afsa essay contest winners

American Foreign Service National High School Essay Contest

Ages: High School

Type: Submission

Scope: National

Theo Horn [email protected]

Participate

This essay contest is sponsored by the American Foreign Service Association in partnership with the U.S. Institute for Peace, Semester at Sea, and the National Student Leadership Conference. The contest challenges students to imagine themselves as a member of the Foreign Service tasked to resolve a crisis. Each year has a different topic for the essay.

Write an essay responding to a crisis topic as though they were members of the foreign service attempting to resolve the crisis.

American Foreign Service Association High School Essay Contest - Participation

Team Award. $0.

For all students who successfully completed submission requirements to this essay contest.

This award counts toward these ICS Academic Badges. Click on a badge for further info.

American Foreign Service Association High School Essay Contest - Winner

Team Award. $2500.

The winner receives $2,500, a trip to Washington, D.C. to meet the Secretary of State, and full tuition for a Semester at Sea educational voyage.

American Foreign Service Association High School Essay Contest - Runner Up

Team Award. $1250.

$1,250 and full tuition for the NSLC's International Diplomacy summer program.

Website: http://www.afsa.org/essay-contest

Managing Organization: American Foreign Service Association

Contact: Theo Horn [email protected]

Eligibility: Students whose parents are not in the Foreign Service are eligible to participate if they are in grades nine through twelve in any of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories, or if they are U.S. citizens/lawful permanent residents attending high school overseas. Students may be attending a public, private, or parochial school. Entries from home-schooled students are also accepted. Previous first-place winners and immediate relatives of directors or staff of the AFSA, the U.S. Institute of Peace, Semester at Sea and National Student Leadership Conference are not eligible to participate. Previous honorable mention designees are eligible to enter.

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2021 winning essay by anna dougherty.

Press Release 2021 Winning Essay List of Winners, Finalists, Semifinalists, Honorable Mentions

By Anna Dougherty Paul VI High School in  Haddonfield, New Jersey

U.S. President John F. Kennedy told us, “A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.” (“John F. Kennedy Quotations”) America honors many courageous people who have brought about much-needed change in our country, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, but what about those brave individuals whose actions go unnoticed and unremembered by many of the American people—those whose struggles and efforts are passed by because they have not commanded the undivided attention of the country? One such person is former mayor of Camden, New Jersey, Dana Redd.  

     One could say Redd’s political career began in 1976 at the age of eight when she received a letter from her father while he and her mother were on a weekend vacation. In the letter, he asked his daughter to one day do something extraordinary that would restore Camden to the way he once knew it. (Aleardi). The tragic death, or possibly murder, of her parents that weekend would instill the motivation for her to later carry out her father’s wishes for her hometown. 

     Decades later, on January 5, 2010, Democrat Dana Redd became the first black woman to hold the mayoral position in Camden. (DiUlio) It was the first of many unprecedented things she would accomplish during her two terms as mayor. Redd had been given charge of a city filled with crime, poverty, and violence. As mayor, she now had the resources to change all of this. In 2013, with one year left in her first term, Redd made the radical decision to disband the entire Camden Police Department. (DiUlio) There were many factors that led up to this decision, such as police not responding to calls and a significant number of officers not showing up to work. (“Camden Gambles on Firing Police”) Overall, there had been 5,927 crime incidents in Camden during the previous year. (“Camden Crime Rate Report”) That made Camden one of the most dangerous cities in the United States. (“Camden Ranks Most Dangerous City”) 

     Redd did not jump to the drastic decision to lay off the whole police department and rebuild it without thinking it through. She “had spent several months trying to negotiate concessions with public safety unions that might have prevented the layoffs…But the unions wouldn’t submit, and Redd maintained that she had no choice but to proceed with the firings.” (DiUlio) Redd’s plan involved firing the current police force, rehiring some, and making a county-run police department. 

