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John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest
12/21/2009
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Scholarships.com Staff

Do you think you'll get bored during winter break? If so, or if you want to be more productive than most during your time off, it's not too late to apply for essay scholarships with upcoming deadlines. This week's Scholarship of the Week invites applicants to describe political courage by any elected official on the local, state, or national level. With the deadline fast approaching, taking some time out to apply for this and other awards could be the perfect way to kick off the new year - especially if you're chosen as a winner.

The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest wants to know what you think about political figures who you think have acted courageously in addressing political issues since 1956, the year John F. Kennedy's book "Profiles in Courage" was released. That book recounted the stories of eight U.S. Senators who risked their careers by taking stands for unpopular positions. The scholarship is presented annually by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

Prize: The winner receives $10,000 in the form of a $5,000 cash award and a $5,000 John Hancock Freedom 529 College Savings Plan. A second place winner receives a $1,000 cash award, and up to five finalists each receive $500 cash awards. The nominating teacher of the first place winner will receive the John F. Kennedy Public Service Grant in the amount of $500 for school projects encouraging student leadership and civic engagement.

Eligibility: The contest is open to U.S. high school students in grades 9-12 attending public, private, parochial, or home schools, U.S. students under 20 enrolled in high school correspondence/GED programs, and U.S. citizens attending schools overseas.

Deadline: January 10, 2010

Required Material: Applicants must write an essay between 700 and 1,000 words using at least five sources on how an elected official demonstrated political courage by addressing an issue at the local, state, or national level. John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Edward M. Kennedy are not eligible subjects for essays. A registration and essay submission form is available online through the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

Further details about the application process can be found by conducting a free college scholarship search on Scholarships.com. Once the search is completed, students eligible for this scholarship award will find it in their search results.

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