ESSAY CONTEST
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MY HERO Essay Contest for Student Reporters 

Become a MY HERO Youth Reporter!

There are two ways to enter this contest. For potential journalists, see the information below. For potential filmmakers, find more information HERE.

Student Reporter no cash
Credit: MY HERO

MY HERO Student Reporter Essay Contest Guidelines: Celebrating Unsung Heroes

The MY HERO Project seeks student reporters to honor and celebrate unsung heroes. We are on a quest to discover and honor the everyday heroes who make a difference in your communities, and we need your help to shine a light on their inspiring stories.

Submission Deadline: June 1, 2024

We believe that storytelling has the power to inspire, educate, and unite people from diverse backgrounds. By participating in this contest, you will not only hone your writing skills but also cultivate empathy and appreciation for the unsung heroes who enrich our lives in countless ways.

Your mission:
Tell the story of a hero through an essay that entertains, informs, and inspires positive change in the world. You can write about anyone you consider to be an inspiration for positive change. It can be someone alive or dead, famous or not, international or local. And you can focus on whichever of their ideas and experiences you find most engaging and important.
 
Your essay should:
  • Show your passion for the topic by picking a hero or heroic organization who illustrates that passion.

  • Show evidence of thorough research of the topic and the hero.

  • Tell a real-life story. Most important is what the person did or what their actions illustrate.

  • Feature original and/or archival documentation and interviews, if possible.

  • Achieve your ultimate goal: to recognize and celebrate the best of humanity.

Essay Guidelines:

1. Select your topic

2. Throughly research your topic

3. Create an outline/ mind-map

4. Write the first draft of your essay 

5. Revise your essay

6. Edit and proofread your essay 

7. Document citations

8. Submission: Students submit their essay using the MY HERO Create Program (https://myhero.com/create). Please tag all submissions as Contest. Include your email if you are 13 or older. If you are younger than 13, please include your teacher or parent's email so we can contact you if you are a finalist or winner.

PRIZES 

Prizes and certificates will be awarded for outstanding essays. Selected work will be featured on MY HERO. Middle School and High School winning writers may be eligible for cash prizes and participation in a new TV program featuring youth reporters and their heroes.

To find some writing and interviewing tips click HERE

Please NotePlagiarism is strictly prohibited. All submissions must be the original work of the participants. Proper citations must be used for any referenced material.

Language: Essays must be submitted in English. If English is not the participant's first language, they will not be penalized for minor language errors.

Images: All images must be checked for copyright. Find resources for finding copyright free images online HERE.

Find some helpful resouces that explore the concept of heroism HERE.

This project can be done by individual students at home or in school as a class assignment. For teachers using this contest as a class writing assignment, click here to learn how to create a class code and a webpage of your students' work.

Tutorial on how to use the Create Program to Submit Essays and Stories

Use the Create Program to Publish Written Stories Link
Credit: MY HERO

Organizer created on 8/21/2023 8:27:04 AM by Laura Nietzer

Last edited 4/10/2024 12:45:09 PM by Abigail Richardson

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