To celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary, the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) and Volunteer Florida are inviting students in grades K-12 to take part in the America250FL art and essay contests.
Both contests are open to students across Florida, with the art contest for grades kindergarten through fifth and the essay contest for sixth through 12th.
“As America approaches its 250th anniversary, the America250FL contest offers students a meaningful opportunity to explore how Florida has helped shape and strengthen our nation,” Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas said in an FDOE release. “As a national leader in education, I am proud of what we have accomplished and look forward to reading and seeing the outstanding work students will submit.”
The theme for both contests is “Celebrating Florida’s Contributions to America.”
According to the release, art and essay contestants must be residents of Florida and capable of providing a Social Security number. Each student may enter only one submission.
For the art contest, every student will submit an original, two-dimensional artwork based on the theme.
Six winners will be chosen, with each winner receiving a two-year Florida College Plan scholarship provided by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation.
As for the essay contest, students may only enter one essay that is written in English and is no longer than 500 words, according to the contest rules.
Eight winners will be selected for the essay contest, including three middle school (grades 6-8) and five high school (grades 9-12) students.
The winners from the middle and high school levels will receive a two-year and four-year Florida College Plan scholarship, respectively, provided by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation.
More information about the essay contest, including the prompts for middle and high school students, can be found here (america250floridacontest.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/America250FL-Essay-Contest-Grades-6-12-Guidelines.pdf).
“America’s 250th anniversary is a powerful opportunity to inspire the next generation to reflect on our shared history and imagine how they can help shape our future,” Josie Tamayo, CEO of Volunteer Florida, said in the release. “Through the America250FL essay and art contests, students are encouraged to celebrate Florida’s contributions to our nation and continue that story through service and civic engagement.”
Student contest nomination forms need to be mailed to Volunteer Florida (1545 Raymond Diehl Road, Suite 250, Tallahassee, FL 32308) or submitted online at America250FloridaContest.com.
All entries must be received by 5 p.m. (ET) on Monday, March 16.