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.
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?
- Finalist essays will be checked against AI internet components and will be automatically disqualified should stock answers be detected.
Winners will receive a $500 prize and may have their paper published in the World History Bulletin.
Location(s)
- Remote
Schedule
- Academic year
Cost/Compensation
- Entry is free
- Entries are eligible for a $500 prize
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
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, and name of school.
- Papers that do not adhere to these guidelines will be disqualified.
- Online submission: Send the following materials as separate attachments (formatted in MS Word) in the same e-mail, with the subject line World Historian Student Essay:
- the paper, and a page with identifying information (author, title of paper, home address, telephone number, e-mail address, and name of school) to Susan Smith \<smithsusan@district279.org>.
- Postal submission: Send five copies of the paper and five copies of the page with identifying information. In the lower left hand corner on the front of the envelope write: World Historian Student Essay. Mail to:
Susan Smith
Maple Grove Senior High
9800 Fernbrook Lane N.
Maple Grove, MN 55369-9747
Notifications of Decisions
- Winning submissions will be announced in the summer
Financial Aid Details
Other Dates to Keep in Mind
Have other questions?
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.
