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Contests

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A lockdown drill interrupted an eighth-grade gym class. Related Article Credit Credit Alec Soth/Magnum, for The New York Times

We are honoring each of the Top 10 winners of our Fourth Annual Student Editorial Contest by publishing an essay a day. You can find them all here.

Below, an essay by Daina Kalnina, age 15.
Stopping Bullets With Locked Doors and Silence Is Already Pulling the Trigger
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It has become very familiar for high-school students to practice the infamous level-three lockdown. In all cases, we all share the semi-nervous chuckle of "wow, maybe we get Swiss-cheesed today" and sit in a corner, stare at our phones and text our friends. Only very recently, after a vivid dream - more a nightmare - of a school shooting, did I realize that sitting in the dark and stopping bullets with locked doors and silence is the exact opposite of what one would want to do. It wasn't until I stumbled upon the fact that the "people shot and killed in the Columbine library sat there for five minutes before the shooters entered and shot them." My school is full of able-bodied kids, and surprisingly, a great chunk that has had experience with self-defense and even marksmen training. So why sit and wait?

To say that the drills today are relevant is a mistake. They do more than just offer very little protection; they also endanger students and teachers more so than ever before. The lockdowns I've been taught over and over again, sitting in the dark, actually tell future active shooters exactly where we're going to be - cornered. More so, in The New York Times article, " In Shift, Police Advise Taking an Active Role to Counter Mass Attacks," studies conducted by law enforcement in the Virginia Tech shooting showed that "the students and teacher blocked the door with a heavy desk and held it in place, [the shooter] could not get in, and everyone lived," compared to those that tried to "hide or play dead," in which almost all were shot or died. It is shown more clearly here than ever by making the vital choice to barricade and move as a means of security will utilize finite time better and save lives.

Many educators and parents have questioned the authenticity and have begun to develop alternatives for active-shooter lockdowns. The ALICE project is one such adaptation. Developed by a former SWAT officer Greg Cane, ALICE stands for alert, lockdown, inform, counter, evacuate. It provides specialized tactics for K-12 and higher education schools. Fundamentally, a moving target is harder to get an aim on than a stationary one. That same difference marks ALICE's method from the old one; it encourages movement, distraction and most importantly, it encourages direct action from students and teachers. This significantly decreases the number of lives lost and helps me sleep a little bit better at night knowing that if the time ever comes, I'm not idly waiting to become Swiss cheese.

It's unnerving that the students of this country must learn how to cope with active shooters.
Works Cited
It's even more unnerving that current procedures say that they should sit, wait and die.

Lupkin, Sydney. " School Safety Experts Disagree on Lock Down Procedures." ABC News. ABC News Network, 16 Dec. 2012. Web. Mar. 2017.

Cane, Greg. "Active Shooter Response Training - ALICE" ALICE Training Institute. ALICE, n.d. Web. Mar. 2017.

Goode, Erica. " In Shift, Police Advise Taking an Active Role to Counter Mass Attacks." The New York Times. The New York Times, 06 Apr. 2013. Web. Mar. 2017.

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Editorial Contest Winner | 'Stopping Bullets With Locked Doors and Silence Is Already Pulling the Trigger'

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Contests We are honoring each of the Top 10 winners of our Fourth Annual Student Editorial Contest by publishing an essay a day. You can find them all here. Below, an essay by Daina Kalnina, age 15.

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Another successful aspect of German prisons is the level of respect with which the guards treat inmates. Newly hired correctional officers undergo a rigorous training, which proves to be beneficial because there are minimal assaults recorded between inmates and staff members. The correctional officers treat prisoners with positive reinforcement and uphold all inmates' right to privacy by knocking on a cell before entering.

While German correctional officers emphasize humanizing their inmates, American correctional officers' tactics lean toward denigrating. When prisons are designed to treat subjects like they are worthless, it only pushes them further into the criminal abyss.

In Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point," Mr. Gladwell stresses that human behavior correlates to certain types of environment, which could explain why Germany's reimprisonment rate is only 35 percent. Inmates who leave German prisons can apply their positive experience to make good choices, while American ex-convicts often resort to crime again after release.

Understandably, some might argue that prisoners do not deserve a beneficial environment, but it is important to understand the benefits of a correctional system that concentrates on rehabilitation. A positive environment will do more than just improve the quality of life for the prisoners; its benefits will extend beyond prison walls by decreasing the United States crime rate.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky once asserted that "the degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons." America should take steps forward by following Germany's archetype for prisons, which shows that positive treatment of prisoners can go a long way.
Works Cited
Fazel, Seena, and Achim Wolf. "A Systematic Review of Criminal Recidivism Rates Worldwide: Current Difficulties and Recommendations for Best Practice." National Center for Biotechnology Information. Public Library of Science, 2015. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.

