FAQs

Am I eligible to participate?

Students in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American schools abroad, and students in United States territories are eligible to participate in the contest. Because essay contest winners are decided by contest region, please visit our state map to see which region you are in and to find out which states you are competing against.

In addition to going to school in a contest state, you must be in grades 9-12.  You must also meet our eligibility requirements.  If you meet these criteria, you can have a teacher submit your essay!  (Home school students too!)

How do I participate?

Students: Tell your teacher you would like to participate. Ask them to register, and to submit your essay. Both you and your teacher will be eligible to win cash prizes!

Teachers: You can register to participate by going to the Teacher Registration Form. Some teachers submit essays for self-motivated students who have discovered the contest on their own; some teachers invite students to submit essays to the contest for extra credit; some teachers assign the essay to their whole class; and some teachers use our lesson plan and activities as a way of talking about civic values with their students before asking students to reflect on civic values by writing on the essay topic.

However you choose to participate, we ask you to submit up to five of the best essays your students have written. These essays will be judged blindly by a panel of current and former high school teachers from around the country.

Do I have to be taking a class from the teacher who submits my essay?

No. Provided you meet all of the eligibilty requirements, any teacher in your school may submit your essay.

What are the prizes?

In each contest region, winning students, and their teachers, are eligible for cash prizes of up to $5,000 and possibly a trip to Washington, D.C. for an Awards Weekend and Gala! For a complete list of prizes, please click here.

What are the judges looking for?

Being an American essays will focus on various civic values and will reference a wide range of Founding documents and individuals from American history. There are no civic values, documents, or figures which are "preferred" or "better," provided the document is from 1760-1800 and the figure is from American history.

A well-written essay will completely adhere to the topic and fully answer the question. These essays approach the topic with original and lively prose. They include a detailed discussion of a civic value(s); a thoughtful personal response to the value(s); an outstanding critique of the value(s) as it appears in at least one Founding document.

How long does my essay have to be?

There is no minimum required length for an essay, however, you cannot exceed 750 words with your essay. For more information on what constitutes a complete essay, please visit our guidelines by clicking here. To view some sample essays, please click here.

When will the winners be announced?

Winners for the 2008-2009 contest will be announced on this website in April, 2009.