Western National Parks High School Essay Contest
Your story. Your voice. Your connection to public lands.
Western National Parks invites high school students in Pima County to explore the power of storytelling and public lands through our annual essay contest. Each year, students reflect on the role public lands and national parks play in our lives—from personal experiences to shared community values.
Bookmark this page for details on upcoming prompts, deadlines, and how to enter.
Share your connection to public lands
This contest celebrates youth voices and encourages thoughtful engagement with the natural and cultural heritage that surrounds us. Participants must be enrolled in any Pima County school or homeschool program.
Winners earn
- Cash prizes
- An invitation to read your essay at the Tucson Festival of Books in March
- A feature on our website and newsletters
Frequently asked questions
Why participate?
- Cash prizes
- Read your essay at the Tucson Festival of Books in March at the University of Arizona main campus
Selected winners are invited to share their work at one of Arizona’s premier literary events.
- Be featured
Winning essays are published on our website and in newsletters shared across the Western National Parks community.
Who can enter?
High school students currently enrolled in any Pima County school or homeschool program.
What is the prompt?
This year's prompt will be announced in the fall of 2025. Each year’s prompt invites students to reflect on their connection to public lands in creative, personal, or persuasive ways. Follow us on social media, sign up for our mailing list, or check back here for the official 2026 prompt!
Is there a word count?
Essays should be 500 words and represent original student work. Submissions are reviewed by a diverse panel of educators, writers, and park professionals.
How are winners selected?
Submissions are reviewed by a diverse panel of educators, writers, and park professionals.
Excerpts from past winners
A world for all
Whether surrounded by awe-eliciting sequoias or saguaro-guarded deserts or shooting geysers, national parks embody the beauty of nature, which shapes so much of art, science, community, and our world.
—Mallory O.
Diversity is strength
The simple fact is that employing people with disabilities would not only help the national parks, but it help those with disabilities have means to greater economic self-sufficiency, a way for them to connect to their community and a way to acquire new skills.
—Alma E.
A challenge to care
Over the decades, nature has gone from a reality of human life to a niche interest. Many are simply apathetic to the wonders of the natural world, and in turn, national parks....Inspiring people to care is vital to individual engagement with nature and national parks.
—Azrael F.
Mother nature
Leaders should be someone with not only power, but empathy and understanding. Someone who is willing to stand up and speak out publicly against injustice, and Kimmerer does just that with her book and teaching.
—Ashley J.
Leaders of tomorrow
The desert is our home, and even our backyards are filled with some of the most beautiful and unique habitats. To continue sharing the desert with native species and experiencing everything it has to offer, we must emphasize the detriment of our actions when taking the desert for granted.
—Bailey D.
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