Gladwell, Malcolm. "The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference." London: Abacus, 2015. Print.

Travis, Nicholas Turner and Jeremy. " What We Learned From German Prisons." The New York Times. The New York Times, 06 Aug. 2015. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.

Wagner, Peter, and Bernadette Rabuy. "Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2017." Prison Policy Initiative. N.p., 14 Mar. 2017. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.

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Editorial Contest Winner | 'Reform the Prison, Then the Prisoner'

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Another successful aspect of German prisons is the level of respect with which the guards treat inmates. Newly hired correctional officers undergo a rigorous training, which proves to be beneficial because there are minimal assaults recorded between inmates and staff members.

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Editorial Contest Winner | ‘In Nothing We Trust’ (Published 2017)

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We are honoring each of the Top 10 winners of our Fourth Annual Student Editorial Contest by publishing an essay a day. Here, an essay by Francesca Kelley, age 18.

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Childhood stress has increased in the past few decades, with around 40 per cent of kids reporting that they worry too much. Jasmina Rowe, Clinical Practice Supervisor at Kids Helpline, looks at the most common stressors faced by today's children, and support strategies for schools and families.
What is stress in the context of childhood?
Stress is considered to be an unavoidable part of life. A certain amount of stress is normal and necessary for survival as it helps children develop the skills they need to cope with new situations and build resilience. Childhood stress can present with a large number of physical and emotional signs and symptoms, and usually occurs when the child is experiencing a situation that requires changing and adapting. Children can experience stress early in their lives, even before they are born, and can cope in different ways. Generally, we can see three types of stress responses in children:

Positive stress response - is considered as a normal part of healthy development, for example, going to school camp or starting at a new school. When experienced in a supportive environment, it can provide important opportunities to learn and practise healthy responses to life changes.

Tolerable stress response - activates the body's alert systems to a greater degree as a result of more severe, longer-lasting stressors, for example, parental divorce, illness or injury, or bullying at school.

Toxic stress response - can occur when a child experiences strong and/or prolonged multiples stressful events without adequate adult support, for example, physical or emotional abuse, chronic neglect, parental mental illness, or exposure to violence. It can disrupt early brain development and lead to many health problems.

The good news is that the damaging effects of toxic stress can be prevented or reversed if the child is placed in a supportive environment with caring adults as early in life as possible. Children experiencing tolerable (and especially toxic) stress may require the support from a mental health specialist who can provide ongoing therapeutic support and counselling. Telephone and online counselling services like Kids Helpline can also be helpful for children (and parents).
How prevalent is stress in early childhood/primary school?
It seems that everyday life stressors have increased in the last few decades and, certainly, we at Kids Helpline talk to a large number of children and young adults who report feeling significantly stressed and worried. A 2011 survey of 10,000 students across the country (commissioned by the Australian Scholarships Group) found that 40 per cent of students worry too much, and one-in-five have experienced an episode of depression.
What are common stressors for kids these days? Are they very different to 10 or 20 years ago?
Today's children face many pressures from external and internal sources, for example:

Stress in schools -There is a lot of pressure on students today to perform at school, and there seem to be even more pressure within the peer group. The increase in the amount of homework students receive, fear of failure, worrying about fitting in, self-identity, and bullying are some of the more common reasons for stress in schools.

Stress in the family - There are many issues within a family unit that can cause stress in children, for example, parental separation, remarriage (blended family), financial problems, poverty, parental stress, coping with parents who have a mental illness and, commonly, unreasonably high family expectations being placed on children.

Media stress and environmental dangers - Some children can become worried about things they hear and see on the news or by a generalised fear of strangers, burglars and street violence.

Many of the above-mentioned concerns, such as school stress, have been around for a long time. The main difference now, compared to 10 or 20 years ago, is that today's children have increased access to media. Television, internet and cell phones have contributed to the break-down of barriers that protect children from crime, violence and catastrophic events in media coverage. This exposure may contribute to, and have a significant impact on, increasing children's stress levels and their fears around safety. Cyber-bullying is another big stressor, which can be very aggressive and pervasive and often causes serious emotional distress and harm to children.
Are there times in a child's life where they may be more likely to experience stress?
Many internal and external factors can influence a child's susceptibility to stress. Children are more likely to experience stress in the following situations:

Multiple stressful situations (particularly those that the young person cannot easily control).

Transitions (life changes).

Stress accompanying a serious illness or injury.

Isolation or loneliness.

Abuse (past or current).

Parental stress (especially in mothers).