     There were many in opposition to this plan, from local officials to criminal justice experts to Camden citizens. The chair at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Maria Haberfield, said, “Creating a new department is a completely misguided approach to effective policing.” (Maciag)  

     The president of the police union, John Williamson, also expressed his concerns. He said, “Not only are you playing with people’s lives, you’re playing with the public’s lives.” (“Camden Mayor’s Decision to Dismantle Police Force Stirs Up Controversy”) Some citizens formed a petition to stop the dismantling of the police department. (Landergan) However, Redd stood firm in her decision to disband the department in spite of her plan’s unpopularity and even danger. “I think there were times when she feared for her own safety, but she put the residents’ interests first,” said Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr. (Aleardi) 

     Redd faced the challenges Kennedy highlighted in his book, Profiles in Courage ​​, as the very definition of politically courageous acts. The first one he discussed was “a form of pressure rarely recognized by the general public.” (Kennedy) Redd certainly faced public opposition by Camden citizens, as nothing like this had ever been done before in New Jersey. The second thing Kennedy elaborated on was the uncertainty of re-election. Even though Redd’s first term was coming to an end, she still made the unpopular decision to disband the Camden Police Department: “I don’t make my decisions based on [my] re-election prospects...I’m not positioning myself for re-election. I’m just doing what I think is best for Camden.” (Camden Gambles On Firing Police”) She was doing what she believed to be best for her city, even if it could cost her the election. Finally, Kennedy wrote, the third challenge was “the pressure of his constituency, the interest groups, the organized letter writers, the economic blocs, and even the average voter. To cope with such pressures, to defy them or even to satisfy them, is a formidable task.” (Kennedy) Redd was under the scrutiny of many. “Because it’s never been done before, we’re being watched nationally and statewide,” she noted. (“Camden Gambles On Firing Police”)  

     Redd’s decision to disband and reform the Camden Police Department did in fact help the city. According to police data, in the first quarter of 2014, after her plan went into effect, crime rates dropped significantly. For example, incidents of violent crime dropped from 398 to 304, and car robberies were reduced by nearly half. (Aleardi) 

     In 2020, Redd’s work in Camden is still looked to as a good example of police reform. With the well-publicized death of George Floyd at the hands of a few Minneapolis police, it became obvious to many that some police officers needed to be educated in more humane tactics. The city looked to Redd’s work for inspiration; as described in the Philadelphia Inquirer , “When the Minneapolis City Council pledged…to disband that city’s troubled police department, some law enforcement experts and others pointed to Camden.” (Steele and Walsh)  

     Even though Redd’s ideas were unpopular and controversial, she still did what she knew was right. Redd worked hard for the people who elected her and had Camden’s best interests at heart. Her actions and successful re-election are perfectly described by the words of John F. Kennedy: “The true democracy, living and growing and inspiring, puts its faith in the people —faith that the people will not simply elect men who will represent their views ably and faithfully, but also elect men who will exercise their conscientious judgment—faith that the people will not condemn those whose devotion to principle leads them to unpopular courses, but will reward courage, respect, honor, and ultimately recognize right.” (Kennedy)

                                                                           Bibliography 

Aleardi, Marianne. “Just Dana.” SJ Magazine , 30 Dec. 2019, sjmagazine.net/may-2014/camden-4. “Camden Crime Rate Report (New Jersey).” CityRating.com : Find the Best Places to Live in the USA, www.cityrating.com/crime-statistics/new-jersey/camden.html. “Camden Gambles on Firing Police.” The Philadelphia Tribune , 3 Feb. 2013, www.phillytrib.com/news/camden-gambles-on-firing-police/article_3e5f44f9-8d8e-5515-981d-6 b81441de86f.html.​   “Camden Mayor's Decision To Dismantle City's Police Force Stirs Up Controversy.” Philadelphia, CBS . CBS Philly, 8 Aug. 2012, https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/08/08/camden-mayors-decision-to-dismantle-citys-police-force-stirs-up-controversy/.

“Camden Ranks Most Dangerous City In The Country.” Philadelphia, CBS . CBS Philly, 10 Feb. 2014, philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/02/10/camdens-crime-rate-makes-city-most-dangerous-in-the-country/.

DiUlio, Nick. “Doing the Right Thing.” Rutgers Magazine , 2016, ucmweb.rutgers.edu/magazine/1419archive/features/doing-the-right-thing.html.  

“John F. Kennedy Quotations.” John F. Kennedy Quotations | JFK Library , www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/life-of-john-f-kennedy/john-f-kennedy-quotations.  

Kennedy, John F. “Profiles in Courage: Kennedy, John F.: Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive , 2015, archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.460987/page/n19/mode/2up.  

