ULCT Youth Essay Contest
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Contest Description
The Utah League of Cities and Towns 2024 essay contest “Why I Like My Community,” is open for students in 4th and 7th grade students throughout Utah who meet the requirements listed below. Students are encouraged to share their thoughts on what makes their respective communities so wonderful.
Essays Due March 21, 2024
Prize Amounts
Students who win the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize will receive a cash prize, as will their individual schools in the following amounts:
- Student $500
- School $1000
- Student $300
- School $750
- Student $100
- School $500
Essay Requirements
Students must reside or attend school in an incorporated Utah city, town, or metro township in good standing with ULCT. For a complete list of Utah’s cities, towns, and metro townships, click here.
Home schooled students are also invited to participate but also must reside in an incorporated city, town, or metro township in good standing with ULCT. (See link above.) Home schooled students are eligible for a student contest award, but not eligible to receive a cash prize for their respective schools.
Essays Due March 15, 2024
Essay Length:
Fourth Grade—between 250-450 words
Seventh Grade—not to exceed 750 words
Essay Submission:
7th grade essays must be typed and submitted electronically with an entry form. 4th grade essays should be typed or handwritten in blue or black ink and submitted electronically with the entry form.
Students without access to a computer or internet may submit essays by mail to the following address:
ULCT Essay Contest
50 South 600 East, Ste. 150
Salt Lake City, UT 84102
Judging Criteria
Judging Criteria
The essays will be judged on the following criteria:
A. Content relates to the community and the students’ views,
B. Essay has a logical development, and ideas clearly build on each other,
C. Mechanics such as usage, punctuation, capitalization, sentence structure, etc.,
D. Adherence to the guidelines,
E. Descriptive quality, written by the student.
2023 Essay Contest Winners
4th Grade
Student: Ashlynn Nelson
Hometown: Hooper
Student: Josh Van Orman
Hometown: Manti
Student: Gabrielle Vital
Hometown: Provo
7th Grade
Student: Logan Miner
Hometown: Mapleton
Student: Ashlynn Kendall
Hometown: Heber
Student: Caitlin Barlow
Hometown: Gunnison
2022 Essay Contest Winners:
2021 Essay Contest Winners:
2020Essay Contest Winners:
2019 Essay Contest Winners:
2018 Essay Contest Winners:
2017 Essay Contest Winners:
2022 Essay Contest
Thanks to the talented, insightful students who entered essays in our contest!
Click to watch video highlighting essay winners
The Utah League of Cities and Towns is pleased to announce the award winners for the 2022 “Why I Like My Community” essay contest. Each year, students from Utah’s 4th and 7th grades are invited to participate in this contest by writing about the unique elements of their hometown, whether it’s the events, the history, the people, the beautiful sites, or wonderful opportunities in the community. A panel of judges with the Utah League of Cities and Towns reads and ranks all submissions based on creative thinking, correct grammar, spelling, structure, and essay development. The three top-ranking essays in each grade receive awards.
2022 Contest Winners
4th Grade
Student: Mason Madsen
Hometown: Lewiston
School: Lewiston Elementary School, Lewiston, Utah
Student: Jett Mitchell
Hometown: Anabella
School: Monroe Elementary School, Monroe, Utah
Student: Kason Bell
Hometown: Uintah
School: H Guy Child Elementary School, South Ogden, Utah
Student: Chaz Buttars
Hometown: Cove
School: Lewiston Elementary School, Lewiston, Utah
7th Grade
Student: Tiger Blaylock
Hometown: Provo
School: Walden School of Liberal Arts, Provo, Utah
Student: Chance Hammond
Hometown: Fayette
School: Gunnison Valley Middle School, Gunnison, Utah
Student: Makayla Tucker
Hometown: Gunnison
School: Gunnison Valley Middle School, Gunnison, Utah
2021 Contest Winners
Cash awards are given to the students and their respective schools in the amounts of:
- Student $500
- School $1000
- Student $300
- School $750
- Student $100
- School $500
The Utah League of Cities and Towns partners with sponsor Maverik to host this contest every year. ULCT Executive Director Cameron Diehl says it is always very interesting to read the observations of the young people in our communities. He explains, “The eyes of youth often see what adults may overlook or take for granted. These 4th and 7th grade writers have a refreshing way of noticing some of the finest aspects of what our cities and towns offer.”