What behaviours might you see in stressed-out kids?
Youth of all ages, but especially younger children, may find it difficult to recognise and verbalise when they are experiencing stress. For children, stress can manifest itself through changes in behaviour. Some of those behavioural symptoms may include:
How do you know when stress levels for children are getting too much or are developing into something more concerning (like an anxiety disorder)?
When the strain and pressure becomes too much to handle, a child can develop a range of physical, emotional or behavioural symptoms, and can even be at risk of developing an anxiety disorder or other mental health issue. Some of the following symptoms, particularly if ongoing and severe, may indicate that child could be developing an anxiety disorder:
How can primary schools help student cope with stress
Schools can be really active in supporting students to deal with stress, for example, they can:
How can parents help their kids cope with stress?
It is important for parents to teach kids to recognise and express their emotions, and to use healthy ways to cope with the stress they experience. Parents can:
See the following free information and services provided by Kids Helpline:

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KidsMatter was developed by mental health professionals and education and childcare staff in response to the high rates of school-age children with mental health difficulties and the problems they face getting help. It is is a partnership between education and health sectors and is funded by the Australian Government and beyondblue.

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Stress in children and how it affects them

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Stress in children and how it affects them

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Yet instead of empowering them to thrive, this drive for success is eroding children's health and undermining their potential. Modern education is actually making them sick.

Nearly one in three teenagers told the American Psychological Association that stress drove them to sadness or depression - and their single biggest source of stress was school. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a vast majority of American teenagers get at least two hours less sleep each night than recommended - and research shows the more homework they do, the fewer hours they sleep. At the university level, 94 percent of college counseling directors in a survey from last year said they were seeing rising numbers of students with severe psychological problems.

At the other end of the age spectrum, doctors increasingly see children in early elementary school suffering from migraine headaches and ulcers. Many physicians see a clear connection to performance pressure.

"I'm talking about 5-, 6-, 7-year-olds who are coming in with these conditions. We never used to see that," says Lawrence Rosen, a New Jersey pediatrician who works with pediatric associations nationally. "I'm hearing this from my colleagues everywhere."

What sets Irvington apart in a nation of unhealthy schools is that educators, parents and students there have chosen to start making a change. Teachers are re-examining their homework demands, in some cases reviving the school district's forgotten homework guideline - no more than 20 minutes per class per night, and none on weekends. In fact, research supports limits on homework. Students have started a task force to promote healthy habits and balanced schedules. And for the past two years, school counselors have met one on one with every student at registration time to guide them toward a manageable course load.

"We are sitting on a ticking time bomb," said one Irvington teacher, who has seen the problem worsen over her 16 years on the job.

A growing body of medical evidence suggests that long-term childhood stress is linked not only with a higher risk of adult depression and anxiety, but with poor physical health outcomes, as well. The ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Study, a continuing project of the Centers for Disease Control and Kaiser Permanente, shows that children who experience multiple traumas - including violence, abuse or a parent's struggle with mental illness - are more likely than others to suffer heart disease, lung disease, cancer and shortened life spans as adults. Those are extreme hardships but a survey of the existing science in the 2013 Annual Review of Public Health suggested that the persistence of less severe stressors could similarly act as a prescription for sickness.

"Many of the health effects are apparent now, but many more will echo through the lives of our children," says Richard Scheffler, a health economist at the University of California, Berkeley. "We will all pay the cost of treating them and suffer the loss of their productive contributions."

Paradoxically, the pressure cooker is hurting, not helping, our kids' prospects for success. Many college students struggle with critical thinking, a fact that hasn't escaped their professors, only 14 percent of whom believe that their students are prepared for college work, according to a 2015 report. Just 29 percent of employers in the same study reported that graduates were equipped to succeed in today's workplace. Both of those numbers have plummeted since 2004.

Contrary to a commonly voiced fear that easing pressure will lead to poorer performance, Saint Louis medical school students' scores on the medical boards exams have actually gone up since the stress reduction strategy was put in place.

At Irvington, it's too early to gauge the impact of new reforms, but educators see promising signs. Calls to school counselors to help students having emotional episodes in class have dropped from routine to nearly nonexistent. The A.P. class failure rate dropped by half. Irvington students continue to be accepted at respected colleges.

There are lessons to be learned from Irvington's lead. Working together, parents, educators and students can make small but important changes: instituting everyday homework limits and weekend and holiday homework bans, adding advisory periods for student support and providing students opportunities to show their growth in creative ways beyond conventional tests. Communities across the country - like Gaithersburg, Md., Cadiz, Ky., and New York City - are already taking some of these steps. In place of the race for credentials, local teams are working to cultivate deep learning, integrity, purpose and personal connection. In place of high-stakes childhoods, they are choosing health.

