MindSpeak
Essay Competition 2026
Submission Window: Oct 26th – December 16th
Your Voice Matters – Speak Your Mind!
Calling all New Jersey middle and high school students! This year, use the art of writing to share your story, your research, or even a creative piece about youth mental health.
Win cash prizes and help us to spark conversations that matter!
Prizes - Middle School
Gold
$300
Silver
$200
Bronze
$100
And a letter of Recognition from New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill for ALL winners
Prizes - High School
Gold
$500
Silver
$300
Bronze
$100
And a letter of Recognition from New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill for ALL winners and the opportunity to Pitch your topic!
Evaluation Rubric
> Point Categories
Entries will be evaluated based on creativity, impact, relevance, and their potential to spark meaningful discussions.
Competition Details
> Submission Window
Oct 26, 2026 — Dec 16, 2026
> Eligibility
Middle School (grades 6 – 8) or High School (grades 9–12), public, private, charter, or homeschool students enrolled in the state of New Jersey
> Awards Announced
January 24th, 2027 at the Youth Mental Wellness Fair in Livingston, NJ
Finalist MUST be in attendance at the Youth Mental Wellness Fair in order to receive their award. Finalist unable to attend forfeit their prize.
> Details - HS
Name and describe a specific mental health gap you have personally experienced or witnessed, and pitch a realistic and local solution.
Top finalists then get a real platform: a live pitch at the Youth Mental Wellness Fair- posted on our YouTube and on the Shiv’s Third Eye website, and possible invitations to present to state and regional partners.
Essay Guidelines - Middle School
> Topic
Unfiltered: The Reality Check
> Format
Choose one mental health challenge that you or someone has faced.
Write a creative story, a poem, or a personal essay that brings this invisible challenge to life and anchor it in a specific object, person, place, or moment.
- 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
- AI Usage Must Be Described
> Sample Prompt Ideas
Stuck on what to write about? Here are some sample prompts to write from:
- What specific object or place perfectly captures the heavy pressure of grades and homework
- How can you describe the invisible weight of social media by focusing on the exact moment you look at your screen?
- What does the everyday challenge of trying to fit in look like when you anchor it to a crowded cafeteria or hallway?
- When was the exact moment you realized you were struggling, or who was the person that finally gave you the courage to ask for help?
Essay Guidelines - High School
> Topic
Unfiltered: Your Blueprint For Change
> Format
Write a Letter for Change to a real person or group with the power to act: your principal, school board, mayor, coach, parents, a state official, or even a social media company. In your letter:
- Name the gap. What’s missing or broken? Show us, through your own experience or something you’ve seen up close, why it matters.
- Share your blueprint. Propose a specific, realistic solution for your school or town. Who would run it? What would it need? What’s the first step?
- Make your ask. What exactly do you want your reader to do.
The letter can still be creative: it may include a poem, a short scene, or a story within it.
- 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
- AI Usage Must Be Described
> Sample Prompt Ideas
Stuck on what to write about? Here are some sample prompts to write from:
- How does social media affect our mental health? Describe a personal experience or something you have presently seen in the world. What changes do we need?
- Why is Asking for Help so Hard? Think of a time you, or someone like you was struggling and din’t reach out. What got in the way? What would have made it easier?
- Teens are constantly under pressure! What pressures weight most on students in your school or community, what changes can we make to help students cope?
- Who gets left out? Some youth in our community fall through the cracks because of their differences. What changes can we make to actually reach them?
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 2026 Flyer with your students. They’ll have the opportunity to win cash prizes and a letter of recognition from New Jersey’s Governor Mikie Sherrill!
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.