The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international competition open to students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs. Membership in the World History Association is not a requirement for submission. Past winners may not compete in the same category again. Finalist essays will be checked against AI internet components and will be automatically disqualified should stock answers be detected.
The World History Association established this $500 prize to recognize young scholars. A one-year membership in the WHA will also be included with each prize.
Each competitor will submit an essay that addresses one of the following topics and discuss how it relates to you personally and to World History: Your view of a family story related to a historical event or your personal family cultural background, or an issue of personal relevance or specific regional history/knowledge, such as "My ancestor walked with Abraham Lincoln from Illinois to fight in the Black Hawk War of 1832."
The committee will judge papers according to the following criteria:
- clear thesis
- elaboration on the thesis with specific, concrete, personal example(s)
- evidence of critical-thinking, such as synthesis and evaluation, when reflecting on the essay question
- organization and fluency
- overall effectiveness of the student’s ability to communicate his or her personal connection with the study of world history—in other words, how well has the student described the experience of being changed by a better understanding of world history?
Location(s)
- Remote
Schedule
- Academic year
Cost/Compensation
- Entry is free
Eligibility Requirements
- Students from anywhere in the world who are in elementary school through high school are eligible to submit a paper.
Deadline
- May 1, 2025
Application or Entry Requirements
- Length:
- Submissions for the K–12 World Historian Award should be approximately 1,000 words.
- Formatting:
- Number all pages except for the title page.
- All pages are to be double-spaced.
- Use 12-point Times New Roman Font.
- Margins are to be 1 inch left and right, and top and bottom.
- Submissions must be composed in Microsoft Word.
- The author’s identity is to appear nowhere on the paper.
- A separate, unattached page should accompany the paper, identifying:
- the author
- title of paper
- home address
- telephone number
- e-mail address
- name of school.
- Papers that do not adhere to these guidelines will be disqualified.
Notifications of Decisions
Financial Aid Details
Other Dates to Keep in Mind
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The World History Association (WHA) is an organization dedicated to promoting the study and understanding of world history. Founded in 1982, WHA serves as a global network connecting historians, educators, and enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds. Through conferences, publications, and collaborative projects, the association fosters scholarly exchange and interdisciplinary research on historical topics spanning different regions and time periods.
