NJEA Essay Contest

Who belongs in the New Jersey Hall of Fame?

The NJEA Essay Contest invites New Jersey students to shape the future of the NJHOF by recommending potential inductees—living or dead. Nominations can include famous people or even ordinary citizens who do extraordinary things. Students should research or interview (if possible) the person they wish to nominate and write an essay no longer than 500 words, typed and double-spaced.

The student must include their name, age, grade level as of their entry submission date, address, phone number, parent/guardian’s name, school name, and school district. If the essay is a school project, the student should include the teacher’s name who assigned the activity.

Two age categories exist for entries: intermediate (grades 4-8) and high school (grades 9-12). A panel of representatives from the NJEA and NJHOF will judge the entries.

The winning students’ nominations will be forwarded to the New Jersey Hall of Fame Academy for induction consideration the following calendar year. The Academy’s 100 members, who represent a diverse group of New Jersey’s most prominent organizations, including the NJEA, media outlets, and major corporations, will review nominees and ultimately select Hall of Fame nominees to be put forth for the public vote in the spring.

Please send entries to New Jersey Hall of Fame Contest, c/o Meredith Barnes NJEA, PO Box 1211 Trenton, NJ 08607-1211, or email mbarnes@njea.org with NJHOF Essay Contest in the subject line.