of library services. Richards will lead efforts to enhance library services and resources for the campus community while overseeing all aspects of library administration, according to a news release.

Prior to joining Walsh University, Richards was the library and resource director for Eastern Gateway Community College. He holds a master of library and information science degree from Kent State University and a bachelor of arts in history from Franciscan University of Steubenville. He also holds certifications including a library media specialist endorsement from the State of Maine Department of Education.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Two Jackson High School seniors win Mary Regula Memorial Scholarships

Forest Park Review

A hyperlocal news site committed to in-depth reporting on issues concerning Forest Park, Illinois.

Hemingway Foundation’s scholarship expands beyond Oak Park 

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 For the first time since the Hemingway Foundation Scholarship was formed, applications were opened to students outside of Oak Park and River Forest. 

According to the Foundation’s website, the scholarship essay contest is open to all juniors at OPRF High School, D201 Berwyn-Cicero, D209 Riverside-Brookfield, D209 Proviso Township and D401 Elmwood Park. 

“There are a lot of resources already for students in Oak Park River Forest,” said, Keith Strom, executive director of the Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park. “Not so much in some of those collars. It was always my intention at some point to have a scholarship that would expand to some of those areas, and it just worked out, our board agreed that we should just expand it.” 

Strom said students can apply the scholarship to whatever the “next step of higher learning” is, including trade school. 

Sinai Arreola from Proviso Math and Science Academy was the recipient of the 2024 Hemingway Foundation Scholarship for excellence in writing for the prompt “What is your escape.” 

“Hers [Arreola] was just above and beyond the others we received for sure,” Strom said. 

Arreola did not respond to requests for comment. 

The foundation was founded in 1983 to increase Hemingway’s legacy in the village. 

“A lot of the scholars neglected his first 20 years; they go straight to when he was in Paris,” Strom said. “The people of Oak Park said, ‘hey what about the first 20 years?’”

The Foundation also created a scholarship program for students, which was reintroduced in 2016 for junior level students with “the intent of discovering and fostering writing talent.” 

Strom started in 2017 and said he “expanded the mission” to support artists of today in various realms including music, performance and writing. 

For the writing scholarship, Strom said students submit an essay, usually between 500 to 600 words and must have a minimum 2.5 GPA. 

The recipient receives a $1,500 college scholarship at graduation, and they also receive a one-year mentorship with the foundation’s writer in residence for their senior year. 

Strom said this year’s writer will be determined in July. 

Past writers in residence have included Scott Nations, a best-selling author and decade-long contributor to CNBC, Rebecca Morgan Frank, author of four poetry collections including “Oh You Robot Saints!” and “Sometimes We’re All Living in a Foreign Country.”

This year also marks the first year the foundation is offering $1,500 for each scholarship, raising its awards by $500 because the cost of college tuition continues to rise. 

“It is my hope that in the next few years we will get the scholarship program to the point where it is endowed and we will actually raise the level on that as well,” Strom said. 

Along with financial support, Strom said that the foundation also continues to work with schoolteachers, hoping to be a resource for them to be able to reach more students and also help promote the scholarship. 

The Foundation also offers the Allan O. Baldwin Memorial Student Scholarship, which is open to seniors at OPRF, D201 Berwyn-Cicero, D209 Riverside-Brookfield, D209 Proviso Township and D401 Elmwood Park. 

The student is awarded a $1,500 college scholarship.

To be eligible, students must have a minimum of a 2.5 GPA. 

The 2024 Allan O. Baldwin Memorial Student Scholarship was awarded to Alexa Vateva of Elmwood Park High School. 

Both scholarship recipients will also have their winning submissions published in the Foundation’s annual Hemingway Shorts literary journal publication, which was first published in 2016. 

“The student essays are in there as well,” Strom said. “Normally it works out to be their first published work.” 

Essay winners: Juneteenth lets us remember nation's past while striving for better future

Correction: Erin Mauldin is an associate professor at the University of South Florida. Her name was misspelled in an earlier version of this story.

