Americans United’s annual Student Essay Contest for high school students is now open. Submissions will be accepted between July 18, 2022, and September 19, 2022.
The contest is open to aspiring high school juniors and seniors and recent graduates. This year, students are asked to reflect on recent Supreme Court decisions. Students must respond to the following prompt in their essay: How does one or more of the following Supreme Court decisions relate to church-state separation and religious freedom, and how will it/they affect people and communities in the United States? The cases are: Carson v. Makin, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and Kennedy v. Bremerton School District.
Students who would like to enter should keep in mind the following:
- The contest is open to members of high school classes of 2022, 2023 and 2024 in the United States including the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories.
- The essay length should be between 750-1,000 words.
- Writing should be clear, creative and free of grammatical errors. Essays should demonstrate genuine grappling with the topic.
- Submissions must be in the student’s original writing.
- The strongest essays will weave together personal experience/perspective and well-researched information on current laws and events to make a persuasive argument. Essays can reference historical events, legal cases, U.S. history, primary sources, personal experience and other sources.
- Essays must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 19.
The first-place winner will receive $1,500, and the essay will be printed on AU’s website and in Church & State. The second-place winner will receive $1,000, and the essay will be printed on AU’s website. The third-place winner will receive $500, and the essay will be printed on AU’s website.
For more information about the contest, visit: au.org/essaycontest.