AFSA National High School Essay Contest
An annual essay competition co-sponsored by the American Foreign Service Association and the U.S. Institute of Peace that asks high schoolers to write about diplomacy's role in resolving conflict, with a top prize including a Semester at Sea scholarship.
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VFW Voice of Democracy
A nationwide audio-essay scholarship competition sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars since 1947, in which high schoolers record a 3-5 minute essay on an annual patriotic theme for a share of over $1.6 million in scholarships.
9th Circuit Civics Contest
Essay or video contest on "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness," analyzing one core right historically and today.
John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest
An annual essay contest from the JFK Library Foundation asking U.S. high schoolers to research and analyze an act of political courage by an elected official who served in or after 1917, with a $10,000 top prize.
Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award
One of the world's most prestigious poetry competitions for writers aged 11-17, run by the UK's Poetry Society, offering free entry, publication, and mentoring opportunities to top winners and commended poets worldwide.
The Concord Review
Quarterly academic journal that publishes the best high school history research papers in the world (4,000-6,000 word essays). Rolling submissions across four issue deadlines: August 1 (Winter), November 1 (Spring), February 1 (Summer), May 1 (Fall). Acceptance is highly selective.
American Battlefield Trust Postcard Contest
An annual creative contest from the American Battlefield Trust in which students in grades 4-12 design an illustrated postcard reflecting on the importance of preserving Civil War and Revolutionary War history.