HSLDA Essay Contest!

Now Accepting Entries through November 1 We are excited to announce that our annual essay contest is open again! Homeschooled students ages 7—19 can submit their essays until November 1. We have some thought-provoking and humorous themes this year for each category (age group). And in case you missed the news last year, winners can now receive up to $500 in prizes. All contest profits go to our charitable arm, HSLDA Compassion, which provides grants to help make homeschooling possible for families facing hard times. When you donate to enter the contest, you help families be able to afford the educational materials and resources they need! For details on how to enter, click here. Category 1 (ages 7—10): Some foods are pure delight to find at the dinner table, and then some foods make us wrinkle our noses. There are many reasons why this can be—textures, colors, smells... In an essay, use your five senses to describe what food you most commonly leave on your plate at the end of a meal and tell us why you’d rather sneak it to the dog.  Category 2 (ages 11—14): This year has been full of many serious things. In turbulent times, it’s important to keep a good sense of humor and to encourage each other with a good chuckle and lighthearted cheer. Write a funny essay that will persuade the judges to laugh. An example of humorous writing can be found in this excerpt from Mark Twain’s essay “Advice to Youth”: “Always obey your parents, when they are present. This is the best policy in the long run, because if you don’t, they will make you. Most parents think they know better than you do, and you can generally make more by humoring that superstition than you can by acting on your own better judgment.” Category 3 (ages 15—19): Staying at home has its benefits, but it also has its challenges. This year you may have found yourself thinking of some creative solutions to make a quarantine less burdensome. What invention can you imagine would make your life, and others’ lives, easier during a time in quarantine? Describe your invention and what we could gain from it.