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Opinion | Is the Drive for Success Making Our Children Sick?

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Yet instead of empowering them to thrive, this drive for success is eroding children's health and undermining their potential. Modern education is actually making them sick. Nearly one in three teenagers told the American Psychological Association that stress drove them to sadness or depression - and their single biggest source of stress was school.

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This time, however, California has a Democratic governor, and the legislation came on the heels of a highly publicized string of suicides among gay teenagers, including a 13-year-old boy from the state's Central Valley.

Advocates for the legislation said they believed the shift would help make schools safer for gay and lesbian students, who are often ostracized.

"There is an increasing awareness in the public and among elected officials that we have to do something to address the problems of bullying, and the negative consequences" for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students, said Carolyn Laub, director of the Gay-Straight Alliance Network.

Some conservative lawmakers, however, continued to oppose the bill, saying that curriculum should be left to individual school districts.

"It's a sad day for our republic when we have the government essentially telling people what they should think," said Tim Donnelly, a Republican state assemblyman from San Bernadino. Mr. Donnelly said the law prohibited schools from presenting gays and lesbians "in anything other than a positive light, and I think that's censorship right there."

Though the new law will take effect in January, state textbooks and curriculum will not be updated for several years. In the meantime, local school districts will have to use supplemental materials in the curriculums.

Correction: July 18, 2011

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California to Require Gay History in Schools

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This time, however, California has a Democratic governor, and the legislation came on the heels of a highly publicized string of suicides among gay teenagers, including a 13-year-old boy from the state's Central Valley. Advocates for the legislation said they believed the shift would help make schools safer for gay and lesbian students, who are often ostracized.

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But the 10-year education reform plan released in 2010 declared that schools must foster a "fine environment for independent thinking." The government is beginning to allow some schools to dictate up to 20 percent of their curriculum, according to Yang Xiaowei, a professor at East China Normal University. Some principals have chosen to introduce science- and math-based creativity classes or experiential learning projects, while one Shanghai administrator simply lets out school early a day a week to encourage kids to "explore."

"Students must develop a personality," Dai Chong, a Beijing schoolteacher, said, uttering a priority unthinkable two decades ago for a nation of rote-learning math fanatics.

As Mr. Dai ushered me through the hallways of Beijing National Day School, I noted practices that seemed more American than Chinese: Rankings were not be posted. Textbooks were left at school instead of toted home for study. Class sizes had been whittled down to a maximum of 25. A mental health club was advertised as a release valve for academic pressure. Choice was also on the menu - students could pick electives such as swimming, rock climbing and Frisbee.

"We have found traditional authoritarian Chinese teaching has many ill effects and deviates from the essence of education, which is to serve individuals," Mr. Dai said. "Our teachers are like friends."

An abrupt reversal, indeed, for a school that at one time didn't provide hot water for showers because cold water would enhance "willpower and endurance."

Reformers are also loosening the shackles of entrance-exam testing. Some students in Shanghai will have two chances at the college entrance exam, while universities are beginning to consider volunteering, interviews and regular high school tests as part of the admissions process.

For all its faults, the Chinese system provides some benefits that critics tend to dismiss. It imparts an early foundation of knowledge that can prepare a child for lifelong success. Cognitive scientists say that real learning doesn't happen unless knowledge is imprinted on long-term memory. Once children lock away key information, they can free up the active memory for thinking deeply - and for being creative.

And the system produces success stories. On the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's 2012 problem-solving test, students in Shanghai - a pilot district where reforms are tested - finished sixth, well above the O.E.C.D. average. And highly skilled Chinese can thrive in environments that encourage originality and entrepreneurship.

When such skilled Chinese emigrate, the results are impressive: Ethnic Chinese immigrants are founding Silicon Valley start-ups and are securing American patents at a disproportionate rate. China is a global leader in industries like artificial intelligence, drone manufacturing and mobile payments. China's start-up sector has produced nearly as many tech unicorns as the United States (and surpassed Europe) so far this year.

Significant obstacles stand in the way of reform. Deeply rooted authoritarianism and exam pressure dampen individual will, as does the Communist Party's increasingly heavy political agenda in the classroom. How can China's leadership cultivate critical-thinking skills while also pushing political indoctrination?

Further, change is largely confined to urban Chinese schools with the will, special designation or clout to experiment, while rural students are more likely to founder in a system that perpetuates inequality. Meanwhile, families with the financial means continue to prefer secondary and university education abroad.

Yet in education, the Chinese are hopscotching with intent, and in the right direction. In a tightening global marketplace for college spots and jobs, the Chinese are growing more competitive.

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Opinion | Will the Next Steve Jobs Be From China?