Landergan, Katherine. “The City That Really Did Abolish the Police.” POLITICO , 12 June 2020, www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/06/12/camden-policing-reforms-313750.  

Maciag, Mike. “Why Camden, N.J., the Murder Capital of the Country, Disbanded Its Police Force.” Governing , 2014, www.governing.com/topics/public-justice-safety/gov-camden-disbands-police-force-for-new-department.html.

Steel, Allison, and Sean Collins Walsh. “Camden Disbanded Its Police Department and Built a New One. Can Others Learn from It?” The Philadelphia Inquirer , 14 June 2020, www.inquirer.com/news/camden-police-defund-minneapolis-george-floyd-protest-20200609.html.

Scholarships for College – AFSAScholarship.org

The American Fire Sprinkler Association created the college scholarship program to help with the educational and training pursuits of students just like you. In addition, AFSA wants to educate the public-at-large about the life-saving properties of automatic fire sprinklers. So, if you meet the contest requirements and want to learn a little during the process, please enter and good luck!

$5,000 High School Seniors College Scholarship Contest

Open to high school seniors that want to pursue a college degree or trade school education. Enter for the chance to win 1 of 5 $1,000 College Scholarships.  Contest Rules

Entries Accepted: Midnight – (CT), 9/1/2024

Contest Ends: Midnight – (CT), 1/1/2025

$5,000 Second Chance College Scholarship Contest

Open to anyone who has graduated high school or equivalency and wants to pursue a college degree or trade school education. Enter for the chance to win 1 of 5 $1,000 College Scholarships.  Contest Rules

Entries Accepted: Midnight – (CT), 1/1/2024

Contest Ends: Midnight – (CT), 9/1/2024

Congratulations 2024 High School Scholarship Winners

• Tanbrance Berry , Lawrenceville, GA
• Issac Case , Arvada, CO
• Addison Methvin , Farmers Branch, TX
• Abigail Palus , Hulett, WY
• Samuel Sunna , Murphy, TX

Congratulations 2023 2nd Chance Scholarship Contest Winners

• Kiara Cartwright , Maple Heights, OH
• Mary Krupla , Berea, OH
• Christian Nesselrodte , Martinsburg, WV
• Laura Restrepo Posada , Austin, TX
• Ethan Swords , Santa Clarita, CA

The Winter cohort application deadline is Novermber 24, 2024.  

Click here to apply.

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AFSA's National High School Essay Contest - 8 Reasons Why You Should Participate

If you’re in high school, you’re probably already planning your college applications – especially if you’re a junior or a senior. A significant addition to applications and your profile can be extra-curricular competitions! When your college application includes your participation and potential achievements in a prestigious contest, it shows admissions officers your intellectual curiosity, analytical abilities, and commitment to tackling real-world problems.  Admissions officers look for students who are not just academically accomplished but also curious and capable of independent, critical thinking. 

Participating in essay contests gives students the opportunity to enhance their academic portfolios, refine their writing skills, and learn more about politics and society.  One such prestigious competition is the National High School Essay Contest ,  conducted by the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA).

What is the AFSA National High School Essay Contest?

Every year since 1999,  this essay contest engages high school students from across the country to learn and write about issues of peace and conflict . The competition encourages students to appreciate diplomacy’s role in building partnerships that can advance peacebuilding and protect national security. 

For the contest, students must write an essay responding to a crisis topic or prompt from the perspective of foreign service members who are trying to resolve the crisis.

The contest is AFSA’s main outreach initiative to high school students. The winner and first runner-up receive cash prizes apart from other tuition awards.  

How is it structured?

The applications for AFSA’s National High School Essay Contest are currently open.  Applications will close on April 1, 2024.

Eligibility:

Students in grades 9-12 can participate, whether their parents are in the Foreign Service or not.

Students in the US and US citizens/permanent residents attending high school overseas can participate.

Students in public, private and parochial schools can participate. Entries from home-schooled students will be accepted as well.

Students who received honorable mentions in the contest previously are eligible to participate again.

Students who have won first place in this contest previously are not eligible to participate.

Students who are immediate relatives of directors or staff of the AFSA, Semester at Sea and National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) are not eligible to participate.

