2027 GRHS Youth Essay Contest Scholarships
Offered by Germans from Russia Heritage Society
About this scholarship
The 2027 GRHS Youth Essay Contest invites students worldwide to create original work about Black Sea Germans from Russia under the theme “Giant Steppes Toward Freedom.” The scholarship-bearing categories award the $1,000 Gwen Pritzkau Scholarship to the highest-scoring high-school senior and the $1,000 Vera Hoff Scholarship to the highest-scoring full-time undergraduate. Middle-school and other high-school entrants compete for smaller cash prizes and trophies. Eligible work may be a research paper, historical analysis, creative piece, genealogy, short film, website, or other digital media, but every entry must demonstrate serious research into German-Russian history, heritage, or culture. High-school and college written entries may not exceed five pages, excluding the works-cited and cover pages, and must use appropriate citations. Contestants attach the official entry form and publication release, keeping their name off the judged work. The sponsor expressly prohibits AI-generated or AI-formatted submissions and disqualifies plagiarism or previously judged work. Completed materials must be emailed to the address printed on the form by March 31, 2027. Winners are announced after judging and are invited to the July 2027 GRHS Convention in Bismarck, North Dakota; attending the convention is not stated as an eligibility condition.
Eligibility
- Enter the applicable middle-school, high-school, high-school-senior, or full-time undergraduate category
- Create original work directly related to Black Sea Germans from Russia history, heritage, or culture
- Follow the format, page-limit, bibliography, and citation rules for the selected category
- Do not submit AI-generated, AI-formatted, plagiarized, or previously judged work
- Keep the contestant’s name off the judged entry and place identifying information only on the official form
- Complete and sign the official entry form and publication release, including a parent or guardian signature when required
- Email the entry and all required forms to the address in the official PDF by March 31, 2027