MindSpeak
Essay Competition 2025
Submission Window Passed : Oct 1, 2025 – Dec 20, 2025
Thank You For Your Submissions!
Thank you for an overwhelming response of 120+ entries from 46 school districts across 9 counties in New Jersey.
Award winners were announced in-person at the Youth Mental Wellness Fair on Sunday, February 1, 2026.
Your Voice Matters – Speak Your Mind!
Calling all New Jersey middle and high school students! Use the art of writing to share your story, research, or creative piece about youth mental health. Win cash prizes and help spark conversations that matter.
Prizes
Gold
$500
Silver
$300
Bronze
$100
+ a letter of Recognition from United States Senator Andy Kim for ALL winners
Essay Guidelines
> Topic
Exploration of youth mental health and its impact.
> Format
Write an original essay. Your essay may include original research, poetry, and creative writing (personal/fictional).
- word limit: 1000 words, no identifying info in the essay body (must be anonymous for judging)
- media: no photos or graphics
- references: must be appropriately cited
- font: Times New Roman, 12pt, single-spaced
- file: PDF
> Sample Prompt Ideas
Below are some examples to help spark ideas for your own essay topics:
- What affects your mental well‑being and how do you cope?
- How does social media shape your mental health?
- What would a culture of mental wellness look like in your school or town?
Competition Details
> Submission Window
Oct 1, 2025 — Dec 20, 2025
> Eligibility
Middle School (grades 6–8), High School (grades 9–12), public, private, charter, or homeschool students enrolled in the state of New Jersey
> Awards Announced
Jan 25, 2026 at the Youth Mental Wellness Fair in Livingston, New Jersey
Evaluation Rubric
> Point Categories
Entries will be evaluated based on creativity, impact, relevance, and their potential to spark meaningful discussions.
How To Enter
1. Write an original piece following the essay guidelines above
2. Save your entry as a PDF: FirstnameLastname_SchoolInitials.pdf
Example: JaneDoe_LHS.pdf
3. Upload the signed Parent/Guardian Waiver as a PDF with the file name: FirstnameLastname_SchoolInitials_Waiver.pdf
Example: JaneDoe_LHS_Waiver.pdf
4. Use submission form below and upload both files.
Teacher Toolkit
Calling all teachers!
Encourage conversations around youth mental health by sharing the MindSpeak 2025 Flyer with your students. They’ll have the opportunity to win cash prizes and a letter of recognition from United States Senator Andy Kim.
Check Out Previous MindSpeak Essay Winners
Frequently Asked Questions:
Who will be judging the essays ?
The essays will be evaluated by a Judges Panel consisting of a Middle School English Teacher, a High School English Teacher, a High School Psychologist and an adolescent Clinical Psychologist. Each judge will be from a different school district in NJ.
How are the essays evaluated?
The Judges Panel will be given a rubric and each of them will assign the points to each entry based on the rubric. The score averages will decide the ranking.
Will the judges see the participant's name?
The Judges will not see the participant names and it will be anonymized to enable a bias free evaluation.
Can one student write two entries?
No. If they do, only the first entry will be considered valid.
Can I work in groups?
No. The essay entry is individualized.
Why only an essay competition? What if I would like to submit a multi media presentation?
We are starting this year with only an Essay competition. But in the future there are plans to expand it to beyond essays.