The Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation, in partnership with the Society of Presidential Descendants, is conducting its second annual essay competition for Monroe County high school students.
The top three winners will be invited to attend the upcoming annual Harry S. Truman Foundation Presidential Families Weekend forum held at the Harry S. Truman Little White House in Key West, where as part of their prize package the students will be seated at a reserved table to experience a moderated discussion among descendants of U.S. presidents. Following the forum, presidential descendants will introduce the winners to the audience and present them with cash prizes and certificates of achievement.
Submitted essays should reflect this year’s forum theme, “Political Maneuvering: The Powerful Influence of the Presidency.” Essays will be juried by members of the Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation and the Society of Presidential Descendants, and judged on factors that include the author’s skill at presenting the subject compellingly according to competition guidelines. The competition is open to all Monroe County students, including home-schooled and charter-school students, currently enrolled in grades 9-12, and who have performed volunteer service work within the past two years.
Monroe County School District social studies coordinator Jennifer C. Barrios serves as liaison between the school district and the competition organizers, and accompanied last year’s winning students to the forum.
“The opportunity for our students to hear personal stories from presidential descendants that are not written in textbooks or taught in any classroom was priceless,” Barrios said. “And it was really wonderful to see how the forum audience flocked to the winners to talk with and congratulate them at the event. Even the descendants were telling them how impressed with them they were.”Deadline for essay submissions is Jan. 15, 2024. To request essay guidelines and submission information, email Michael Ables at michael.ables@kwtrumanfoundation.org.