The winner of the contest will receive a $2,500 prize, in addition to a paid trip to Washington, DC, from anywhere in the country (with his or her parents). The winner also receives an all-expense paid educational voyage, courtesy of Semester at Sea. The runner-up will receive $1,250 prize, and full tuition to attend a summer session of International Diplomacy program at the prestigious National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC).

The winner's school also receives a donation of 10 copies of AFSA's Inside a U.S. Embassy: Diplomacy at Work.

Submission rules, content and judging

Your essay should be at least 1,000 words but should not exceed 1,500 words  (the word count does not apply to the list of sources).

Submissions will be judged on the quality of analysis, quality of research, and form, style and mechanics. Successful entries will answer all aspects of the prompt and demonstrate an understanding of the Foreign Service. All qualifying essays will be judged blind through several rounds of judging. 

You’ll need to submit your essay as a Microsoft Word file (.doc or .docx), written in English. 

For more submission rules, such as how to list your sources or how to format your essay, please visit this page .

Your essay will be disqualified if it does not meet the requirements or is submitted after the submission date (April 1, 2024).

Additionally, student registration forms must have a teacher or sponsor name. That person may review the submitted essay and act as the key contact between participants and AFSA. You might benefit from having a coordinator review your essay.

The 2023 Prompt:

This year, AFSA celebrates the 100th anniversary of the United States Foreign Service. Over the last century, our diplomats and development professionals have been involved in groundbreaking events in history – decisions on war and peace, supporting human rights and freedom, creating joint prosperity, reacting to natural disasters and pandemics and much more. As AFSA looks back on this century-long history, we invite you to join us in also looking ahead to the future. This year students are asked to explore how diplomats can continue to evolve their craft to meet the needs of an ever-changing world that brings fresh challenges and opportunities to the global community and America’s place in it.

Over the past 100 years the Foreign Service has faced a multitude of challenges such as world war, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, humanitarian disasters, global pandemics, and economic crises. In a 1,000-1,500-word essay please identify what you believe will be the biggest challenge to face the Foreign Service in the future. The essay will describe this challenge and clearly define how American diplomats can help mitigate it.

Tips to write a winning entry: Here’s a few suggestions, from AFSA themselves, for you to look through before submitting your essay.

Does your essay clearly demonstrate that you understand the role of the Foreign Service in carrying out American diplomacy?

Have you used past or current diplomatic efforts to support what you believe is the best response to the prompt? (Winning essays almost always do!)

Have you read through some of the past winners’  essays? You must, to get a fair idea of what makes a solid piece.

Does the essay clearly answer this year’s essay contest question?

Have you given your essay a descriptive title?

Is your essay at least 1,000 words and no more than 1,500 words long excluding works cited?

Have you made sure that your name, school, or city do NOT appear anywhere in the essay?

Have you scrupulously followed accepted standards regarding attribution of quotations, arguments, and ideas of others within the body of your paper and bibliography?

Have you made sure that Wikipedia is not a source?

Does your essay have standardized citations and bibliography?

Does your essay have the required endnotes, and not footnotes?

Are your online sources listed separately from other sources in your bibliography?

Is your teacher's name and contact information included as detailed in the contest guidelines?

Go through these additional resources  that can help you with your submission for the contest.  You can also read through this excerpt  from the book, US. Embassy: Diplomacy at Work, which details exactly what the Foreign Service is. This would be useful information to have when answering this year’s prompt!

8 Reasons to Participate:

Participating in AFSA’s National High School Essay Contest can be a rewarding experience for high school students. Here are 8 compelling reasons why you should consider taking part in this essay competition:

It is prestigious: Winning, placing as the first runner-up, or even receiving an honorable mention in this contest is considered a high honor, especially because it showcases your excellent writing and research skills.

The contest is selective: Of hundreds of submissions received, only one winner and one runner-up is selected every year. Participating (and receiving an honor) in such a selective competition displays academic achievement.

You can win a hefty cash prize, among other awards:  The winner receives a $2,500 prize, along with a paid trip to Washington, DC (including his or her parents) and an all-expense paid educational voyage, courtesy of Semester at Sea. The runner-up receives a $1,250 prize, and full tuition to attend a summer session of the International Diplomacy program at the National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC). The monetary rewards can support future educational endeavors. 

