National Peace Essay Contest for High School Students

Educating the Next Generation of Leaders

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2011-2012 Awards Program and National Winners Announced

Richard Solomon, president of USIP, announced the winners of the National Peace Essay Contest at the conclusion of a week-long program for the individual state winners in Washington, DC. Congratulations! Forty-six of the fifty state winners from around the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, participated in a five-day educational program, focusing on the use of new media in peacebuilding.

New Topic Announced for the 2012-2013 National Peace Essay Contest

The 2012-2013 National Peace Essay Contest topic is Gender, War and Peacebuilding. Students will answer the question “What does it mean to have a gendered approach to war and peace issues?” Essay submissions are due on February 1, 2013, 11:59 EST. State winners will receive scholarships and will come to Washington for an educational awards program.

Download the Guidebook Contains the full question and requirements for entering the contest. (2093 KB PDF)
Download the Study Guide (An overview of the topic for students and instructors. Coming Soon!)
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The Academy for International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding is the education and training arm of the United States Institute of Peace and runs the National Peace Essay Contest based on the belief that questions about peace, justice, freedom, and security are vital to civic education. Each year over 1,100 students submit entries to the essay contest while thousands more participate in related writing and other classroom exercises in high schools around the country.

First-place state winners receive scholarships and are invited to Washington for a five-day awards program. The Institute pays for expenses related to the program, including travel, lodging, meals and entertainment. This unique five-day program promotes an understanding of the nature and process of international peacemaking by focusing on a region and/or theme related to the current essay contest.

How Do You Build Peace?

The international system has witnessed dramatic changes in the recent past. Developments around the globe and at home challenge us to rethink the role of the United States in the international community. What is our nation's place in this increasingly complex global picture? How do we best promote respect for human rights and the growth of freedom and justice? What can we do to nurture and preserve international security and world peace?

Our country depends on knowledgeable and thoughtful students like you—the next generation of leaders—to build peace with freedom and justice among nations and peoples. In the belief that questions about peace, justice, freedom, and security are vital to civic education, we established the National Peace Essay Contest to expand educational opportunities for America's youth.

The National Peace Essay Contest:

Promotes serious discussion among high school students, teachers, and national leaders about international peace and conflict resolution today and in the future;
Complements existing curricula and other scholastic activities;
Strengthens students' research, writing, and reasoning skills; and
Meets National Contents Standards.