Every year since 2012, the City Club has used this essay contest to invite students to consider different aspects of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, specifically, Freedom of Speech.
All high school students in Northeast Ohio are eligible to apply for scholarship prizes. Essays should pull from personal experience, current events, history, politics, art, or anything so long as they are backed up with evidence. Essays will be judged on their clarity, content alignment, originality, and organization/flow
The Hope and Stanley Adelstein Free Speech Essay Contest was established with a generous gift to the City Club endowment from the Adelstein family. Additional annual support comes from George W. Codrington Charitable Foundation, Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, and Nordson.
The 2025 Hope and Stanley Adelstein Essay Contest has officially ended. Stay tuned for more information about next year's contest!
Help Us Shape the 2025-2026 Prompt
Do you have a compelling question or topic idea related to free speech that you believe students should be writing about? For the first time ever, we’re inviting YOU—students, teachers, past contest participants, and civically engaged individuals—to submit ideas for next year’s essay prompt!
Maybe there’s a conversation happening in your school. Maybe you’ve been wrestling with an idea around speech and digital platforms, protest culture, or book bans. We want to hear from you. - Submit your idea here!
Contest Eligibility and details:
Click here for the full scoring rubric
Awards:
11/12 Grade
9/10 Grade
You can view the winning essays from 2024 here: Grade 11/12 | Grade 9/10
For any questions regarding the Essay Contest, please contact Ariana Smith at arianasmith@cityclub.org
Vinay Bodapoti, 2017 Grade 11/12 Free Speech Essay Contest Winner
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