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But the 10-year education reform plan released in 2010 declared that schools must foster a "fine environment for independent thinking." The government is beginning to allow some schools to dictate up to 20 percent of their curriculum, according to Yang Xiaowei, a professor at East China Normal University.

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Over the past decade students have faced an increasing number of standardized tests as the government - at federal, state and local levels - introduced new academic standards and increased accountability for schools and teachers. Have you noticed an increase in standardized tests in your school or district? Do you think these exams do a good job in measuring your intelligence, abilities and what you have learned in school?

In the article "States Listen as Parents Give Rampant Testing an F," Lizette Alvarez writes about a backlash by parents and educators against all this testing:

Florida embraced the school accountability movement early and enthusiastically, but that was hard to remember at a parent meeting in a high school auditorium here not long ago.

Parents railed at a system that they said was overrun by new tests coming from all levels - district, state and federal. Some wept as they described teenagers who take Xanax to cope with test stress, children who refuse to go to school and teachers who retire rather than promote a culture that seems to value testing over learning.

"My third grader loves school, but I can't get her out of the car this year," Dawn LaBorde, who has three children in Palm Beach County schools, told the gathering, through tears. Her son, a junior, is so shaken, she said, "I have had to take him to his doctor." She added: "He can't sleep, but he's tired. He can't eat, but he's hungry."

One father broke down as he said he planned to pull his second grader from school. "Teaching to a test is destroying our society," he said.

Where once these frustrations were voiced in murmurs, this year not only parents but also educators across Florida are rebelling. They have joined a national protest in which states have repealed their graduation test requirements, postponed the consequences of testing for the Common Core - national standards in more than 40 states - and rolled back the number of required exams.

Students: Read the entire article, then tell us ...

- How well do you think standardized tests measure your abilities, intelligence and what you have learned in school?

- How much time do you spend taking and preparing for standardized tests in school? Do you think it's too much?

- In general, how much of a role do you think standardized tests should play in determining an individual's abilities, or in measuring the worth of a teacher or school? Why?

- If you were the leader of your state's Department of Education, would you advocate for more, fewer or the same amount of standardized tests as you have now? Why?

Students 13 and older are invited to comment below. Please use only your first name. For privacy policy reasons, we will not publish student comments that include a last name.

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How Well Do You Think Standardized Tests Measure Your Abilities?

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Over the past decade students have faced an increasing number of standardized tests as the government - at federal, state and local levels - introduced new academic standards and increased accountability for schools and teachers. Have you noticed an increase in standardized tests in your school or district?

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How much homework is enough?

My daughter, Maya, who is entering second grade, was asked to complete homework six days a week during the summer. For a while, we tried gamely to keep up. But one day she turned to me and said, "I hate reading."

I put the assignment aside.

That was my abrupt introduction to the debate over homework that is bubbling up as students across the United States head back to school.

This month, Brandy Young, a second-grade teacher in Godley, Tex., let parents know on "Meet the Teacher" night that she had no plans to load up her students' backpacks.

"There will be no formally assigned homework this year," Ms. Young wrote in a note that was widely shared on Facebook. "Rather, I ask that you spend your evenings doing things that are proven to correlate with student success. Eat dinner as a family, read together, play outside, and get your child to bed early."

Other conversations about homework are humming in town halls and online. Some school districts, including one near Phoenix, have taken steps to shorten the summer break, out of concern that too much is forgotten over the summer. But discussions on blogs like G reatS chools.org or StopHomework.com reveal a belief that the workload assigned to students may be too heavy.

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As Students Return to School, Debate About the Amount of Homework Rages

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How much homework is enough? My daughter, Maya, who is entering second grade, was asked to complete homework six days a week during the summer. For a while, we tried gamely to keep up. But one day she turned to me and said, "I hate reading." I put the assignment aside.

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How to talk (and listen) to transgender people

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Gender should be the least remarkable thing about someone, but transgender people are still too often misunderstood. To help those who are scared to ask questions or nervous about saying the wrong thing, Jackson Bird shares a few ways to think about trans issues. And in this funny, frank talk, he clears up a few misconceptions about pronouns, transitioning, bathrooms and more.

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Google Docs - create and edit documents online, for free.

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Contests

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One of our 2017 editorial winners wrote about China's unofficial ban on Korean cultural exports, such as the boy band Exo. Credit Credit Starnews, via Agence France-Presse - Getty Images

The challenge is fairly straightforward. Choose a topic you care about, gather evidence from sources both within and outside The Times and write a concise editorial (450 words or less) to convince readers of your view.

Because editorial writing at newspapers is a collaborative process, you can write your entry as a team effort or by yourself. When you're done, submit it using the contest form below by Thursday, April 5, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. Be sure to read the rules, also below, before posting.