Three 2024 high school graduates were honored this week as winners of the Juneteenth Scholarship essay contest. Their essays are below.

Juneteenth is chance to acknowledge both legacy and unfinished work

It is June 19, 1865, and over 250,000 enslaved Africans are gathered in Galveston, Texas, watching the United States Union Troops approach the bay to announce that after 400 years, they are free. Just a few months prior, Abraham Lincoln had announced the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing those enslaved in Confederate territory, but not all of them were made free.

This day is known as “Freedom Eve” or “Emancipation Day” and took place on January 1, 1865. The Emancipation Proclamation might not have cemented the actual liberation of African American people in the U.S., but it was a critical turning point that led up to the country’s second Independence Day, known as Juneteenth. Understanding what Juneteenth is and recognizing its importance and the intentions of other celebrations like it is essential. 

Juneteenth, deriving from the words “June” and “Nineteenth”, is the day that marks the annual celebration of a huge step towards racial reckoning in the United States. Texas was the first state to make it a holiday in 1980, motivating other states to do the same in the years following. Finally, in 2021, Juneteenth became a national holiday. However, we must see this celebration as an obstacle that was overcome, rather than a destination. There is still much work to be done. Victories like this one encourage us to continue the fight.

Associate professor Erin Mauldin at the University of South Florida, an expert on civil war and reconstruction, talks about how “Juneteenth is neither the beginning nor the end of something.” The same article states that “the end of the Civil War and the ending of slavery didn't happen overnight and was a lot more like a jagged edge than a clean cut.” It is imperative to realize that the road ahead could be just as long as the road behind us. 

In today’s age, the celebration of Juneteenth holds a higher significance than ever before, as we take time to honor the struggles endured but also acknowledge that many of those struggles are ongoing, as it pertains to racial inequality and systemic issues that create numerous disparities for African Americans. The historical injustices we suffered had only just begun to be accounted for by the rest of the country’s population. Juneteenth holds the purpose of reminding us of progress made thus far and is a chance for our community to move forward as a whole and help each other rebuild. This holiday gives millions of African Americans an opportunity to rejoice and give thanks to God for releasing them from years of suffering and captivity. The day creates a country-wide social awareness of the journey to equality and the abolishment of slavery’s awful oppression. Additionally, observing this day as a united front inspires self-development and is a chance to reconnect to one’s roots that were all but erased during slavery and go on to encourage African Americans to keep striving for a brighter future. 

In France, Bastille Day acknowledges the fight and patience undergone to eventually reach freedom. July 14, 1880, is the day the citizens of France finally overcame King Louis XVI and his monarchy’s rule over them. Each year, they cherish this as a day of reclamation for their lives.

Every July 18th since 2010, the historical moment when Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s first black president, is recognized. This day is known as Mandela Day. Mandela transformed their democracy into a more diverse selection of administration, breaking down the white power held over the country for centuries. After being elected, he shared to his citizens this powerful message; “I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.” Just as those countries continue to commemorate those momentous turning points in history, we must continue to honor Juneteenth’s significance. 

Like Juneteenth, these important moments in history represent coming out on the other side of trials and tribulations, as well as salvaging their heritage. Universally, it is important to continue the recognition and cultivation of knowledge about Juneteenth and other celebrations akin to it, so we can mend communities back together who were violently ripped apart by domination subjugation. Breakthroughs didn’t happen without countless setbacks, but celebrations like these serve as a notion to never give up hope regardless. Juneteenth has the purpose and effect of uplifting hearts and minds to keep fighting, until justice and humanity are restored.  

Hailey Perkins is co-winner of the Taylor Academic Talent Scholarship. She is a graduate of Okemos High School and will attend Howard University.

