Monday, December 01, 2025
Calling ALL Northeast Ohio High School Students: Explore Your Voice in the 2026 Hope and Stanley Adelstein Essay Contest
Young people shape conversations every day in classrooms, online communities, group chats, and the wider world. Social media has become a space where ideas travel quickly, identities are expressed boldly, and important issues are debated publicly. Along with that influence comes new questions. What does responsible online expression look like. Who decides the limits. How should schools, communities, and digital platforms respond when speech online becomes complicated or challenging.
If these questions spark curiosity for you or for the students you work with, the 2026 Hope and Stanley Adelstein Free Speech Essay Contest invites you to explore them more deeply.
This Year’s Prompt:
Social media has transformed how young people engage in dialogue, build community, and advocate for the issues that matter most to them. Yet as online expression expands, so do questions about free speech, responsibility, and the role of institutions in shaping that discourse. In a democratic society that values open dialogue, how should schools, communities, and digital platforms balance the right to free expression with accountability. And what responsibilities come with having a public voice in the digital age.
Students may draw from personal experiences, events in their school or community, national conversations, history, or culture as long as their ideas are supported with credible evidence.
How to Submit:
Upload your essay here.
Deadline: Friday, February 13
All high school students in Northeast Ohio are eligible to participate. Essays are blind scored and evaluated on clarity, content development, critical thinking, and overall writing quality.
Scholarship Awards:
Grades 11 and 12
First Place: $1000
Second Place: $750
Third Place: $500
Honorable Mention: $250
Grades 9 and 10
First Place: $500
Second Place: $250
Third Place: $150
Honorable Mention: $100
First place winners from each category will be invited to read their essays on the City Club stage before a forum.
Support for Student Writers
Linked above, is a collection of research tools and writing tips is available to help students get started and build strong, well supported essays. These resources are helpful whether a student is writing independently or through a class assignment.
Questions or Need Support?!
Contact
Ariana Smith
Educational Engagement Manager
arianasmith@cityclub.org
Interested in the Judging Process
Information about how to volunteer as a judge and details about the judging timeline will be shared on January 5. Educators, community members, and adults who support young people are encouraged to check back if they are interested in helping review submissions.
