Sponsoring Institution: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

Type: Essay contest

Eligibility: Any high school student in the US or any student under 20 in the US, District of Columbia, US territories, or even US students attending schools overseas in a correspondence/GED program can enter this essay contest.

Application Deadline: Essay contest entries are due Mid January, but you can get started any time! The topic for this essay contest is always the same because it’s pretty broad: you can write about ANY act of courage from a US official from 1917 on!

Highlight: If you love history and writing, this essay contest may just be for you! It’s an essay contest based on John F. Kennedy’s book, Profiles in Courage, where he recounted 8 unique stories of political courage. In 700-1,000 words, you are encouraged to do the same — bring an act of courage committed by a US official serving during or after 1917 to life using your best quips and storytelling skills! As a reward, the grand prize winner and family can expect an all expense paid trip to John. F. Kennedy presidential library in Boston to attend a special ceremony and accept their essay contest award! And, we can’t forget about the cash award of $10,000 that the 1st place essay contest winner will take home as well. On top of that, the second place winner will take home $3,000 of their own! There are even cash prizes for the five finalists and eight semifinalists of this essay contest. This is an amazing opportunity to get recognized for your writing skills and share a moment that you think should be highlighted in US history!