The lawyers and judges of the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, Jacksonville Division announced the start of the 2023 High School Essay Contest commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.
Now in its sixth year, the essay contest is part of the federal court’s community outreach. It is open to students in grades nine through 12 in the counties in the Jacksonville Division: Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Flagler, Hamilton, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, Suwannee and Union.
The deadline to submit an essay is noon Sept. 29.
“The High School Essay Contest has been an important part of the Court’s community outreach, because our democracy demands knowledgeable and informed citizens,” U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard said in a news release.
Through the Bench Bar Fund, $5,550 in cash prizes will be awarded to the first- through fourth-place essay winners as well as classroom grants for the teachers of the top three winners and a grant for the school with the most qualifying submissions.
The top 10 students, their family members and teachers, and a representative of the school with the most submissions will be recognized at a ceremony Dec. 6 at the Bryan Simpson U.S. Courthouse.
For contest rules and additional information, including the prompt and how to submit an essay, visit www.flmd.uscourts.gov and click on the “Court in the Community” section.