American Battle Monuments Foundation Past is Prologue Essay Contest
Direct application
$10,000
9 winners
Eligibility
Major
History
Education level
High school
About this scholarship
U.S. students ages 11 through 18 who are not enrolled as college students may submit an original English essay exploring individuals who fought for freedom, drawn from public, private, charter, parochial, military, or homeschool settings.
The contest awards nine prizes, with first-place awards up to $10,000 for ages 13 through 18 and up to $5,000 for ages 11 through 12, plus lower-tier prizes in each age group.
Research a historical topic, write an original essay addressing the required prompts, work with an adult editor (typically a parent or guardian), and submit online by May 3. Use of artificial intelligence is prohibited.
Essay questions
What else to submit
- Original English essay
- Online submission
- Choose ONE of four historical periods for the main essay: The American Revolution; Post-Revolution through post-Civil War; World War I (Battle of Meuse-Argonne); World War II (Operation OVERLORD).
- The single essay must incorporate answers to the two mandatory questions.
- Word count is tiered by age: ages 11-12 = 800-1,000 words; ages 13-15 = 1,200-1,500 words; ages 16-18 = 1,500-1,800 words (references not counted). 1,800 reflects the max for the oldest/eligible 16-18
- Formatting: 12-point Times New Roman, 1-inch margins, double-spaced.
- Header must include Participant ID, title, date, word count, and page number; no student names anywhere (blind judging).
- Essay must address a qualifying historical topic and required prompts.
- An adult editor, typically a parent or guardian, is required.
- Artificial intelligence use is prohibited.
- Word count, formatting, and blind-judging header requirements vary by age tier.