Our judges will then use this rubric (PDF) for selecting winners to publish on The Learning Network.

As teachers know, the persuasive essay has long been a staple of high school education, but the Common Core standards seem to have put evidence-based argumentative writing on everybody's agenda. You couldn't ask for a more real-world example of the genre than the classic newspaper editorial - and The Times publishes, on average, two of them a day.

And at a time when breaking out of one's "filter bubble" is more important than ever, we hope this contest also encourages students to broaden their news diets by using multiple sources, ideally ones that offer a range of perspectives on their chosen issue.

So what issue do you care about? Gun violence? Sexual harassment? Social media? You decide.

Good luck, and please post any questions you might have in the comments. We'll answer you there.

_________
Note: The submission form has been removed from this page. The contest is closed.
_________

The New York Times's editorial page editor Andrew Rosenthal provides seven tips for writing an effective editorial. Published On

To help with this challenge, Andrew Rosenthal, in his previous role as Editorial Page editor of The Times, detailed seven pointers in the video above. And we have published related lesson plans, including " For the Sake of Argument: Writing Persuasively to Craft Short, Evidence-Based Editorials," " I Don't Think So: Writing Effective Counterarguments" and " 10 Ways to Teach Argument-Writing With The New York Times," that offer additional teaching ideas.

We have also culled a list of 401 prompts for argumentative writing organized by category, to help inspire you - although, of course, you are not limited to those topics.

We encourage you to look at both our comments on last year's winners and the winning essays themselves. They can serve as excellent models, and they cover topics from active-shooter school lockdowns to Korean television shows in China.

In addition, you can watch our free, archived webinar, featuring the Op-Ed columnist Nicholas Kristof and Kabby Hong, a high school English teacher.

1. Use at least one Times source. You can write your editorial about any topic, as long as you use at least one source from The Times. That should pretty much open the whole world to you, as you may be surprised how much you can find in The Times.

Be advised that nytimes.com has a digital subscription system in which readers have access to five free articles each month, but after that you will be asked to become a digital subscriber. The Times also offers K-12 digital subscription plans for schools. But all Learning Network activities for students, including our daily writing prompts, as well as Times articles linked from them, are free, so you can access them without exceeding the five-article limit.

2. Use at least one non-Times source. But make sure that the source you use is a reliable one. We encourage you to find sources that offer different perspectives on an issue.

3. Always cite your sources. Our submission form contains a required field for entering your citations. We include an example as well, though you can use M.L.A. or A.P.A. styles, or just list the website URLs. Even if you use a print source or an expert interview, you must provide a citation. Readers (and judges) should always know where you got your evidence.

4. Be concise. The editorial must not exceed 450 words. Your title and list of sources are separate, however, and do not count as part of your 450-word limit.

5. Have an opinion. Editorials are different from news articles because they try to persuade readers to share your point of view. Don't be afraid to take a stand.

6. Write your editorial by yourself or with a group. If you are working as a team, just remember to submit all of your names when you post your entry. But please submit only one editorial per student. If you're submitting as part of a team, you should not also submit as an individual.

7. Be original and use appropriate language. Write for a well-informed audience, but include enough background information to give context. Be careful not to plagiarize: Use quotation marks around lines you take verbatim from another source, or rephrase and cite your source.

8. Submissions must be from students who are 13 to 19 years old, and they may come from anywhere in the world. Unlike in previous years, students can now use their entire name if they want.

9. All entries must be submitted by April 5 at 11:59 p.m. Easternusing the contest form above. If you have questions about the contest, feel free to post them in the comments section, and we'll respond to you there.

10. Follow these instructions if you need proof that you entered this contest. Within an hour of submitting your editorial, you should receive an email from "The New York Times" with the subject heading "Thank you for your submission to our Student Editorial Contest." If you don't receive the email within an hour, even after checking your spam folder, then you can resubmit your entry. Be sure your settings allow emails from nytimes.com.

After two attempts and waiting over one full day, if you still have not received a confirmation email, you can contact us at LNFeedback@nytimes.com with the email address you used in the contest form. Use the subject heading "Please send me an email confirmation for my editorial contest submission." Be sure to include your name and editorial title (or subject) in your email. You may have to wait up to a week for a reply.

