You Belong Here Essay & Art Contests

Participate in the Essay Contest (grades 9 through adult), Youth Essay Contest (grades 6-8), or the Youth Art Contest (grades Kindergarten-5). Prizes will be awarded to the top two entries in each contest in February.

Entries should be emailed to Bertha Thomas by January 18, 2021. Use the appropriate subject line for the email. Include your name and how you would like to be contacted if you win. Click here for a printable version of these instructions.

Essay Contest

Prizes: 1st place: $200 Walmart Gift Card; 2nd place: $100 Walmart Gift Card
Eligibility: 9th grade & up (including adults), must live in or near Kirksville MO
Instructions: Write an original essay no more than 500 words relating to the prompt. When you email the essay, use the subject line “MLK Essay Contest”.
Prompt: Dr. King once said, “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be.” How is this relationship between the individual and the community reflected in Kirksville? What would our community look like if we were all who we “ought to be”? What is something we could do to better our community in this regard?

Youth Essay Contest

Prizes: 1st place: $100 Walmart Gift Card; 2nd place: $50 Walmart Gift Card
Eligibility: 6th – 8th grade, must live in or near Kirksville MO
Instructions: Write an original essay no more than 300 words relating to the prompt. When you email the essay, use the subject line “MLK Youth Essay Contest”.
Prompt: Dr. King once said, “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't know each other; they don't know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” Develop a plan for something you could do to improve how people get along at your school. Describe what your plan would involve and how you think it would make things better.

Youth Art Contest

Prizes: the top two entries will each receive a $25 Walmart Gift Card
Eligibility: Kindergarten – 5th grade
Instructions: Make an original piece of artwork (drawing, etc.) related to the prompt. With an adult’s help, email a photo of the art with the subject line “MLK Art Contest”.
Prompt: What does community mean to you?

Note: Photograph submissions will be subject to a CC BY-NC 4.0 license (can share or remix, with attribution for non-commercial purposes) and may be used to promote future MLK Day celebrations.