Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett recently announced the theme for his office’s 2023 Civics Essay Contest for Tennessee students from pre-K to 12th-grade.
We're excited to announce that our Civics Essay Contest is currently open for students in grades K-12 until Dec. 15, 2023. The theme for this year's contest is "Why Civility Matters". For further details, please visit https://t.co/ZUlG1Cu40U. #YourVoteMattersTN #OurFutureIsBright pic.twitter.com/Y1joOxOLbK
— Tre Hargett (@tnsecofstate) September 14, 2023
This year’s essay theme is “Why Civility Matters,” according to Hargett’s office. There are four different essay prompts and word limit requirements tailored for each grade level.
Essays must be typed, double spaced on 8 ½ x 11” paper. Parents are allowed to help type essays for students in younger grades.
Schools can choose up to two essays from each grade level to submit for the contest. Essays must be submitted online to Hargett’s office by December 15, 2023.
First-place winners in each grade level will receive a $500 TNStars 529 College Savings Program scholarship. Second-place winners will receive a $250 scholarship and third-place winners will receive a $100 scholarship.
All Civics Essay Contest winners will also receive a trip to the State Capitol.
Essays will be judged based on content, originality, and creativity, Hargett’s office notes. Names and school affiliation will not be revealed to the judges during the judging process.
“Encouraging students to become more civically engaged is important to cultivating our state’s next generation of great Tennesseans,” Hargett said in a statement. “Now more than ever, Tennesseans are being inundated with negative messages and images. We need to work to break this cycle and prepare our youngest Tennesseans with an understanding of why civility matters and how to disagree without being disagreeable.”
The 2023 Civics Essay Contest is part of Hargett’s office’s civics engagement program that “aims to prepare students to be actively engaged citizens,” which also includes the Tennessee Student Mock Election. In addition, Hargett’s office offers free lesson plans to help teachers across the state “incorporate civic engagement and citizenship into their curriculum.”
The Civics Essay Contest began in 2016 with the first theme focused on voting. Subsequent essay themes have included citizenship, leadership, and civic duty.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Sec State Tre Hargett” and “Why Civility Matters” by Sec State Tre Hargett.