It’s a great skill-building opportunity: Whether you win or not, the process of researching and writing a 1000-word essay is no small feat. It will challenge your analytical skills, giving you a chance to hone your academic abilities and critical thinking skills, preparing you for your future academics. Additionally, learning to write about a fairly broad topic in such few words is great practice for the type of writing required within university-level academics. 

It looks great on college applications: Again, whether you win or not, the fact that you attempted a submission in this contest is something to be proud of in itself. Adding that to your resume or college application looks great and can impress admissions officers! Not to mention, if you place first or second, that shows a certain level of skill and talent that admissions officers are definitely looking for. 

It is accessible and open to everyone: Unlike many competitions that charge application fees, the essay contest is free to enter, making it accessible to all interested students. This eliminates financial barriers and encourages broader participation. The competition is open to students from grades 9 to 12, spanning a range of educational backgrounds, including public, private, and home-study programs. This inclusivity ensures that students from various educational settings can participate and share their perspectives.

It will give you a solid insight into your country’s Foreign Services: Participating in this competition will allow you to delve into studying diplomatic efforts, noteworthy events in history, the challenges Foreign Services members tackle, human rights, war and peace and so much more. It will encourage you to think beyond local context and appreciate the larger picture.

It gives great exposure: The winner will attend a paid trip to Washington D.C., where they will meet a member of the White House (last year’s winner met Secretary of State Anthony Blinken), and a paid educational voyage courtesy of Semester at Sea.

If you’d like to supplement your competitive experience with independent research, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs ! 

This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. 

You can find the application link here

One other option – Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you are passionate about research, you could also consider applying to the   Lumiere Research Scholar Program , a selective online program for students I founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the   application form  here.

Also check out the   Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation , a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students.

Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.

Image Source: AFSA's national high school essay contest logo

• competitions

HSFSA Essay Contest

The HSFSA is working with the American Foreign Service Association to provide a free essay contest to help high school students prepare for AFSA's National High School Essay Contest .

Having the same policies, the same judges, and a similar topic structure, this contest provides the perfect opportunity for students to master the ways to success in the main contest.

Winners Announced!

The High School Foreign Service Association would like to thank all students who participated in the organization's first essay contest! The judges were impressed by the quality and diversity of the submissions. All participants received their judge scoring sheet, which gave specific comments and scores regarding the quality of the submission as well as offering advice for improvement. The top 15 students also took part in a feedback webinar, learning about how to approach diplomacy-themed essays, how to structure their work and research, and much more.

We would like to congratulate:

Owen Wu from Walton High School for receiving 1st place

Olivia Schwab from Oswego East High School for receiving 2nd place

We would also like to give special recognition to the HSFSA chapter at Arroyo High School for having the greatest number of participants originating from a single school.

The HSFSA would like to express gratitude to the American Foreign Service Association for its assistance with judging, sponsoring, and organizing the essay contest, and we look forward to conducting more essay contests in the future.

Contest Info

• $200 gift card
• A copy of Inside a U.S. Embassy , signed by Ambassador Eric Rubin - the President of the American Foreign Service Association
• $100 gift card
• Judge feedback webinar - speak to the judges to learn how to improve your essay for the main contest!

Prizes are the courtesy of the American Foreign Service Association.

Contest Dates

Submissions open: October 13, 2022 (10:00 AM ET)

Submissions closed: November 6, 2022 (11:59 PM ET)

Results annnounced: November 21, 2022 (10:00 AM ET)

Eligibility

Participants must be students enrolled in grades 9-12 in a U.S. high school or an equivalent.

It is not required for a student to be part of an HSFSA chapter or any other organization to participate.

Participation is completely free.

Contest Rules

Topic: Select one form of diplomacy (i.e. economic, cultural, public, etc.) and discuss how it has evolved in the past 100 years. Feel free to select a country or region to use as an example or case study.

Length: Your essay should be no shorter than 500 and no longer than 750 words (not including the title and sources)

Sources: Standards of content and style from current edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers will be expected for (1) documentation of sources in the text of your essay; (2) the format of the list of works cited; and (3) margins and indentation. A bibliography following the MLA Handbook must be included.

