Express Yourself.
Create Change
Peace Essay and Art Contest
The Contest Application is open.
Enter the Essay & Art contest NowAbout us
The Modesto Peace Essay & Art Contest
We encourage you to submit your entries to Create Change, Peace Essay & Art Contest! Your creativity and unique perspectives make this contest special. Every entry showcases the amazing talent we have in our community.
This year we worked teachers and students to help develop our topic. We focused on clearer topic descriptions for each category and a more precise judging system. We listened.
2026 Topic:
250 Anniversary of Declaration of Independence: Expanding the Promises
Judging will take place in the winter of 2027. In the meantime, we’re organizing a reception and other locations available for showcasing student work. We’ll keep you updated with announcements here, on our website, and via email—so stay tuned.
Thank you for your submissions
Participating in activities like this is important for your personal growth. We celebrate all your endeavors; they are an important step in a journey as writers and artists.
Write an Essay
Choreograph a Dance
Create Art
Craft a Poem
Compose a Song
Produce a Video
Eligibility
The Peace Essay & Art Contest is open to all fifth through twelfth grade students who live in Stanislaus County, attend any public, private, or home school in Stanislaus County, and/or participate in extracurricular activities such as Girl or Boy Scouts, or Boys & Girls Club.
Contest activities
This contest is a celebration of our kids and their varied talents as well as our talented community!
In addition to a judging panel led by experts in literature and the arts, we have various activities throughout the contest period.
Workshops
We are organizing writing and art classes, at various locations, for young people.
recognition
Modesto Peace/Life Center publishes winning entries in their monthly newspaper, Stanislaus Connections
Awards
Our reception in early spring, awards winners with cash and gift prizes.
Art is all around us
We see it, hear it and experience it, for example in video games, books, posters, songs, social media, movies and tv. Can ART be a tool to help people understand and imagine solutions to problems such as bullying, people without homes, poor people or people who use fighting to solve their problems?
We think so.
Get Notified Right Away!
Join our email list and get notified when winners are announced. Stay in the loop so you don’t miss the reception and other events we’ve got planned throughout the year.