Celebrations of freedom offer history lessons 

I imagine the words, “Ain’t nobody told me nothing!” came out of many mouths, minds and hearts when freed slaves found out they stayed in bondage 2 ½ years after other slaves had been set free.  Slavery in Texas continued 900 hundred days after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.    

In I863, the Civil War was in its third year. Many lives had been lost, and the end was nowhere in sight.  On January 1, 1863, President Lincoln enforced the signed Emancipation Proclamation.  The Emancipation Proclamation stated, “That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.“

This proclamation freed slaves that were in states that had left the union. This proclamation could only be enforced if the North won the war.  After continued fighting and the loss of many more lives, the Union won the war April 9, 1865. Then on June 19, 1865, in the state of Texas, more than 250,000 slaves were finally set free.  Their freedom came 2 ½ years after everyone else’s.  While gaining freedom was a dream come true, delayed freedom is symbolic of the continued struggle for Black Americans.   

There are many opinions regarding the celebration of Juneteenth. Many people celebrate it as the end of slavery, others don’t celebrate it at all, while others fall somewhere in between. Although Juneteenth has been celebrated for many years, it was only in 2021 that it became a national holiday.

The importance of celebrating Juneteenth is because America needs to know. Celebrating Juneteenth provides the opportunity to educate and inform our communities. Celebrating this holiday is more than remembering the past but it gives an opportunity to discuss race relations today. It allows people to have difficult conversations about hard subjects.  Ultimately, celebrating Juneteenth allows us to examine the mistakes of the past and do better in the future.

Celebrating this holiday makes us ask tough questions about the beginning of our country, our values, and our rights. Celebrating Juneteenth since the murder of George Floyd has made many people question, “Are Black people really free?” 

Juneteenth celebrations are now opportunities to discuss systemic racism, policy change, politics and ways to make sure that our lives do matter. Most importantly, it forces us to take an honest look at race relations in America, ask how are we really doing?    

There are many celebrations of freedom and independence across the world. India celebrates its freedom from British rule. Ghana celebrates its freedom from the United Kingdom. But the country whose freedom celebration identifies with me the most is the Philippines.  My paternal grandfather’s wife is from the Philippines. She shared much about her birthplace and its culture with our family. The country celebrates its freedom from Spanish rule with a celebration called Araw ng Kalayaan. 

The celebration is filled with parades, music, food and family bonding. But the Philippines has another celebration for freedom. After the Spanish rule ended, the Philippines came under the rule of America. But it was a nation that wanted to be free.  The road to independence for the Philippines is similar to the Juneteenth celebration, and the delay in freedom. The Philippines nation was supposed to become independent in 1944.  But World War II occurred and like Juneteenth that freedom was delayed for 2 full years.

On July 4, 1946, the Philippines became fully free from United States. Today, the citizens of the Philippines celebrate not one but 2 days of independence and freedom. A sign of their perseverance. These celebrations remind us to never give up.    

It is vital to continue the celebration of Juneteenth and other cultural celebrations of freedom around the world because “knowledge is power.” These celebrations symbolize more than just freedom. They are evidence that major changes in society can happen despite the odds. They provide motivation for people to stand up for basic human rights and against injustice. 

Most importantly these celebrations give us hope. They are evidence that we can be part of the change that we want to see in the world. When I think back to the first Juneteenth, that moment when the slaves realized they were enslaved 900 days longer than everyone else. That moment when they had to think, “Ain’t nobody told me nothing!” 

Well today, I told you something.  Never forget the lesson of Juneteenth or the other cultural celebrations of freedom.

Zachary Barker is co-winner of the Taylor Academic Talent Scholarship. He is a graduate of Okemos High School and will attend Michigan State University.   

The importance of why we celebrate Juneteenth

Juneteenth, also known as Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day, is an annual holiday recognized on June 19th in honor of the enslavement of oppressed African Americans in the United States. The festival started in Galveston, Texas, where on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers conveyed the news of the Emancipation Proclamation to the state's last surviving enslaved people, thereby ending slavery in the United States.

