Ninth Circuit Civics Contest
Direct application
Up to $3,000
6 winners
Eligibility
Education level
High school
About this scholarship
Grades 9 through 12 students in Ninth Circuit states and territories (Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands) may enter separate essay and video competitions on the annual civics theme. Circuit-level prizes reach up to $3,000 for first place, with six total circuit-level awards across categories; district-level prizes are also available.
Essays must be 500 to 1,000 words and address the year's prompt. Submit through ca9.uscourts.gov/civicscontest. Children of federal judges and court employees are not eligible.
The contest explores the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship.
Essay question
What else to submit
- A 500- to 1,000-word original essay addressing the annual prompt, submitted as a Word or PDF file; or a 3–5 minute video.
- Proper source citations in MLA, APA, or Chicago format.
- Finalists must submit a release permitting publication of the essay.
- Essay length: between 500 and 1,000 words (footnotes and bibliographies are NOT included in the word count).
- Essay must be submitted as a Word or PDF file, uploaded at https://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/civicscontest.
- Open to high school students (grades 9-12, including equivalent homeschooled) residing in AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, WA, Guam, or the Northern Mariana Islands.
- Children of federal judges, chambers staff, and federal court office employees are not eligible.
- All sources must be properly cited using a standard citation format (MLA, APA, or Chicago).
- Essay must be the student's own original work; AI-generated content is prohibited and will be disqualified (essays may be screened with AI-detection tools).
- Alternative format option: instead of an essay, a student may submit a 3-5 minute video (you may submit one essay and one video, but only one of each).
- Finalists must submit a release form permitting publication of the essay.
- Entry window: Jan. 7, 2026 - 11:59 p.m. Pacific, March 6, 2026.
- Essay must be the student's own work; AI-generated content is prohibited.
- A student may submit one essay and one video, but only one of each.