Fill out the submission form below. All fields on the online form are required, including uploading a Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) file of your original work with a title, in English which should include a comprehensive list of sources consulted. Entries must be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman or an equivalent font with a one-inch margin on all sides of the page. It is advised that you have your teacher/sponsor review your essay before submitting it.

Additional Resources

American Foreign Service Association National High School Essay Contest

Deadline: April 4, 2022

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) announces this year’s National High School Essay Contest, which encourages high school students to consider important international issues and learn about the US Foreign Service. AFSA’s essay contest is also supported by the US Institute of Peace, Semester at Sea, and the National Student Leadership Conference. The 2022 topic, Partnerships for Peace in a Multipolar Era , challenges students to describe a current situation where American diplomats and peacebuilders are working with other world powers, as well as local and/or regional actors, in a conflict-affected country to champion democracy, promote human rights, and/or resolve violent conflict. The word limit is 1,250. The winner receives $2,500, a trip to DC to meet US State Department and USIP leaders, and a Semester at Sea educational voyage. The runner-up also receives great prizes. The contest is open to students in grades 9-12.

For more information, go to http://www.afsa.org/essaycontest . And be sure to download the 2022 National High School Essay Contest Study Guide.

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Scholarships and Youth Awards

Global Community Liaison Office

American Foreign Service Association (AFSA)

Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide (AAFSW) 

Foreign Service Youth Foundation (FSYF)

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) offers two scholarship programs that are open to students whose parents are, or were, Foreign Service employees and AFSA members. AFSA offers need-based Financial Aid Scholarships to high school seniors or full-time undergraduate college freshmen, sophomores, or juniors. AFSA also offers Academic, Art, and Community Service Merit Awards to high school seniors who demonstrate excellence in any or all of these three areas. The winners in each category are awarded a total of $3,500, honorable mentions receive a total of $2,000, and $1,000 is awarded to the applicant with the best essay.

For more information on either of these scholarship programs, including eligibility criteria, application requirements, and past winners, please visit AFSA’s Scholarships page .  Applications for the scholarship program open yearly in December and the deadline to apply is in March. For a detailed summary of these two programs visit  AFSA’s Summary of Programs page .

AFSA also holds an annual National High School Essay Contest for high school students who do not come from a Foreign Service family, but who nevertheless demonstrate an interest in diplomacy and foreign policy. Each year, AFSA develops an essay prompt to engage students with a topic relating to American diplomacy, peacebuilding, and development. The winner of the essay contest receives $2,500, a full tuition of Semester at Sea, and will be able to meet with a member of the State Department’s leadership. The runner-up receives $1,250 and a paid summer program with the National Student Leadership Conference in Washington DC.

Visit AFSA’s National High School Essay Contest page for more information, including this year’s winning essay.

Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide (AAFSW)

AAFSW offers yearly  scholarships  to family members of AAFSW members. Applications are accepted in early spring with a deadline on/around March 31 and scholarships awarded by April 15.

Application forms are available early in the application year and are announced in AAFSW’s Global Link newsletter and on the organization’s website and Facebook pages.

• AAFSW’s Merit Scholarships:  Current college freshmen, sophomores or juniors continuing college are eligible for this scholarship. Two scholarships are available for $2,500 each.
• AAFSW’s Twice Exceptional Merit Scholarship:  Rewards academic excellence for high school seniors and/or college students who have shown resilience and have academically overcome adversity due to special needs. The AAFSW Merit Scholarship is meant for high school seniors and/or college students who already have an Individualized Education Program (IEP), a 504, or an equivalent program in place. Two scholarships are available for $2,500 each.
• All applicants are considered for the Best Essay Scholarship:  ( Note: You must apply for a merit scholarship in order to be eligible for the Best Essay Scholarship ) One scholarship is available for $1,000.
• The AAFSW Judy Felt Memorial Volunteerism Scholarship: This scholarship is open to all students applying for the AAFSW Merit Scholarship for College Students and the AAFSW Twice Exceptional Merit Scholarship. Students who submit an application for the AAFSW Merit Scholarship or the Twice Exceptional Scholarship are automatically considered for the Judy Felt Scholarship. (Note: You must apply for a merit scholarship in order to be eligible for the Judy Felt Memorial Volunteerism Scholarship.) One scholarship is available for $1,000.

