Forest Hills Public Schools Foundation

The Essay and Art contest is the perfect way for students to express their voice.

The Forest Hills Essay and Art Contest is a longstanding opportunity created by the Forest Hills Public Schools Foundation. It serves for students to practice writing essays, as well as the chance of winning scholarship money. It is crucial for students to enter, as it helps them find their voice and share it with others. Any Forest Hills student can join, as long as they submit either an art piece or an essay. High schoolers and middle schoolers write an essay, and K-6th graders submit a piece of art. By entering the contest, high school students can win a $1,000 scholarship, middle schoolers $250, and elementary students $100. Entering the contest is a great way for students to step out of their comfort zone and express themselves. The essays and art pieces all convey the theme of, “What do you think your school will look like 40 years from now?” Melanie Hoeksema, the Principal at Ada Elementary, has noticed firsthand the importance of students expressing themselves through art and writing.

“It is always important for students to have a voice in anything they do, whether they’re writing or speaking,” Hoeksema said. “This is a great opportunity for them to express themselves, but also to think about what the future holds for them.”

A big part of writing is communicating through the essay. All students need to be able to communicate, to help them later in life. Focusing on the ability to write is crucial for many opportunities throughout college and careers. It is key for students to have their voice present in writing, as it increases the quality of their writing skills. Forest Hills Central Middle School Principal Jeffrey Simon directly recognizes the importance of student communication.

“When you hone your skills in creative writing, you are honing your ability to communicate as you grow older and as you progress through college,” Simon said. “The foundation of what we do is through relationships, and relationships are grounded in good communication.”

Essay writing helps communicate, but it also prepares students for the future when the skill is overlooked and not noticed in everyday tasks. As the use of ChatGPT or other Artificial Intelligence (AI) generators gains popularity—especially in middle or high school—many students need to regain their voice in writing, which practicing can help with. Advanced Placement (AP) Literature and Composition teacher Lisa Penninga teaches students to use their voice while writing and discourages the use of AI. 

“You use [writing] every day, and people don’t realize how much they use it, whether it’s sending an email or introducing yourself to a child’s teacher,” Penninga said. “There are just so many different ways that you use writing. A lot of people are turning to ChatGPT or Gemini, and I think it’s sad, because we’re losing that voice in writing that people want, to get to know one another and [make] those human relationships.”

In elementary schools, students must recognize their voice and use it in writing stories or making art. In the art contest, students who express their imagination will not only have a better chance at winning but also learn from this opportunity in the future.

“The biggest thing is that they have a voice,” Hokesema said. “If they write a story that says, ‘I’d like more recess time,’ or ‘I [want] to chew gum in class,’—I think when they learn that they have a voice, they can use their creativity. That’s a really good thing, too.”

One major benefit of entering the contest is that students’ work is shown to a larger crowd. Submitting an essay to the essay contest is helpful to the student and the school foundation, since they can get input from students on adjustments needed.  

“[Students] get to share their gift with a bigger group of people. Then they get the opportunity to potentially be at the luncheon, and their words have a much larger impact,” Simon said. “They get to expand on something that they like to do. Maybe it’s not for everybody, but for the kids who like to write, [it’s such] a great opportunity to have people read what you have to share.”

The essay and art contest is an amazing way to express yourself, while also preparing for essay writing in the future. To see the guidelines for the essay and art contest, click here.

“It’s really important to realize the power of words, and that when we use our writing to persuade, educate, enlighten, we give [people] a different perspective,” Penninga said. “It’s a great lesson for us all, that we can use in so many different ways to make changes.”