The League will officially honor the award-winning students at its Annual Convention featuring municipal leaders from Utah’s cities and towns this fall. ULCT congratulates the 2021 winners for their insights into the unique attributes of Utah’s cities and towns.
7th Grade
Student: Celeste Davis
Hometown: Cedar Hills
School: Mountain Ridge Junior High School
Student: Ella Stevens
Hometown: Pleasant Grove
School: Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy
Student: Alyssa Testi
Hometown: Heber City
School: Timpanogos Middle School
4th Grade
Student: Beau Hooper
Hometown: Nephi
School: Nebo View Elementary
Student: Deklyn Murphy
Hometown: St. George
School: Diamond Valley Elementary
Student: Brooklyn Martinsen
Hometown: Provo
School: Provost Elementary
2020 Essay Contest Winners
ULCT congratulates the 4th and 7th grade students who won the top 3 prizes in the 2020 competition. Special thanks to Maverik, the ULCT sponsor of the 4th and 7th grade “Why I Like My Community” Essay Contest.
Watch a video summary of the student writers’ work by clicking here.
4th Grade
Student: Addison Hansen
Hometown: Taylorsville
School: Calvin Smith Elementary
Student: Madison Nielson
Hometown: Spring City
School: Spring City Elementary
Student: Alana Parry
Hometown: Provo
School: Provost Elementary
7th Grade
Student: Eve Selway
Hometown: Stansbury Park
School: Excelsior Academy School
Student: Nathan Willden
Hometown: Gunnison
School: Gunnison Valley Middle School
Student: Mary Lyons
Hometown: Gunnison
School: Gunnison Valley Middle School
2019 Essay Contest Winners
We congratulate the 4th and 7th grade students who won the top 3 prizes in the 2019 competition:
The 2019 ULCT “Why I Like My Community” essay contest is made possible through a contribution from Maverik, a sponsor of the Utah League of Cities and Towns. Maverik’s commitment to the community and desire to acknowledge the talented youth living in our cities and towns makes it possible to provide a much-needed financial contribution to our local schools.
4th Grade
Student: Benjer Philpot
School: Muir Elementary in Bountiful
Student: Vierra Powell
School: Manti Elementary in Manti
Student: Eleanor Armour
School: Sunset Elementary in George
7th Grade
Student: Mary Carter
School: Gunnison Valley Middle School in Gunnison
Student: Harrison Thomas
School: Olympus Junior High School in Holladay
Student: Caitlin Watkins
School: Gunnison Valley Middle School in Gunnison
2018 Essay Contest Winners
7th Grade
Student: Taylor Thomas
Hometown: Tabiona
School: Tabiona Junior High School
Student: James Hart
Hometown: Gunnison
School: Gunnison Valley Middle School
Student: Susie Moysh
Hometown: Gunnison
School: Gunnison Valley Middle School
4th Grade
Student: Leah Blazzard
Hometown: Kamas
School: Summit Elementary School
Student: Taylie Mickelsen
Hometown: Manti
School: Manti Elementary School
Student: Jane Stucki
Hometown: Spring City
School: Spring City Elementary School
2017 Essay Contest Winners
7th Grade
Student: Benjamin Sorenson
Hometown: Gunnison
School: Gunnison Valley Middle School
Student: Noelle Condie
Hometown: Gunnison
School: Gunnison Valley Middle School
Student: Maria Hilton
Hometown: Orem
School: Canyon View Jr. High
4th Grade
Student: Fred Philpot
Hometown: Bountiful
School: Muir Elementary
Student: Sophie Arnold
Hometown: Highland
School: Highland Elementary
Student: Tanner Richardson
Hometown: Farmington
School: Reading Elementary