For more information, please contact  [email protected]  or 703-820-5420.

In 2024, FSYF will be awarding $16,000 in total, made up of $10,000 for the contests/awards and $6,000 for scholarships.

Every year, the Foreign Service Youth Foundation organizes several contests and awards programs for Foreign Service youth of all ages. These contests offer Foreign Service youth an opportunity to share their talents and express themselves as artists, writers, videographers, and global citizens. A panel of judges representing FSYF selects the winners, and corporate sponsors provide the prize money.

They offer an Art Contest, Essay Contest, KidVid contest (in conjunction with the OBC), and Community Service Awards. The contest season typically starts in late December with applications open through March  and culminates with a ceremony at the State Department in the summer for the winners!

To find out more information about their contests and specific submission deadlines for each contest, please visit their  website .

Scholarships

Since 2010, the Foreign Service Youth Foundation has been recognizing Foreign Service high school seniors and Gap-Year dependents for their outstanding achievements through the FSYF Academic Merit Scholarship. Growing up in the Foreign Service may be exciting but it isn’t always easy. Foreign Service children face many challenges and disruptions to their lives. Overcoming those challenges and achieving academic success is admirable. FSYF celebrates the academic achievements of its youth members and supports their future academic goals by providing two academic scholarships every year.

For more information and to see this year’s winners, please visit  FSYF .

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Winners of the 2023 Essay Contest

“A Funny Thing That Happened to Me”

Thank you to everyone who submitted an essay. Here are the 2023 winners featured in The 2024 Old Farmer’s Almanac.

“A Funny Thing That Happened to Me” 

First prize ($250), read next, a southern vegetable garden plan and layout, my most memorable wildlife experience, my most memorable animal experience.

–Bruce Kubec, Longwood, Florida 

Second Prize ($200)

My son was 6 years old, about halfway through first grade, and he was in that magical stage when learning to read permeated every aspect of his life: reading street signs, reading posters in store windows, reading cereal boxes. He would focus, squint, and silently mouth the printed letters, then decode them into language. He’d do it again and again, the ratio of success creeping up with practice.

So it was that Mom had an evening meeting, and my son and I headed to a local family restaurant for dinner. The menu became his prized focus, a small universe of words and pictures, puzzles to be solved, and a playground for exercising his current favorite sport. He got “french fries” and “ice cream,” but stumbled on “spaghetti” and “appetizer.”

Then, as we neared the end of our dinner, a look of concern wrinkled his face. He scanned the dining room with mild confusion. His eyes lingered on an adjoining, smaller dining area. Finally, he asked, “Do we have to go there if we get ice cream?” I asked what he meant. He then pointed to the menu and read, “It says here, ‘Leave room for dessert.’”

–Rick Schnable, Dover, New Hampshire

Third Prize ($100)

The night before Thanksgiving, one year before, my husband sent our young daughters out to the freezer in the garage with instructions on how to bring in the turkey to defrost. They came back to report that there was no turkey. He told them to look again, adding that it was smaller than usual. They came back with a shrink-wrapped Cornish game hen, asking, “Is this really our turkey?” He assured them that it was, explaining that he’d learned about a new product called Expand-O Turkey.

They put the wrapped bird in the sink with water, and he assured them that—like their fun bath sponges—it would be full size by morning. After they were asleep, he cut open the shrink-wrap to look like it had burst wide open, wrapped up the game hen, and returned it to the freezer.

Before they awoke, he took our real turkey from a cooler where it had been defrosting, removed its shrink-wrap, and placed it in the sink. The game hen’s torn tiny shrink wrap was placed in the water to await the girls’ discovery. Their eyes widened at the scene. Expand-O Turkey was amazing. They spread the word far and wide.

–Cindy Dobrez, Grand Haven, Michigan

Honorable Mention

We were on the road to the Renaissance Festival in Sterling, New York. Upon arriving, my husband parked the van on a large grassy field. We headed toward the entrance. We presented our tickets at the gate, walked into the wooded grounds, and made a beeline for the food stands—pulled pork pockets with creamy coleslaw; turkey legs; strawberry shortcake with whipped cream, and much more. We chose our desired delicacy, and off we ran to see the sights.

