The Stossel in the Classroom Essay Contest is open to writers in grades 5-12 at some point during the contest period. Students must reside in the U.S., Canada, or at a U.S. military address, and all submissions should be in English. Beyond the prizes, the contest helps strengthen research, critical thinking, and persuasive writing skills, abilities that will serve students in school and beyond. They can enter on their own, or teachers can assign the contest and earn rewards for participation. Essays must be 500-1,000 words in length. Submissions that do not meet this requirement, or that exceed it, will be disqualified. Students whose submissions reach the final phase of judging must take part in a brief interview to discuss their essays. Students must have some availability during the week of May 17-23. All essays must be the original work of the student whose name is listed on the submission form. Plagiarism or AI-generated content will result in immediate disqualification. Please visit the award's website for more information.