KHREF Essay Contest

The KHREF Essay Contest invites high school students to engage with human rights issues through research-based writing, in honor of Human Rights Day on December 10. Cash prizes of $5,000, $2,500, and $1,250 are awarded to first, second, and third place respectively. Winners are announced and awards presented by the end of January following the contest. The contest aims to educate the next generation about global human rights standards.

Open to high school students who are citizens or residents of the United States. Participants must be enrolled in a high school or equivalent program at the time of submission. There are no GPA or age restrictions beyond standard high school enrollment.

Essays must be written in English, be a maximum of 2,500 words, and support arguments with scholarly research. Submissions are made through the KHREF website by December 10 (Human Rights Day). Students may submit only one entry per contest cycle.