I am excited to announce the launch of this year’s Student Contest, now accepting submissions of essays and videos from high school and college students, with first-place prizes of $1,500!
This year’s contest focuses on public schools. Across the country, we have seen an increasing effort by Christian Nationalists to ban certain books, censor and influence curricula, encourage school-sponsored prayer, install religious displays such as the Ten Commandments in classrooms, replace school counselors with religious chaplains and more.
Students are invited to write a short essay or create a short video describing these attacks on church-state separation in public schools and what can be done about it.
Creativity is not only encouraged but required! Winning essays and videos will weave together personal experience or perspective with clear arguments supported by well-researched information or examples. With separate prize categories for high school and college students, you can win $500-$1,500.
Winners also have the chance to be published in AU’s Church & State magazine and online and receive a scholarship to attend the Summit for Religious Freedom in April 2025. To see last year’s winning essays and videos, click here.
Visit this section of our website to learn more about the contest, the prizes and how to enter.
The contest is open to high school students and undergraduate students attending any 2- or 4-year college or university. Students must live in the United States including the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories. The deadline to enter is November 4, 2024.
If you are not an eligible student, please take a moment to share this contest information with students you know. This is a great way to bring them into our movement for church-state separation.
I can’t wait to see what students submit this year!
