Sanders Announces Annual State of the Union Essay Contest
Thursday, November 9, 2017
BURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 9 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) launched his eighth annual State of the Union essay contest Thursday, calling on Vermont’s high school students to address what they view as the major issues facing the United States.
As the president prepares to give his State of the Union speech to a joint session of Congress early next year, Sanders is inviting Vermont high school students to describe what they think are the most pressing issues facing the United States and what they would do to solve them. The 250-500 word essays can be on any issue of national importance.
Sanders’ annual essay contest is an opportunity for Vermont high school students to articulate what issues they would prioritize if they were president. A panel of Vermont teachers will judge the essays and select a winner. The students’ political views have no impact on how the essays are judged. Essays are judged on the students’ ideas and arguments.
The finalists will have their essays entered into the Congressional Record -- the official archive of the United States Senate and House of Representatives. Sanders will also hold a roundtable discussion with the finalists.
“Our students are the future of our country and they must be involved in the discussion about where our nation needs to go,” said Sanders, who serves on the Senate education committee. “We need our students to be engaged, to help find solutions for the problems that face our country. That’s what democracy is all about.”
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-announces-annual_state-of-the-union-essay-contest
Sen. Bernie Sanders held a roundtable discussion Feb. 4 at the Vermont Statehouse with the finalists in his seventh annual State of the Union essay contest. A panel of six Vermont teachers judged the essays and selected the winner and 20 finalists. More than 650 Vermont high school students from 42 schools wrote essays describing what issues they would prioritize if they were president of the United States.