On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which announced that all enslaved individuals in Confederate-held territory would be set free. However, it wasn't until the Civil War ended and Union forces landed in Texas that the word of freedom reached the remaining enslaved people. Understanding the history of Juneteenth is important, including its connection to other countries, the significance of learning about it as a child, and how it is celebrated today. 

While Juneteenth is uniquely American, it bears shared characteristics with other cultural celebrations of liberty and independence across the world. Many countries have their own celebrations, which are cultural and historical events. For example, India celebrates its independence from British dominion on August 15th of each year, remembering the day in 1947 when the country gained freedom after years of struggle and sacrifice. Similarly, Mexico commemorates its independence from Spanish colonial rule on September 16th, often known as "El Grito de Dolores." These cultural celebrations of sovereignty and liberty contain common themes such as determination and the pursuit of justice. They remind us of the challenges that persecuted populations have experienced throughout history, as well as the significance of preserving and respecting their tales. By connecting Juneteenth to other cultural celebrations, we may get a more comprehensive understanding of their significance. 

Juneteenth was recently given new attention and significance as a result of the ongoing battle for racial equality and social justice in the United States. The Black Lives Matter movement and rallies against police brutality have drawn attention to the systems of prejudice and inequality that persist in American society. As a result, recognizing and remembering Juneteenth has never been more crucial. 

At the high school level, students ought to learn about and participate in cultural celebrations of freedom and independence, such as Juneteenth. By understanding the history and significance of these festivals, students may develop a better understanding of different individuals' perspectives as well as the continued effect of historical events on our modern society. Studying Juneteenth and other cultural festivals of independence allows students to critically assess problems of race, power, and privilege. By discussing the historical foundations of systematic racism and oppression, students may obtain a better understanding of social justice concerns and the need of speaking up against injustices in their own communities. Incorporating conversations and activities about cultural celebrations of freedom and independence into the curriculum for high school can help students extend their viewpoints and get a better grasp of the complexity of history and culture. These abilities are critical for creating a more inclusive and equitable society in which all people are respected, appreciated, and celebrated. 

To summarize, Juneteenth's historical significance as a celebration of liberation and freedom for African Americans is firmly anchored in the history of slavery and the ongoing battle for equality and justice. By commemorating and celebrating Juneteenth, we recognize the significance of remembering history, comprehending the present, and working for a more fair and equitable future for everyone. Studying and recognizing these events in high school, students may get significant insights into the experiences of other groups, as well as the ongoing efforts for freedom and equality.

In today's world, when the fight for racial equality is ongoing, commemorating Juneteenth is more vital than ever, as it serves as an important awareness of the African American community's continued struggle for justice and perseverance. 

Glorie Clay is the winner of the University of Olivet Academic Talent Scholarship. She is a graduate of Lansing Christian High School and will attend Olivet.

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40 Facts About Elektrostal

Written by Lanette Mayes

Modified & Updated: 01 Jun 2024

Reviewed by Jessica Corbett

Elektrostal is a vibrant city located in the Moscow Oblast region of Russia. With a rich history, stunning architecture, and a thriving community, Elektrostal is a city that has much to offer. Whether you are a history buff, nature enthusiast, or simply curious about different cultures, Elektrostal is sure to captivate you.

This article will provide you with 40 fascinating facts about Elektrostal, giving you a better understanding of why this city is worth exploring. From its origins as an industrial hub to its modern-day charm, we will delve into the various aspects that make Elektrostal a unique and must-visit destination.

So, join us as we uncover the hidden treasures of Elektrostal and discover what makes this city a true gem in the heart of Russia.

Key Takeaways:

• Elektrostal, known as the “Motor City of Russia,” is a vibrant and growing city with a rich industrial history, offering diverse cultural experiences and a strong commitment to environmental sustainability.
• With its convenient location near Moscow, Elektrostal provides a picturesque landscape, vibrant nightlife, and a range of recreational activities, making it an ideal destination for residents and visitors alike.

