National Peace Essay Contest

Website: http://www.afsa.org/essay-contest

Who's Eligible: High school students in grades 9-12

Award Amount: $2,500, paid trip to Washington, D.C., tuition-paid voyage with Semester at Sea upon enrollment at an accredited university

Due Date: March 15

Requirements:

Give peace a chance, or at least talk about it on paper. In this essay contest, students give their philosophic views about a different peacebuilding solution each year. The national winner walks away with the big prizes, but there's a runner-up prize as well. Essays can be no longer than 1,250 words and must include certain features. A list of requirements is available on the site.