Except that I don’t run. I can’t even walk quickly. I have multiple sclerosis and walk with a limp. Climbing stairs is especially difficult, and this festival had plenty of stairs built into the ground. I was ascending one set of stairs as a woman going down stopped me. “How’s the leg?” she asked. I did a quick memory jog: “Do I know her? Apparently, she knows me and knows that I have MS . Is she from church? The neighborhood?”

I didn’t know, but I answered her: “The leg’s a little weak, but I’m sure it’ll get better.” She nodded, smiling strangely at me. She went along her merry way, as I lifted a huge 1-pound turkey leg to my mouth.

–Geraldine Bereziuk-Lowrey Buffalo, New York

Carol Connare

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AFSA Essay Contest Winner Awarded Scholarship with Semester at Sea

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The Institute of Shipboard Education is pleased to announce that the winner of the 2019 American Foreign Service Association National High School Essay Contest, Wilson King from Shepaug High School in Connecticut, will receive a full-ride scholarship to an upcoming Semester at Sea voyage.

Wilson’s essay, “From Dictatorship to Democracy,” was selected from over 600 submissions from 41 states and five different countries. Next fall, Wilson will attend the London School of Economics and Political Science. In addition to a Semester at Sea voyage, Wilson also received a trip to Washington D.C. to meet the U.S. Secretary of State, and a cash prize.

The American Foreign Service Association National High School Essay Contest, now in its 21st year, encourages students to think critically about topics of global significance in order to inspire and empower the next generation of diplomats and foreign policy professionals.

Read more about the partnership between AFSA and Semester at Sea here .

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United States Institute of Peace

Contests for students.

The U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) is committed to educating the next generation of peacebuilders about the U.S. role in preventing and resolving conflicts around the world, and about the important part that young people can play as engaged global citizens.

Starting in 1987, USIP challenged students to think critically about global issues of conflict and peace through the National Peace Essay Contest (NPEC). Now, USIP is building upon the legacy of the NPEC (which was wrapped up in 2014) by partnering with other organizations on a range of initiatives that inspire students to learn more about global peacebuilding and to put their own good ideas into action.

Make sure to explore our other resources for students, teachers, and the broader public by visiting the Public Education section. 

Academic WorldQuest

Each year, the World Affairs Councils of America (WACA) engages more than 4,000 high school students across the U.S. in its signature quiz contest that tests their knowledge of global issues and foreign policy in 10 categories. Since 2016, USIP has been a co-sponsor of this national contest, ensuring the inclusion of a peace and conflict category in Academic WorldQuest each year. 

For the 2021 competition, USIP’s category is  “Exploring Peace in a World of Conflict,”  with featured resources that blend research, data, and real-life examples of peacebuilding in action. For more information, check out our Academic WorldQuest page! 

National High School Essay Contest

As a successor to USIP’s own National Peace Essay Contest, USIP has since 2015 partnered with the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) on its annual National High School Essay Contest. The contest engages high school students in learning and writing about issues of peace and conflict, and encourages appreciation for diplomacy’s role in building partnerships that can advance peacebuilding and protect national security. 

The winner of the contest receives a $2,500 cash prize, an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. to meet leadership at the U.S. Department of State and USIP, and a full-tuition paid voyage with Semester at Sea upon the student’s enrollment at an accredited university. The runner-up receives a $1,250 cash prize and a full scholarship to participate in the International Diplomacy Program of the National Student Leadership Conference. 

Explore the 2022 essay contest topic, “Partnerships for Peace in a Multipolar Era,” download this year’s contest study guide , and learn more about the essay contest here. 

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High School Essay Contest: win a free SAS voyage

Do you know a high-schooler interested in SAS? They could win a free voyage! Encourage them to submit a 1,250 word essay to the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) 2021 Essay Contest . The winning essay writer will receive $2,500, an all-expense paid trip (with their parents) to Washington, D.C., and best of all: an all-expense paid voyage courtesy of Semester at Sea!

Successful essays will identify, in no more than 1,250 words, a situation where diplomats worked on a peacebuilding initiative with partners from the country/region in question, nongovernmental organizations, and other parts of the U.S. government, and then go on to analyze what characteristics and approaches made the enterprise a success.

The submission deadline is April 5, 2021. Check out the context rules and guidelines for eligibility and details.

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• When Wednesday, June 26, 2024
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