Profile in Courage Essay Contest

Applications are available online on the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library Foundation website. To enter this contest, students must write an essay addressing the topic listed on the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library Foundation website. The essay should be original and creative, and demonstrate an understanding of political courage as described in John F. Kennedy's 'Profiles in Courage' book. Applicants should use a variety of sources such as newspaper articles, books, and/or personal interviews. The essay must be between 700 and 1,000 words in length (footnotes and the bibliography are not included in the word count), and must be typed and double-spaced on one side of each page. The essay must be the original work of the student. All applicants must attach a bibliography (using any one of the recognized formats) citing the sources used in writing the essay. It is recommended that students use five or more selected sources. Essays with five or less listed sources or essays which rely solely on Internet sources may be disqualified. Essays without a bibliography will be disqualified. All students must also complete the online registration form, which is available on the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library Foundation website. Applicants must ask one of their teachers to nominate them for this award. All students must list the name of their nominating teacher on the registration form. The nominating teacher can be a former or current teacher, but must still be teaching at the same high school as the essay participant. The parent or legal guardian responsible for the instruction of a home schooled student can also serve as a nominating teacher. Completed essays may be submitted online (preferred method) or through regular mail. Essays submitted via postal mail and online entries must be postmarked by the deadline. Application requirements for the Profile in Courage Essay Contest are:EssayNominationApplication form

This award is for U.S. students. Must be a high school student in grades nine through twelve attending a public, private, parochial, or home school located in the United States, the District of Columbia, or the U.S. territories. U.S. students under the age of 20 enrolled in a high school correspondence/GED program in any of the 50 states and students who are U.S. citizens attending schools overseas are also eligible. Must be a U.S. citizen. In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:Sign Up To View