International Affairs Essay Contest for Area High School Students
"The Role of Immigration in the Global Economy"
Open to high school students within the PAWAC outreach area, students are invited to research this year's theme and submit their well-written essay.
Essay Prompt: The Role of Immigration in the Global Economy
Immigration is a significant issue for many parts of the world, including the United States. According to the Pew Research Center, the United States is home to one-fifth of the world’s international migrants. These immigrants come from every country in the world. The U.S. foreign-born population is roughly 48 million, accounting for 14.3% of the U.S. population. Nearly half have become naturalized citizens, and another 27% have permanent residency or temporary legal status (pewresearch.org). Historically, not all immigrants were received warmly by their host country, and immigration policies often reflect the global challenges of the time as well as domestic perceptions about the people coming into the country.
In your essay, you may choose to explore any of the following questions:
- The Economic Impact: How does immigration affect businesses, employment opportunities, or economic growth? How does immigration impact the provision of services such as education, housing, healthcare, or infrastructure on both a global and local level? Discuss both the benefits and challenges that immigration presents to host countries and communities and to the immigrants themselves.
- Proposed Solutions: What approaches to immigration policy would you be willing to propose and defend? Consider the perspectives of various stakeholders, including governments, businesses, and immigrant communities. How can your proposed solutions balance economic needs with values of compassion, individual opportunity, and inclusion?
In your essay, be sure to do the following:
- Read the topic carefully, and identify the particular challenge to your community and the world.
- Proceed logically, e.g. Define Problem → Describe effects of problem → Explain importance of solving the problem → Present alternative solutions → Specify your solution and approach
- Project the impact of the issue or trend into the future and envision ways to address the challenge.
- Stay focused on your topic. Every sentence and paragraph should relate to the problem mentioned in the topic or the solution being developed.
- Judges will be paying attention to how you analyze the challenge, including, but not limited to, the accuracy of your description, your portrayal of the context involved (local, national, economic, political, etc.), and the way you connect the challenge to international relations.
- Unless it is your original idea, any information presented should be supported by logic or by citing a reference using parenthetical (in-text) citations and a Reference List. Cite at least three authoritative resources to back up your reasoning.
- Check grammar and vocabulary. If unsure of a word or phrase, express the thought in a simpler way. Be sure that your logic is clear, supported with evidence where needed, and easy to follow.
- Essays should be 600 to 1,000 words in length and double spaced.
- Submissions are due at midnight Central Time on Friday, January 31, 2025, via email to director@pawac.org. Late submissions will not be accepted.
- Winners will be announced by email the week of March 1, 2025. Both students and sponsoring teachers will be notified.
You must also:
- Include the student’s name, school, email address, and phone number at which the student can be reached.
- Include the name of the teacher who has supported the student in their submission, including the name of the high school, email, and phone for the teacher.
- Submit essays as a Word doc, docx, or pdf. Other formats will not be accepted.
Prizes will be awarded as follows:
$200 to one student for the first-place essay
$100 to one student for the second-place essay
$50 to the sponsoring teacher or educator for each place
Winning students and sponsoring teachers will be announced by email or phone during the week of March 1, 2025.
Any sponsoring teacher or educator whose student or students submit an essay to the contest will receive a free, one-year membership to the Peoria Area World Affairs Council (a $50 value). Your student need not win in order for the teacher to receive the membership.
The contest is open to any students in the PAWAC outreach area who are enrolled in high school during the 2024-2025 academic year, including public, private, and homeschool students.
The judging panel will consist of PAWAC’s Education Outreach committee and qualified volunteers from Council membership. At least half of the judging panel will be comprised of current and former educators.
Please contact director@pawac.org with any questions. Thank you for participating!
