Commonwealth Essay Competition for Young Writers and Students from Commonwealth Countries

Commonwealth Essay Competition

Essay Subject(s): Team Commonwealth
Essay Level: Secondary school, Undergraduate
Provider: Royal Commonwealth Society
Country to Write in: Commonwealth countries

Essay Description
Updated (April 2015): see the more current The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition

Each year, the Commonwealth Essay Competition, run by the Royal Commonwealth Society since 1883, inspires thousands of young writers from all over the world.

The Competition aims to celebrate and nurture the creative talents of young people across the Commonwealth, providing a platform for students to compete with their peers in each of the 54 nations which make up this unique association.

It is the world’s oldest and largest schools’ international writing competition. Past winners include Mr Lee Hsien Loong, the Prime Minister of Singapore and Elspeth Huxley.

Eligibility
Are you a writer? Are you interested in the world around you? Do you want your voice to be heard by others? If so, the Commonwealth Essay Competition is definitely for you. The RCS encourages you to be creative in your response to their topics.

You can submit a poem, letter, article, story, essay or even a short play. The choice is yours. Just get writing!

Open to all Commonwealth citizens aged 18 and under, the Essay Competition offers young people the opportunity to make their voice heard on a global platform and engage with issues important to them. The essay competition gives young people from diverse backgrounds a platform to express their views about the world and their dreams for the future.

Participants continue to demonstrate their ability to stimulate and provoke discussions about important issues like (but not limited to) poverty, sustainable development, gender inequality, child labour and universal education.

Entries for the 2014 essay competition can be submitted online or by post for the 2014 competition. However, online submissions are highly encouraged wherever possible.

Entrants are judged in two age groups, Junior (under 14 years) and Senior (14-18 years).

Eligible groups
Citizens of the 54 Commonwealth Countries

Participating Institutions
All schools in all the 54 commonwealth countries are eligible.

Essay Topic (Fields of Study)
The theme of the competition for this year is ‘Team Commonwealth’.

Junior Category (Born after 1st May 2000):
  1. Tell us about your family or friends. Who are the team players and who are the stars?
  2. ‘You’re one of us now.’
  3. What makes a good team? What makes a good team player?
  4. Tell us about an instance (or two) where people from different generations have worked together.
  5. Have there been times in your life when you wished you had someone to team up with?
Senior Category (Born between 2nd May 1995 and 1st May 2000):
  1. Team Commonwealth! How would you describe what your country has to offer other members of the team?
  2. How can sport build peace in troubled communities?
  3. What part does competition play in people’s daily lives?
  4. Explore the relationship between ethics, sport and human rights.
  5. ‘We’re a good partnership, you and I!’
Number of awards
In 2012, over 8,000 young writers applied and 1,000 participants from 245 schools, in 38 countries across the Commonwealth received an award for their entry.

Method of Application
Entries can be submitted online or by post for the 2014 competition. However, online submissions are highly encouraged wherever possible.

Please read all the rules and important information before submitting your essay as you will not be able to rescind or revise it once it's been uploaded. It is also a good idea to consult the FAQ page before submitting your entry. It is essential that entrants fill in the mandatory fields in the online entry form.

It is important to visit the official website (link to it is below) for detailed information on how to enter for the competition.

DEADLINE:
Participants are invited to enter via post or submit entries online as from January 2014. The closing date is 1st May 2014.

PLEASE NOTE:
Results will be announced in the autumn of next year, when a Junior and Senior Prize Winner and Runner Up will be announced and RCS judges will make a number of Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards. RCS very much hopes your school will feature!

The Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) is an international education charity, whose aim is to inspire and engage, by promoting understanding of international affairs and the modern Commonwealth. Their projects encourage young people to develop their skills, to realise their ambitions and, with an increased awareness of their role as global citizens, to engage with key challenges facing the international community.

The Royal Commonwealth Society has run the Commonwealth Essay Competition since 1883. The Competition is the world’s oldest and largest schools’ international writing competition.

Submission Deadline: 1 May 2014
Open to International students: Yes

More Essay Information and Application

Related: Essay Writing Competitions for International Students

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