Enlighten America is an annual Essay Contest for 7th, 8th, and 9th-grade students in Metro Atlanta. It encourages respect and tolerance of our friends’ and neighbors’ diverse religious beliefs and racial, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds. It stresses civic harmony over violence and equality over prejudice. View the
2019-20 Winning Essays.
To participate, middle and high school students (grades 7-9) should reflect on the significance of the
No Place For Hate pledge respect for our diversity in race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, and sexual orientation – by writing about the issues of bigotry and prejudice, how such issues have (or have not) been addressed in recent years, and how such issues affect our quest for peaceful coexistence among our friends and neighbors, and throughout the world.
Alternatively, you may research and select one or more quotes attributed to an American president, a world leader, or a local community leader. Write about the meaning of the specific quote and how this relates to our society today. You may also reflect on the pledge or use a current event, an event in your life, or an event in history. Tell us why you chose the quote/s or event you selected and its relevance to the issues of bigotry or prejudice. Be sure to fully define the problem and address the challenges that might be faced in implementing solutions and improvements.
Review the contest rules and then
submit your essay!
All entries must be received by Thursday, March 31, 2022. Winners will be announced in mid-May, 2022. Winners in each grade category will receive the prizes as listed below:
– First-place winners will be awarded $350.
– Second-place winners will be awarded $250.
– Third-place winners will be awarded $150.
The Enlighten America Essay Contest serves as a framework or “model of instruction” designed to support teachers in the implementation of the Reading and Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects Grades 7-8, Grades 9 and the English Language Arts (ELA) Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) (see pages 19 -25 for specific standards) for 7th grade, 8th grade, and 9th grade in the following writing skill areas:
- Text Types and Purposes
- Production and Distribution of Writing
- Research to Build and Present Knowledge
- Range of Writing
We hope that schools, teachers, and students will benefit through the Enlighten America Essay Contest as a teaching and learning activity to promote student success as it relates to the Georgia Performance Standards.
The 2021-2022 Enlighten America Essay Contest is a volunteer community service project brought to you by the
Achim/Gate City Lodge of
B’nai B’rith International. It is FREE to enter this essay contest and you do not need to be a member of B’nai B’rith.
If you have questions, please contact Marcus Brodzki, Enlighten America Student Contest Coordinator at
mbrodzki@gmail.com.
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