APA invited high school students to write about the critical planning issues facing their communities.
APA's High School Essay Contest will not be held in the immediate future. See below for information about past contests.
Questions? education@planning.org
Read winning essays from past contests and learn about the essays. Teachers, use these essay assignments for classroom projects.
Learn about the field of planning and the work of planners.
The High School Essay Contest is one of the programs of APA's National Community Planning Month.
Jason Rood of Seattle, Washington, received a $5,000 scholarship to the college of his choice and complimentary attendance at one American Planning Association National Planning Conference over the next four years. This year's winner was selected from more than 100 submissions.
Jason, a senior at Garfield High School in Seattle, argues in his essay that the link between the Green movement and Native American historic preservation is not being properly exploited. He writes that American Indians who lived in the Seattle region lived in harmony with the land, and their values and ways can be put to good use by the various green initiatives working to encourage sustainability in the area. By combining historic values and ideas with the technology of the future we can honor Native Americans by healing and sustaining the land they held sacred.
Read Jason Rood's winning essay (pdf)
| Honorable Mention | |
| Adam Scottaline | Newnan, Georgia |
| Anthony Meals | Clay Center, Kansas |
| Deidre Mitchell | North Haven, Connecticut |
| Hannah Couch | Statesboro, Georgia |
| James Fernando | Lake Havasu City, Arizona |
| Jennifer Kempinski | Melbourne, Florida |
| Jeffery Domozick | Roswell, Georgia |
| Michael Ryan | Evans, Georgia |
| Rena Wang | Santa Rosa, California |
| Talia Chorover | Tucson, Arizona |
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