Dissident Project National Essay Contest

Award Amount
Application deadline
Awarded By:

The Dissident Project

Number of Awards & Eligibility: There are 3 awards available.
In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:
  1. This scholarship is open to all American High School students who are high school grade level.

In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:

Description: Have you ever stood tall in the face of injustice? When did you realize the value of your American freedoms? What caused this realization? What does it mean to be free? On our trips to schools around the country, we’ve heard from hundreds of incredible young people. You’re a dissident, too — and it’s time to tell the world your story. In our first national essay contest, the Dissident Project wants to award the bravery and resilience of three high schoolers whose essays touch our hearts. The final five contenders will be judged by a panel of esteemed guests who do important work in the journalism and human rights space. Scroll down to pick your prompt, meet our guest judges, read the rules, and check out the prizes.

Application requirements for the Dissident Project National Essay Contest are:

  • Essay
  • Application form
Additional Information: The inaugural Dissident Project Essay Contest will encourage conversations about liberty, bravery, and freedom beyond the classroom. Each of our six prompts is designed to inspire personal reflections on how American values have impacted students' lives. Submissions should be in the form of a 500-800-word essay-style response to one of the six provided prompts. The top five selections will be evaluated by a panel of esteemed guest judges. The winner will receive $3,000 in scholarship funds, along with professional-level editing from Dissident Project's parent organization, Young Voices—a talent agency for liberty-minded young people. The winning essay will be published in a national outlet. Second and third prize winners will be awarded $2,000 and $1,000, respectively, and their pieces will be published in the Dissident Project Blog. All three top finishers will gain immediate admittance to Dissident Project’s Student Advisory Board.

Award Amount: Chosen applicants will receive up to a $3,000 award.  The total dollars awarded for this scholarship is $6,000.

Deadline Information:

Deadline for this scholarship is Sunday, December 31, 2023

Deadline Information:

Deadline for this scholarship is Sunday, December 31, 2023

All applications and supporting materials must be submitted by the listed deadline. No incomplete/ late submissions will be accepted. Award notifications will be announced sometime in February!
About The Dissident Project:
Contact Information: Grace Bydalek, Director
Address: 1701 Rhode Island Ave NW Washington, District of Columbia

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