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Attention all high school juniors and seniors: The year is quickly coming to an end, and so is the opportunity to win ��֭����’s Free Speech Essay Contest! Our contest is still up and running with just four weeks left to enter. The contest ends at midnight on December 31, 2019, so it’s time to finally check this important task off your end-of-year to-do list! 

If you are a high school student who firmly believes that the fundamental rights protected by our First Amendment are worth fighting for, we encourage you to make your case in an essay. If you’re looking for some inspiration, check out some stellar winning essays from prior contests. 

This year’s question asks students to read our new free speech comic, “Finding Your Voice.” In 700-900 words, we want you to explain how the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech can help students develop more informed opinions. This year’s winners will be announced by January 31, 2020. We will be awarding $20,000 in scholarship prizes, with $10,000 going to the top essay writer.

A good tip for writing a winning essay is to familiarize yourself with FIRE’s website, the ongoing battles we fight for free expression on campus, and the reasons why we believe that First Amendment rights are so important for college students. We look forward to reading your essay submission!