11. We will use this rubric (PDF) to judge entries, and the winning editorials will be featured on The Learning Network.

" Writing an Editorial" Unit Plan, by Lindsay Thompson

" Reader Idea | He Said, She Said, I Say: A Researched Argument Essay," by Danielle Harms

" Reader Idea | Using an Op-Doc Video to Teach Argumentative Writing," by Allison Marchetti

" Reader Idea | Using Room for Debate to Teach Argumentative Writing and Discussion Skills," by Gerard Dawson and Justin Rex

" Reader Idea | An Argument-Writing Unit: Crafting Student Editorials," by Kayleen Everitt

Good luck and have fun. We welcome your questions and comments if we have omitted details that might be useful. Let us know how we can help.

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The Learning Network runs contests for teenagers all year long. See our full calendar.

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Our Fifth Annual Student Editorial Contest: Write About an Issue That Matters to You

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Contests The challenge is fairly straightforward. Choose a topic you care about, gather evidence from sources both within and outside The Times and write a concise editorial (450 words or less) to convince readers of your view. Because editorial writing at newspapers is a collaborative process, you can write your entry as a team effort or by yourself.

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Contests

One of this year's winners wrote about school lockdown drills. Related Article Credit... Alec Soth/Magnum, for The New York Times

Update | Read the work of _________ this year's 10 winners here and this year's runners-up here.
For the past four years we've invited students to write short editorials about issues they care about, and each year thousands take up the challenge.

Students often start with thoughtful questions from their own lives: Why is my school's athletic program better funded than its music program? Why do we hide in the corner of our classroom during active shooter drills? Why don't my classmates stand during the Pledge of Allegiance? And they develop sophisticated, sincere and well researched answers in response.

Students look at the nation's and world's problems and hunt for solutions - to improve the plight of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in China, for example, or to reduce recidivism rates for U.S. prisons.

We really like this contest because it asks students to look closely at their world and find something, large or small, they want to change. So, if you don't like being last in line all the time because your surname starts with "Z," then take a stand. If you want more characters in books and movies to be more like you, then write about it. If you want society to be less wasteful or more tolerant, then tell the world. Change starts with noticing, thinking critically, and starting meaningful conversations - and that's what these students have done in their editorials.

But winning this contest? It's no easy task being selected as a winner out of 7,895 entries, a record. How do you make your writing stand out from the piles of other editorials submitted to our contest - especially when you have no more than 450 words to get your point across?

Here's one way: Start strong. Grab our attention in the first few sentences, but don't take too long to state your argument.

Here's another: Pick a fresh topic, or a new angle on a popular topic, and be very clear about what you are arguing. Often when students narrow in on a specific concern, their editorial becomes more persuasive.

What else? Write with an original, confident voice and avoid formulaic language and structure. And if appropriate, acknowledge, and deftly dispatch, counterarguments.

Below, we list 10 winners, 15 runners-up and 45 honorable mentions. We also include a PDF of all the finalists, including 58 who made the cut to the third round of judging, but didn't quite reach the winner's circle.

Starting May 22, we will be publishing one of the Top 10 essays each weekday in posts that we hope you will spread on social media, hang on school bulletin boards and perhaps even use as "mentor texts" for next year's contest.

Thank you for participating - and we hope you'll take part in our Summer Reading Contest, starting June 16.

