NEWS: Sanders Announces 17th Annual State of the Union Essay Contest

BURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 12 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has launched his 17th annual State of the Union Essay Contest for Vermont students. Each year, the president of the United States delivers an address to a joint session of Congress, which outlines priorities for the coming year. Sanders knows that great ideas can come from everyone — not just those in power — which is why he created the State of the Union Essay Contest to encourage young people to engage in the political process. The contest is an opportunity for Vermont high school students to describe a major issue facing our country and propose what they would do to solve it. “The purpose of this contest is to get young people to start thinking about the many important issues that we deal with every day,” said Sanders. “As proven by the recent midterm elections, all people have the right to express their views and help shape the direction in which our country goes — and that includes young people. I want to see our students be actively engaged, no matter where they stand on the issues.” The 250-to-500-word essays can be on any issue of national importance. A volunteer panel of Vermont educators will judge the essays on the students’ ability to articulate an issue and propose a solution, without regard to the students’ political views. Following the contest, Sanders will invite the finalists to a roundtable discussion at the Vermont State House and will enter their essays into the Congressional Record — the official archive of the U.S. Congress. More than 7,000 students from high schools across Vermont have written essays in the past 16 years about critically important issues, including climate change, racial justice, corporate power, immigration reform, artificial intelligence, political polarization and much, much more. Last year, Saralynn Anderson from Essex High School was selected as the winner from 417 submissions for her essay on mental health care for students. The deadline for student essay submission is January 11, 2027 . More information can be found on Sanders’ Senate website HERE or by calling (800) 339-9834 .