Student American History Essay Contests 2014-2015

Students in grades 5 through 12 are invited to compete in the annual National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR)* American History Essay Contests. These contests are open to Public, Private, Parochial, and Home Schoolers. NOTE: The local Lawrenceville Philadelphia Winn Chapter is receiving submissions for the following public school clusters only: Archer, Central Gwinnett, Grayson, North Gwinnett, Parkview, and Shiloh. Its Deadline is December 10, 2014. For information on where to send submissions from other Public Schools, email philwinndar@gmail.com for additional assistance.

These contests are divided into two categories by age group:

(1) The American History Essay Contest for Grades 5 through 8 is to commemorate the upcoming 125th anniversary of Ellis Island in 2015. The title of the essay is “A Child’s Journey Through Ellis Island”. Imagine yourself as a child traveling through Ellis Island in 1892. How would you describe your experience to your cousin who has never heard of Ellis Island? Word limit for Grade 5 is 300-600 words; word limit for Grades 6-8 is 600-1,000 words.

(2) The Christopher Columbus Essay Contest for Grades 9 through 12 is to perpetuate today’s relevance of Columbus’s discovery of the New World. The title of the essay is “Joining Christopher Columbus on His Voyage to the New World”. Imagine you have been chosen to join Christopher Columbus and his crew. What are your thoughts and feelings as you prepare for this hazardous voyage? What essential skills for success and survival do you possess? Why do you want to embark on this mission, and what do you hope to gain from this experience? Word limit for this age group is 800-1,200.

Coveted awards range from a certificate all the way to a national winner cash prize of $1,200. Judging will be based on historical accuracy, adherence to topic, overall organization, interest, originality, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and neatness. To obtain more specific details, email the Philadelphia Winn Chapter at philwinndar@gmail.com.

*To find out more about the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, see http://www.dar.org/ It is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to promoting Patriotism, preserving American History, and securing America’s future through better Education for children. The local Philadelphia Winn Chapter meets the third Sunday of each month from September through May at 2 p.m. at Ashton Senior Living, 1155 Lawrenceville Highway, Lawrenceville, GA. Contact philwinndar@gmail.com for more information.