Known as the “Motor City of Russia.”

Elektrostal, a city located in the Moscow Oblast region of Russia, earned the nickname “Motor City” due to its significant involvement in the automotive industry.

Home to the Elektrostal Metallurgical Plant.

Elektrostal is renowned for its metallurgical plant, which has been producing high-quality steel and alloys since its establishment in 1916.

Boasts a rich industrial heritage.

Elektrostal has a long history of industrial development, contributing to the growth and progress of the region.

Founded in 1916.

The city of Elektrostal was founded in 1916 as a result of the construction of the Elektrostal Metallurgical Plant.

Located approximately 50 kilometers east of Moscow.

Elektrostal is situated in close proximity to the Russian capital, making it easily accessible for both residents and visitors.

Known for its vibrant cultural scene.

Elektrostal is home to several cultural institutions, including museums, theaters, and art galleries that showcase the city’s rich artistic heritage.

A popular destination for nature lovers.

Surrounded by picturesque landscapes and forests, Elektrostal offers ample opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and birdwatching.

Hosts the annual Elektrostal City Day celebrations.

Every year, Elektrostal organizes festive events and activities to celebrate its founding, bringing together residents and visitors in a spirit of unity and joy.

Has a population of approximately 160,000 people.

Elektrostal is home to a diverse and vibrant community of around 160,000 residents, contributing to its dynamic atmosphere.

Boasts excellent education facilities.

The city is known for its well-established educational institutions, providing quality education to students of all ages.

A center for scientific research and innovation.

Elektrostal serves as an important hub for scientific research, particularly in the fields of metallurgy , materials science, and engineering.

Surrounded by picturesque lakes.

The city is blessed with numerous beautiful lakes , offering scenic views and recreational opportunities for locals and visitors alike.

Well-connected transportation system.

Elektrostal benefits from an efficient transportation network, including highways, railways, and public transportation options, ensuring convenient travel within and beyond the city.

Famous for its traditional Russian cuisine.

Food enthusiasts can indulge in authentic Russian dishes at numerous restaurants and cafes scattered throughout Elektrostal.

Home to notable architectural landmarks.

Elektrostal boasts impressive architecture, including the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the Elektrostal Palace of Culture.

Offers a wide range of recreational facilities.

Residents and visitors can enjoy various recreational activities, such as sports complexes, swimming pools, and fitness centers, enhancing the overall quality of life.

Provides a high standard of healthcare.

Elektrostal is equipped with modern medical facilities, ensuring residents have access to quality healthcare services.

Home to the Elektrostal History Museum.

The Elektrostal History Museum showcases the city’s fascinating past through exhibitions and displays.

A hub for sports enthusiasts.

Elektrostal is passionate about sports, with numerous stadiums, arenas, and sports clubs offering opportunities for athletes and spectators.

Celebrates diverse cultural festivals.

Throughout the year, Elektrostal hosts a variety of cultural festivals, celebrating different ethnicities, traditions, and art forms.

Electric power played a significant role in its early development.

Elektrostal owes its name and initial growth to the establishment of electric power stations and the utilization of electricity in the industrial sector.

Boasts a thriving economy.

The city’s strong industrial base, coupled with its strategic location near Moscow, has contributed to Elektrostal’s prosperous economic status.

Houses the Elektrostal Drama Theater.

The Elektrostal Drama Theater is a cultural centerpiece, attracting theater enthusiasts from far and wide.

Popular destination for winter sports.

Elektrostal’s proximity to ski resorts and winter sport facilities makes it a favorite destination for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter activities.

Promotes environmental sustainability.

Elektrostal prioritizes environmental protection and sustainability, implementing initiatives to reduce pollution and preserve natural resources.

Home to renowned educational institutions.

Elektrostal is known for its prestigious schools and universities, offering a wide range of academic programs to students.

Committed to cultural preservation.