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Each category below lists our favorites in alphabetical order by title. Where titles were missing, we came up with our own.
Top 10 Winners
" A Psychedelic Cure?" by Reagan Briere, age 16
" In Nothing We Trust" by Francesca Kelley, age 18
" Leave the Citizens to Their TV Shows" by Yijia Hu, age 17
" Losing the Internet" by David Scharts, age 15
" Reform the Prison, Then the Prisoner" by Katherine Leonard, age 16
" Stopping Bullets With Locked Doors and Silence Is Already Pulling the Trigger" by Daina Kalnina, age 15
" The Anguish of the Rich" by Yiqi Wang, age 17
" The Asian Misnomer: What the Affirmative Action Debate Misses" by Matteo Wong, age 16
" The Collateral Damage of Defending Democracy" by Sarah Heiland, age 18
" The Missing Anthropological Exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History " by Alec Farber, age 16
_________ Runners-Up
"America First" by Safa Saleh, age 17
"America? More Like Ameri-Can't Vote" by Gianni Carcagno, age 17
"Climate Literacy: A Critical Step Toward Climate Stability" by Ella Shriner, age 14 and Hannah Witscher, age 15
"Cultural Appropriation: A Measure of Empathy" by James Chang, age 16
"Discourse Is Democracy: Allowing Uncensored Speech on College Campuses" by Abigail Hogan, age 17
"Drone Warfare: The Failing Fight Against the Modern Hydra" by Michael Levinger, age 16
"Generation Code Red" by Grace Scullion, age 16
"Humane Human Zoo?" by Ella Ward, age 15
"Paper or Plastic? How About a Paper ON Plastic!" by Melody Markert, age 17
"The Future Disintegration of American Democracy Through Athletics" by Julianne Yu, age 16
"The Case for Teaching News Literacy" by Mary Hannah Grier, age 17
"The Unspoken Alphabet Problem" by Stephanie Zhang, age 14
"The 'War on Drugs' Will Never Work; Legalization Will" by Kristina Vakhman, age 18
"There Is No Happily Ever After Without Once Upon a Time" by Bridget O'Leary, age 17
"When Will This Class Be Useful?" by Casey Stark, age 15
_________ Honorable Mentions
"#WorldChanger" by Joyce Zhou, age 17
"A Case for Impassiveness" by Lea Marchl, age 16
"A Scoop in the Right Direction" by Emma S., age 18
"AP Tests Don't Leave Enough Room for the Human Side of History" by Tom Malmgren, age 16
"Are My Shoulders Distracting You?" by Mairi Alice Dun, age 17
"Autism: Educated and Extraordinary" by Isabella Zhang, age 17
"Bittersweet" by Rena Rachlin, age 15 "Child Labor in the U.S. Today" by Jasmine Campos, age 16 and Charlotte Principal, age 16
"China Needs Silver Lining" by Wangchen Zhou, age 17
"Colleges Should Abandon Race-Based Affirmative Action to Achieve True Diversity" by Eric Davis, age 18
"Embrace the Mess" by Chi Yu, age 14
"Fast Fashion Is Destroying Our World" by Melissa Wang, age 17
"Food Stamps Need a Change" by Patrick Meara, age 17
"Governor Cuomo Frees the Plastic Bagss" by Jiayan Chen, age 17
"Help Wanted: Moderate Politicians" by Ireland Degges, age 17
"High School Should Not Just Be About Sports" by Swathi Kella, age 16
"How Far Can Post-Truth Democracy Take Us?" by Jiahe Yang, age 18
"How to Revitalize the Public Education System" by Dhara Yu, age 18
"Last Man Standing" by Kathryn Porter, age 16
"Leave Me Alone" by Celia Silver, age 17
"More Than a Morning Kick" by Emma Cary, age 16
"Multiple Choice: Not Multiple Enough" by Yi-Mei Templeman, age 17
"Picking Cotton: An Immigrant's Perspective" by Allan Njomo, age 16
"Post-Democracy" by Nadav Ziv, age 17
"Should Juvenile Offenders Receive Life Sentences Without Parole on Their First Offense?" by Tayler Gavetti, age 16
"Should Obamacare Be Repealed?" by William Pharo, age 16
"Single Payer: A Cure for America's Healthcare Woes" by Akshay Manglik, age 13
"Streaky Friendship" by Yuxin Long, age 16
"Technology: A Hindrance to Learning" by Zachary Weiss, age 17
"Teens, Technology, and The Pursuit of Happiness" by Sam Jagolinzer, age 17
"The Bluest Note" by Nicholas Dasoveanu, age 18
"The College Conspiracy" by Serenity W., age 17
"The Cost of Health Care May Be in Your Genes" by Sophia Lo, age 16
"The Demoralizing of the Elizabethan Language" by Olivia Seymour, age 14
"The Disposable Nightmare" by Tianxin Guo, age 14
"The Education Gap" by Adam Traweek, age 16 "The Environment in the Age of Trump" by Elliot Tuttle, age 17
"The Growing Problem of Screen Addiction" by Kaitlin Craig, age 16
"The Picture of Education We Must Change" by Danielle Naidrich, age 17
"Tipping the Pay Scale" by Ruhee Damle, age 14
"Untitled" by Melinda Hartz, age 16
"We Should Be Teaching Rap Music in Schools" by Jack Zuckerman, age 19
"What Do You Call Someone That Only Speaks One Language? An American." by Paige Patton, age 16
"Where Are All the Rainbows?" by Storm Viridian Murray, age 17
"Where Trump's Ban Stands Legally" by Marcus Linde, age 16
_________ And All the Finalists, Including 58 More Great Editorials That Made It to Round 3 (PDF) Judges: Amanda Christy Brown, Shannon Doyne, Caroline Crosson Gilpin, Michael Gonchar, Annissa Hambouz, Thomas Houston, Shira Katz, Willow Lawson, Linda Leavitt, Sue Mermelstein, Anna North, Roxie Salamon-Abrams, Katherine Schulten, Matt Schwarzfeld, Natlie Shutler and Kate Spence-Ado

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A Call to Action: Winners From Our Fourth Annual Student Editorial Contest (Published 2017)

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Contests Update | Read the work of _________ this year's 10 winners here and this year's runners-up here . For the past four years we've invited students to write short editorials about issues they care about, and each year thousands take up the challenge.