Profile in Courage Essay Contest

The JFK Library is once again hosting a Profile in Courage Essay Contest. The contest asks US high school students (grades 9-12) to write a 1,000 word essay profiling the political courage of an elected official between 1956 and now. The profile can be of an elected official at any level from local to national government. The contest winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a $5,000 John Hancock Freedom 529 College Savings Plan. The second place writer will receive $1,000 cash and five finalists will receive $500 cash prizes. The deadline for submissions is January 8, 2011. You can find all of the contest rules and requirements here.

Applications for Education
If you're a teacher of US History who already has your students research important figures of the second half of the 20th Century, having those students write for this contest could make a nice incentive for your students to put in a little extra effort.