The 2022 MLK ESSAY CONTEST is open to high school seniors attending Arlington schools or residing within Arlington city limits.

Scholarships to help defray the cost of college tuition and books will be awarded to winning essay writers.

First Place — $1,000 Scholarship
Second Place — $750 Scholarship
Third Place — $500 Scholarship

Essay Contest Rules:

  1. Submission deadline: 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12, 2021
  2. Theme: Advancing the Dream: A Time to Reflect, Imagine, and Build the Future
  3. One essay submission per student. Essays must be original, type and double-spaced and must not exceed 1,500 words.
  4. All essay submissions "MUST" include a completed, signed entry form. 
  5. The content of each essay submission should be comprised of up to three strategies to you feel would generate a greater understanding of how you and other members of the Arlington community can Advance the Dream of Dr. King. Strategies should include "a time to reflect, imagine and build the future" for the greater Arlington community. 
  6. Essay submissions should be sent to [email protected] and will only be accepted in Adobe Portable Document (.pdf) format. 
  7. Essays will be judged on the basis of organization, content, voice, creativity and grammatical structure. 
  8. For questions/more information, please contact Lisa Fields (Chairperson - MLK Essay Contest) at [email protected]

Winners will be notified in December and formally recognized at the MLK Advancing The Dream Awards Banquet scheduled for a later date. Click here to learn more about the 2022 Celebration.