HNOC Opens Submissions for 2026 Student Writing Contest
Inspired by the exhibition “The Trail They Blazed,” this year’s contest prompts students to address civil rights issues facing America today and in the future.
The Historic New Orleans Collection’s education department is excited to announce that submissions are now being accepted for its 2026 Student Writing Contest: The Trail They Blazed. Inspired by the current HNOC exhibition, this year’s prompt challenges student writers to address the most important civil rights issues facing America today and in the future. Students are encouraged to consider examples from civil rights history and from their own lived experience.
The contest is open to all students in the United States and its territories, grades 3–12. The deadline to submit an entry has been extended to 11:59 p.m. CST on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
A panel of HNOC staff will select the winning entries for elementary (grades 3 – 5), middle school (grades 6–8), and high school (grades 9–12). The top writers from each category will receive $350 for first place, $250 for second place, $150 for third place, and $50 for honorable mentions. In addition, all winning entries will be published on HNOC’s website. Winners will be notified by Thursday, April 9, 2026.
Learn more about the contest prompt, guidelines, and submit an entry on the 2026 contest page below.
2026 Student Writing Contest: “The Trail They Blazed”
Students address important civil rights issues facing America today and in the future, inspired by the HNOC exhibition The Trail They Blazed.
About the trail they blazed
Built collaboratively by HNOC and individuals who participated in the local Civil Rights Movement, The Trail They Blazed is an exhibition that presents stories of social and racial justice straight from the people who lived through them. From four brave schoolgirls to networks of undaunted college students, faith leaders, and community supporters, the exhibition follows dozens of individuals who fought for change, equal rights, and freedom. Trailblazers like these pushed for change in countless places across the United States during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s–70s, and today’s civil rights activists continue to build on their work and legacies.
Student Writing Contest
Learn about HNOC’s annual student writing contest and read winning submissions from previous years.
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