4-WAY TEST ESSAY CONTEST

Attention Senior High School Students! Ready to make your voice heard—and win cash?

If you’re in your final two years of high school and you care about anything—music, sports, mental health, climate action, gaming, kindness at school—this contest is for you. Write from the heart (no AI—just you) and show how your idea lives up to the Rotary 4-Way Test. Your story, your point of view, your impact.

💸 Cash Prizes

  • District Winner: $1,100
  • 6 Regional Winners: $150 each
  • Local Winners:
    • 1st: $500
    • 2nd: $300
    • 3rd: $200

✅ Who Can Enter

Open to students in the final two years of high school.

📝 Topic

Choose any topic you truly care about and be yourself—do not use AI. Your essay must connect your topic to all parts of the Rotary 4-Way Test:
  1. Is it the truth?
  2. Is it fair to all concerned?
  3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
  4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
Your topic can be specific or big-picture—just make sure you clearly show how all four principles relate to what you’re writing about.

📏 Length & Format

  • 500–1000 words
  • Double-spaced (required)

🔎 Judging Criteria

Essays will be judged on:
  • How well you use and apply the 4-Way Test
  • Creativity
  • Organization
  • Language/grammar

📅 Deadline

Local entries due: November 28, 2025

📧 How to Submit

Email your essay (double-spaced, 500–1000 words) and the student info form to:
Rotary4WayEssay@yahoo.com

🏆 Six Tips from a Previous Contest Judge 

  • Show, then connect. Tell a real story or example, then explicitly tie each part of the 4-Way Test to it. Use headings or bold cues so it’s crystal clear you covered all four.
  • Be fair on purpose. Address more than one perspective. A sentence like, “To be fair to everyone involved…” shows you’re thinking beyond yourself.
  • Build goodwill. Include a concrete action (even small) that builds friendships or community. Judges love doers.
  • Make it beneficial. Spell out the “so what.” Who benefits, how, and why it matters beyond you?
  • Stay within the rules. 500–1000 words, double-spaced, no AI. Format mistakes can cost points.
  • Be yourself. Voice > vocabulary. Pick clarity over fancy words. Speak to the reader like a real person.
You’ve got something worth saying—now say it your way. We can’t wait to read it!