Since 2012, the City Club's Hope and Stanley Adelstein Free Speech Essay Contest has asked Northeast Ohio high school students to grapple with what freedom of speech actually means in their lives, their communities, and the wider world. Each year brings a new prompt, but the invitation stays the same: think honestly, argue clearly, and use your own voice to say something real.
This year's prompt asks students to look at a place where free speech is being tested, and imagine what they'd do differently. Essays can draw from personal experience, current events, history, politics, art, culture, or anywhere else a student finds a real example worth examining.
All Northeast Ohio high school students are eligible to compete for scholarship prizes. Essays are evaluated on content and reasoning, originality, and organization and clarity.
The Hope and Stanley Adelstein Free Speech Essay Contest was established through a generous gift to the City Club endowment from the Adelstein family. Additional annual support is provided by the George W. Codrington Charitable Foundation, Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, and Nordson.
Free speech shows up everywhere in your life: in your classroom, on social media, in the news, or in conversations with friends and family. It can also stretch beyond your daily world, into national or global events. Maybe it's a school dress code, a post that got taken down, or a debate happening in the news.
Choose one place, space, or environment where you believe free speech is being limited or restricted. Explain what's happening, and tell us: if you were in charge, what would you change, and why would that change make things better?
Awards
11/12 Grade
9/10 Grade
Want to see what a winning essay looks like? Explore essays from previous Hope and Stanley Adelstein Free Speech Essay Contest winners.
For questions regarding the Hope and Stanley Adelstein Free Speech Essay Contest, please contact Ariana Smith at arianasmith@cityclub.org.
Your support strengthens democracy.
A donation to our annual fund supports our work to bring the community together to uplift civil, civic dialogue throughout the year ahead.
Thank you to our donors
See the full list of donors for our Guardians of Free Speech Campaign.
Student engagement
Since its creation 30 years ago, over 30,000 students have participated at the City Club. Discover the different ways that students can get involved, here.
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