People often talk about art, music, singing, and dancing as forms of expression. One form of expression that is undervalued, however, is writing. Allowing your thoughts to become written words that fill a page: How much more expressive can you get?

Speaking of writing, here are a few writing contests for you to explore:

• Society of Professional Journalists
  • Topic: “Why is it important for a democratic society to have women involved in professional media and legal roles? What can be done to reverse the dearth of females in these professions?:”
  • Deadline: February 23, 2017
  • Awards:
    • 1st Place: $1,000 scholarship
    • 2nd Place: $500 scholarship
    • 3rd Place: $300 scholarship
  • For more information: http://www.spj.org/a-hs.asp

• National High School Essay Contest
  • Topic: “Imagine you are a member of the U.S. Foreign Service —– a diplomat working to promote peace, support prosperity, and protect American citizens while advancing the interests of the U.S. abroad —– and are now assigned to a post in one of these four countries: Turkey, Kenya, Afghanistan, or Iraq. Your task is to provide recommendations to address the refugee/IDP crisis, which you see facing the country in which you are now posted. Using the resources available to you as a member of the Foreign Service, write a memo to the Ambassador outlining how the United States might help address the current unprecedented levels of displacement. You may choose to address issues related to the causes of internally displaced persons or refugees, or to focus on the humanitarian crisis in host countries.”
  • Deadline: March 15, 2017
  • Awards:
    • 1st Place: $2,500, a trip to Washington D.C. to meet the Secretary of State, and a full scholarship for a Semester at Sea education voyage
    • 2nd Place: $1,250 and a full scholarship to attend the International Diplomacy Program of the National Student Leadership Conference
  • For more information: http://www.afsa.org/essay-contest

• Here is a website with several different writing contests: http://thejohnfox.com/2016/06/writing-contests-for-teens/

• If you are not particularly interested in writing or are looking for other types of academic contests/scholarships, then look no further! This website provides tons of opportunities:
  • http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/contests.htm

If any of these topics or awards pique your interest, I strongly suggest you give it a shot.

Note: some deadlines are right around the corner, so don’t wait too long. Happy writing!