The city values its cultural heritage and takes active steps to preserve and promote traditional customs, crafts, and arts.

Hosts an annual International Film Festival.

The Elektrostal International Film Festival attracts filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts from around the world, showcasing a diverse range of films.

Encourages entrepreneurship and innovation.

Elektrostal supports aspiring entrepreneurs and fosters a culture of innovation, providing opportunities for startups and business development .

Offers a range of housing options.

Elektrostal provides diverse housing options, including apartments, houses, and residential complexes, catering to different lifestyles and budgets.

Home to notable sports teams.

Elektrostal is proud of its sports legacy , with several successful sports teams competing at regional and national levels.

Boasts a vibrant nightlife scene.

Residents and visitors can enjoy a lively nightlife in Elektrostal, with numerous bars, clubs, and entertainment venues.

Promotes cultural exchange and international relations.

Elektrostal actively engages in international partnerships, cultural exchanges, and diplomatic collaborations to foster global connections.

Surrounded by beautiful nature reserves.

Nearby nature reserves, such as the Barybino Forest and Luchinskoye Lake, offer opportunities for nature enthusiasts to explore and appreciate the region’s biodiversity.

Commemorates historical events.

The city pays tribute to significant historical events through memorials, monuments, and exhibitions, ensuring the preservation of collective memory.

Promotes sports and youth development.

Elektrostal invests in sports infrastructure and programs to encourage youth participation, health, and physical fitness.

Hosts annual cultural and artistic festivals.

Throughout the year, Elektrostal celebrates its cultural diversity through festivals dedicated to music, dance, art, and theater.

Provides a picturesque landscape for photography enthusiasts.

The city’s scenic beauty, architectural landmarks, and natural surroundings make it a paradise for photographers.

Connects to Moscow via a direct train line.

The convenient train connection between Elektrostal and Moscow makes commuting between the two cities effortless.

A city with a bright future.

Elektrostal continues to grow and develop, aiming to become a model city in terms of infrastructure, sustainability, and quality of life for its residents.

In conclusion, Elektrostal is a fascinating city with a rich history and a vibrant present. From its origins as a center of steel production to its modern-day status as a hub for education and industry, Elektrostal has plenty to offer both residents and visitors. With its beautiful parks, cultural attractions, and proximity to Moscow, there is no shortage of things to see and do in this dynamic city. Whether you’re interested in exploring its historical landmarks, enjoying outdoor activities, or immersing yourself in the local culture, Elektrostal has something for everyone. So, next time you find yourself in the Moscow region, don’t miss the opportunity to discover the hidden gems of Elektrostal.

Q: What is the population of Elektrostal?

A: As of the latest data, the population of Elektrostal is approximately XXXX.

Q: How far is Elektrostal from Moscow?

A: Elektrostal is located approximately XX kilometers away from Moscow.

Q: Are there any famous landmarks in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal is home to several notable landmarks, including XXXX and XXXX.

Q: What industries are prominent in Elektrostal?

A: Elektrostal is known for its steel production industry and is also a center for engineering and manufacturing.

Q: Are there any universities or educational institutions in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal is home to XXXX University and several other educational institutions.

Q: What are some popular outdoor activities in Elektrostal?

A: Elektrostal offers several outdoor activities, such as hiking, cycling, and picnicking in its beautiful parks.

Q: Is Elektrostal well-connected in terms of transportation?

A: Yes, Elektrostal has good transportation links, including trains and buses, making it easily accessible from nearby cities.

Q: Are there any annual events or festivals in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal hosts various events and festivals throughout the year, including XXXX and XXXX.

Elektrostal's fascinating history, vibrant culture, and promising future make it a city worth exploring. For more captivating facts about cities around the world, discover the unique characteristics that define each city . Uncover the hidden gems of Moscow Oblast through our in-depth look at Kolomna. Lastly, dive into the rich industrial heritage of Teesside, a thriving industrial center with its own story to tell.

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