Essay Contest

Showcase your writing talent in our
“Knowledge is Power” Essay Contest!

Whether you’re competing in the Junior (Grades 4-6), Intermediate (Grades 7-8), or Senior (Grades 9-12) essay contest, this is your chance to dive deep into important topics and make your voice heard through a thoughtful persuasive essay.

Essay Topics:

Junior Contest (Grades 4-6)
Choose one of the following topics:

  • Drawing on your own experience, explain one difficult thing about being a kid that you wished older people understood.
  • Come up with a definition of one of these two words: “family” or “community.” Explain how your definition reflects your own life experiences.
  • Describe a time when you gained or lost a friend. What did this experience teach you about the nature and importance of friendship?

Intermediate Contest (Grades 7-8)
Choose one of the following topics:

  • Choose a tool, device, or technology that couldn’t live without, and explain why it is so important to you. Then, explain how the world would be different if it had never been invented.
  • Describe a time when you had to stand up for something you believe in. What lesson did you learn from this experience?
  • Compare the way that people your age use language to how older people use it (e.g., your parents’ generation). Is it natural for language to change? Is it possible for language to become worse or less useful as a result of changes, or does it simply become different?

Senior Contest (Grades 9-12)
Choose one of the following topics:

  • Drawing on your own experience, consider how young people today consume entertainment media (e.g., music, movies, television, video games, internet-based content) compared to how people consumed it in the past. How are these differences significant? Which is more accurate to say: changes in media consumption practices reflect changes in society, or such changes actually change society?
  • Reflect on a time when you enjoyed writing something (creative, academic, etc.). Then, explain the value of writing in the modern world. In a time when technology can write for us, what makes it enjoyable and worthwhile to write something yourself?
  • Do you intend to pursue post-secondary education (e.g., college, university, trade school) after high school? Why or why not? What is the role of higher education in today’s world?
Requirements:

Length:

  • Junior Contest: 600-800 words in five paragraphs (including introduction and conclusion)
  • Intermediate Contest: 700-1,000 words in at least five paragraphs (including introduction and conclusion)
  • Senior Contest: 1,000-1,500 words in at least five paragraphs (including introduction and conclusion)

Your essay must also be:

  • written entirely by you, the author (no contributions from tutors, essay writing services, AI, or other sources)*
  • not written for any other purpose (such as school or another contest)
  • not previously published
  • saved as a Word document or PDF
  • written in 12-point font in either Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri

* Please note that this means AI must not be used at ANY TIME during the creation of your essay, whether for generating ideas, writing, editing, or any other purpose. Any essay that has used AI for any part of its creation will be disqualified.

Prizes:
  • Junior Contest: $50.00 CAD cash prize for 1st place, $10.00 CAD gift card for two runners up
  • Intermediate Contest: $75.00 CAD cash prize for 1st place, $20.00 CAD gift card for two runners up
  • Senior Contest: $125.00 CAD cash prize for 1st place, $20.00 CAD gift card for two runners up
  • The first place winner will also receive a trophy.
  • All winners also receive a Brain Power swag bag.
  • All winning essays will also be published in a collection!
Eligibility:
  • You must be a student in high school (Grades 9–12) at the time of the contest deadline.
  • Students in any Canadian or U.S. school are eligible, as are homeschooled students living in Canada or the U.S. and studying at the equivalent grade level.
Judging Criteria:

A panel of three Brain Power faculty members will judge the submitted essays and decide on the winner. Essays will be assessed on the basis of three criteria:

  • the cogency of the argument
  • whether the question has been answered in a direct and satisfying way
  • the clarity and effectiveness of the writing style.
Submissions:
  • Junior Contest (Grades 4-6):  no later than 11:59 p.m. on May 7, 2027. SUBMIT HERE!
  • Intermediate Contest (Grades 7-8):  no later than 11:59 pm on January 31, 2027. SUBMIT HERE!
  • Senior Contest (Grades 9-12): no later than 11:59 p.m. on March 5, 2027. SUBMIT HERE!
Publication:

Please note that, by entering the contest, you agree to give Brain Power Enrichment Programs permission to publish your essay under your name in a collection of winning essays.

Questions?
Return to Contests Page

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