The lawyers and judges of the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, invite high school students in grades nine-12 in Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Flagler, Hamilton, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, Suwannee and Union counties to enter the 2024 High School Essay Contest.
“For the last six years, the High School Essay Contest has been and continues to be an important part of the Court’s community outreach. Knowledgeable and informed citizens are crucial to a healthy and functioning democracy. The Court’s community outreach programs strive to educate students about the federal judiciary and how it serves to advance the goals and ideals articulated in the United States Constitution,” U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard said in a news release.
Participating students, their teachers and schools have a chance to win cash prizes.
First place will receive $2,000; second place, $1,000; and third place will receive $500. Fourth through 10th places each will receive $150.
Teachers of the top three winners each will receive a $500 classroom grant. The school with the most submissions will receive a $1,000 award.
The first-place winner will be invited to shadow a U.S. District Judge for a day.
This year’s essay prompt:
“How has your personal experience with technology in school affected your understanding of the First Amendment? Describe a situation in which rules related to the use of technology in a public educational environment impacted or could have impacted a student’s ability to communicate, learn, or express an opinion. How would you balance protecting the First Amendment rights of public-school students with the special characteristics of the school environment as identified by the Supreme Court?”
Because private schools and home schools are not governmental entities, students in these environments do not benefit from the same First Amendment protections. For purposes of this essay, students should respond from the perspective of a public-school student, contest organizers said.
Visit tinyurl.com/4y8tsufa for contest rules and the entry form.
Winning students, their family members and teachers and a representative of the school with the most qualifying submissions will be recognized Dec. 4 at a ceremony at the Bryan Simpson U.S. Courthouse in Jacksonville.