RESOURCES
MISSION
Emeralds is committed to providing resources to cultivate passion for art, music, performance, and writing. Look for these opportunities at the same time next year.
Emeralds Team
Visual & performing arts
The visual & performing arts category pertains to photography, playwriting, and any display of artistic abilities.
Eligibility: 11th grade (junior) in Performing Arts (Theater)
Deadline: Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. (ET)
Awards: First Prize – $500, Second Prize – $250, Third Prize – $100
Synopsis of Competition: "Applicants may submit only one play – 10 pages maximum/1 page equals 1 minute."
Eligibility: Grades 9-12
Deadline: October 15, 2021 at 11:59 PM ET (Eastern Time)
Awards: Cash prizes between $100 and $10,000, nomination as a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, and a lifetime of creative and professional support.
Synopsis of Competition: "YoungArts' winners are the nation’s most accomplished young artists in the visual, literary, design and performing arts. Selected from a competitive pool of applications and representing artists from across the country, YoungArts winners gain access to one of the most comprehensive programs for emerging artists in the United States, offering financial, professional and artistic development opportunities over the course of their careers."
Writing
The writing category pertains to essay, creative writing, journalism and other forms of literary competitions.
Eligibility: Grades 9-12
Deadline: Deadlines vary between December 2020 and January 2021, depending on region
Awards: All entries are considered for Gold Key, Silver Key, Honorable Mention, American Visions Nominee, and American Voices Nominee Awards, the Art.Write.Now. exhibitions showcase selections of award-winning student work each year, and National Medalists are eligible for scholarships of up to $10,000.
Synopsis of Competition: The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards were founded in 1923 and, for nearly a century, have inspired bold ideas in creative teens throughout the country. Categories in writing include critical essay, journalism, personal essay & memoir, among others. All submissions are considered for regional and national awards.
Eligibility: Grades 9-12
Deadline: Midnight, October 31st
Awards: The national first place winner receives a $30,000 scholarship paid directly to the recipient’s American university, college or vocational/technical school. A complete list of other national scholarships range from $1,000-$16,000, and the first place winner from each VFW Department (state) wins a minimum scholarship of $1,000.
Synopsis of Competition: "Established in 1947, our Voice of Democracy audio-essay program provides high school students with the unique opportunity to express themselves in regards to a democratic and patriotic-themed recorded essay. Each year, nearly 64,500 9-12 grade students from across the country enter to win their share of more than $2.1 million in educational scholarships and incentives awarded through the program."
Eligibility: Grades 9-12
Deadline: 11:59 P.M. EDT, April 5th
Awards: $2,500 to the writer of the winning essay, in addition to an all-expense paid trip to the nation’s capital from anywhere in the U.S. for the winner and his or her parents, and an all-expense paid educational voyage courtesy of Semester at Sea. Runner-up receives $1,250 and a full tuition to attend a summer session of National Student Leadership Conference’s International Diplomacy program.
Synopsis of Competition: "Submissions will be judged on the quality of analysis, quality of research, and form, style and mechanics. Successful entries will answer all aspects of the prompt and demonstrate an understanding of the Foreign Service. The top five essays from each region will advance to the final round of judging that will determine the winner, runner-up, and honorable mentions. All decisions of the judges are final. All qualifying essays will be judged blind through several rounds of judging. All decisions of the judges are final."
Eligibility: Grades 9-12
Deadline: November 1st
Awards: First-place winners in each category are awarded a prize of $500; second-place winners receive $250; third-place winners receive $125.
Synopsis of Competition: "Bennington College has a unique literary legacy, including twelve Pulitzer Prize winners, three U.S. poet laureates, four MacArthur Geniuses, countless New York Times bestsellers, and two of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people. In celebration of this legacy, Bennington launched the Young Writers Awards to promote excellence in writing at the high school level. Our goal with this competition is to recognize outstanding writing achievement by high school students."
Eligibility: Grades 9-12
Deadline: Mid-January
Awards: Eight semifinalists receive $100 each, five finalists receive $1,000 each, and second-place winner receives $3,000. The winner receives a $10,000 cash award, and an all-expense paid trip to Boston to attend the Profile in Courage Award event in person.
Synopsis of Competition: "In Profiles in Courage, John F. Kennedy recounted the stories of eight U.S. senators who risked their careers to do what was right for the nation. These leaders demonstrated political courage by taking a stand for the public good in spite of pressure by interest groups, their political party, or even their constituents. The Profile in Courage Essay Contest challenges students to write an original and creative essay that demonstrates an understanding of political courage as described by John F. Kennedy in Profiles in Courage."