Our High School Essay Contest Is Back

Last year, we announced the first-ever Free Press essay contest, inviting high schoolers to “tell our readers about a problem facing American society—and, more importantly, how you would fix it.” We were blown away by the response. Over 400 young readers wrote in, and—though it was hard to choose—we published three of the best essays in our pages.

We’re so excited to announce that the contest is back for another year. If you’ll be starting ninth, tenth, eleventh or twelfth grade in the fall, we want to hear from you. Take a look at this year’s prompt: 

A lot of people—mostly boomers—like to say that Gen Z is doomed. You live on your phones. You don’t go outside. No one touches grass. By now, you know the criticisms. But in our view, Zoomers are one of the most interesting generations. You’re incredibly diverse, both on the typical metrics—race, nationality, sexual orientation—and ideologically. Zoomers are very left wing and right wing. Very optimistic, but also very pessimistic. How do you see your generation? What are the biggest misunderstandings about Gen Z? Why are these misunderstandings popular?

Your essay should be no more than 1,200 words, and submissions close at 11:59 ET on September 15, 2024. 

The winner will receive a lifetime subscription to The Free Press and a $2,000 cash prize. We will also choose two runners-up. All three essays will be published in our pages.

You can enter today, by using this form. We are eager to hear from you—so get writing! 

And if you know a high schooler who would love this contest—whether you’re a parent, teacher, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or sibling—be sure to send the details their way. 

The winner of the 2023 Free Press Essay Contest was Ruby LaRocca, who wrote “A Constitution for Teenage Happiness.” 

If you want to help nurture the next generation of independent journalists, become a Free Press subscriber today: