The annual John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest for High School Students invites students from across the nation to write an essay about a political issue at the local, state or national level and an elected official in the United States who has acted courageously to address that issue. The contest is a companion program of the Profile in Courage Award, named for President Kennedy’s 1957 Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Profiles in Courage, which recounts the stories of American statesmen, the obstacles they faced, and the special valor they demonstrated despite the risks.
The winner of the competitive annual contest is awarded a $3,000 cash prize and is invited to accept the award at the Profile in Courage Award ceremony hosted each May by Caroline Kennedy and Senator Edward M. Kennedy at the Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston. The student’s nominating teacher receives a John F. Kennedy Public Service Grant in the amount of $500 to be applied towards school projects involving student leadership and civic engagement. A second place winner receives $1,000 and up to five finalists each receive $500. All finalists receive a hardcover copy of Profiles in Courage. The essay contest is sponsored by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and generously supported by Fidelity Investments.
Students and teachers may access the contest’s website at www.jfkcontest.org