Whether it’s at home, in school, or in your neighborhood, with your grandma or with your soccer team, being bilingual has made life a little bit more cross-cultural, and you a bit more special.

In the midst of this bilingual revolution, we want to hear the stories of those experiencing it: bilingual students. French Morning and Frenchly are calling on 7^th-11^th grade students for a New York area essay contest on being bilingual, to answer the question, “How does being bilingual make you different, shape you or define who you are?”

We want to hear the stories of bilingual students attending school in the greater New York City area (tri-state area). Students at all kinds of schools—public, private, charter, bilingual, and monolingual—are welcome to apply. French does not have to be one of the languages students are bilingual in!

Essays should be written in students’ best English. Essays will be judged on clarity, persuasiveness, originality, and how compelling the storytelling is.

Winners will be recognized at an awards ceremony at French Morning’s annual Bilingual Fair on November 4^th at Fordham University School of Law near Lincoln Center. The finalists in each age group will be announced in the weeks leading up to the fair. They must be present at the Bilingual Fair, where the final prizes will be announced. All finalists will receive cash prizes for themselves, and the first and second place winners will also receive money for their schools. The first place winner’s essay in each age group will be published on French Morning and Frenchly.

All submissions must be entered here by Wednesday, October 25.

ESSAY CONTEST

Essay Question:
How does being bilingual make you different, shape you or define who you are?

Length Requirement:
7^th-8^th graders (Middle School), 300-350 words
9^th-11^th graders (High School), 450-500 words

Prizes:
High School
1st: $800 for the student and $500 for their school
2nd: $300 for the student and $200 for their school
3rd: $100 for the student

Middle School
1st: $400 for the student and $200 for the school
2nd: $200 for the student and $100 for the school
3rd: $100 for the student

Submission:
Please submit essays here by Wednesday, October 25.