2024-2025 Essay Contest
Please write an individual or class essay with the theme: "We The People"
This essay contest is open to all 5th and 6th grade students and classes in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and U.S. Virgin Islands schools. The essay contest is open to 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th grade students and classes in Delaware. The essay may be an individual essay or a class essay. If a class is submitting an essay, one essay must be submitted on behalf of the class. Individual and class essays must be submitted on or before Monday, March 31, 2025.
Consider the following questions to assist in developing the essay but the essay need not discuss all the questions:
Why did our Founders refer to “the People” in the first three words of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution?
What did our nation’s Founders mean by the phrase “We the People” and how should we interpret this phrase today?
What does “We the People” mean to you?
How do the different life experiences of Americans from all walks of life combine to shape the dynamic country we all live in today?
Teachers should feel free to contact the committee if they would like a lawyer or a judge to assist students or the class in the discussion or development of this topic. Essay contest rules, contact information, and suggested resources follow.