Aussie Writings Essay Writing Contest – A Longstanding Tradition of Promoting Excellence in Student Writing
The Aussie Writings essay writing contest has been a staple competition for secondary and post-secondary students across Australia and New Zealand for over 20 years. Started in 1997 by a group of teachers and academics who wanted to encourage greater engagement with the written word among young people, it has grown to become one of the most prestigious student writing contests in the region. Each year, thousands of students submit original essays in the hopes of being named one of the winners and receiving academic scholarships, publication opportunities, and acclaim for their work.
How the Contest Works
The contest is open to any student currently enrolled in Years 9-12 or an undergraduate degree program at a university. There are separate categories for junior and senior divisions to ensure fair assessment of abilities. Entrants can choose from various essay prompts covering topics in literature, history, current events, science & technology, and the arts. Prompts aim to stimulate critical thinking on issues both within and beyond the classroom.
Essays must be between 1,000-2,000 words and follow standard formatting guidelines. Electronic submissions are accepted through the Aussie Writings website during a two-month entry period each spring semester. There is no entry fee to participate. Once the deadline passes, a panel of teachers, professors, and published authors convenes to review the essays blindly without knowing entrants’ identities. Essays are scored based on content, organization, style, grammar/mechanics, and ability to persuade or inform the reader.
Winners and Recognition
Three top essays are selected in each division and category. Winners receive trophies or medals and their work is published on the Aussie Writings website and in distributed anthologies. Cash prizes are awarded up to $1,000 for first place depending on sponsorship funding levels each year. All participants who advance to the finalist round have their essays recognized with merit certificates. Teachers of winning students may also qualify for small classroom grants.
Publicizing the accomplishments of top entrants helps bring prestige and exposure that can open doors. Many past winners have earned university admission or scholarship offers partly based on their contest success. Some have even gone on to careers in writing, publishing, or fields where strong communication skills are valued. Teachers consistently report that the contest inspires students to devote more effort to crafting compelling written arguments and analyses.
Commitment to Academic Rigor
What sets the Aussie Writings contest apart is its emphasis on evaluating ideas, not just mechanics or personal interests. Readers are instructed to remain impartial to an entrant’s background or opinions expressed and focus solely on elements directly related to the assigned task, like clear thesis development, appropriate sourcing of evidence, logical flow, and persuasive delivery of a stance. This reinforces principles of unbiased peer review that are essential in research and scholarship.
The essay prompts also undergo multi-stage design and review to ensure they provide sufficient flexibility for diverse viewpoints yet push entrants beyond superficial treatments. Prompts aim for balanced coverage of topics in different disciplines each year rather than recycling familiar subjects. Contest organizers closely monitor prompt selection and assessment procedures to maintain academic rigor over time as needs and issues evolve in society.
Promoting Literacy in the Community
While recognizing top student performances, Aussie Writings’ broader mission encompasses elevating the value of written expression in everyday life. The contest’s sponsors include newspapers, publishers, literacy non-profits, and educational suppliers – all stakeholders in cultivating strong readers and writers. Contest results receive media coverage each year and are announced at regional ceremonies to raise the profile of writing within local communities.
The contest website maintains a bank of past prompts and winning submissions available for public access. Teachers can download complimentary classroom activities, rubrics and handouts about critical elements of the contest for integrating it into their writing instruction. Recap articles and videos produced summarize key insights from different years. Local libraries and cultural organizations also partner to host essay readings, author talks and workshops inspired by the contest experience.
Outlook for the Future
After more than two decades of service, Aussie Writings shows no signs of losing relevance in an era when digital technologies compete for students’ attention. If anything, contemporary issues like the spread of misinformation underscore demands for citizens capable of discerning fact from opinion through careful analysis of written texts. The contest continuously evolves by incorporating timely subjects that engage youth yet push sophisticated evaluation of multiple viewpoints.
Strategic planning looks to further boost international participation from Asia-Pacific countries and continue translating resources into additional languages to achieve a truly multicultural exchange of ideas. Partnerships with professional associations bring career networking possibilities. Maintaining rigorous literary standards while modernizing outreach sets an example for other contests aiming to nurture critical thinking through the written word. With committed leadership and community support, Aussie Writings seems poised to inspire student writers to new heights for many years to come.
Andrew Stroud