The 2026 IPA Youth Essay Competition is now accepting submissions!

Are you passionate about changing the world for the better? This is your chance! Join the IPA Youth Essay Competition and shine a light on an issue that is important to you. This is a great opportunity to find your voice and be a force for good in the world! Now in its 7th year, the IPA Youth Essay Competition is a great way to hone your analytical skills and put your research and writing to the test.

Here are just a few of the benefits:

  • Essay Competition winners, runners-up, and finalists will have their papers published on the India Philanthropy website and promoted on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn; showcasing their views to thousands of readers and leaders in the field of philanthropy.

  • Winners in the middle and high school categories will present their award-winning ideas at a national gathering of business leaders, philanthropists, and nonprofit executives at a high-impact Philanthropy Summit in the fall of 2026. Airfare and accommodation are provided.

  • Winners and Runners-up in both the middle school and high school categories will be able to award $1,000 (winners) and $500 (runners-up) to the charity of their choice.

  • All who participate can earn community credit for a well-researched essay.

How to Participate

Each essay should answer the following question: 

Which developmental issue in India do you feel is most pressing and why? What are the challenges and impacts posed by this issue? How can we as individuals in the US be a part of the solution?

We encourage you to share personal stories and connections to the topic that you choose. Be sure to identify well-researched, tangible, specific, and creative solutions to address your chosen issue.

All essays will be screened for AI usage. Feel free to do research with the assistance of AI, but be sure to cite your sources and craft your essay in your own words.

The deadline to participate is July 1, 2026.‍ ‍Click here to upload your essay.

Timeline

After the July 1 deadline essays will be reviewed by a panel of judges and finalists will be invited to discuss their essays with the judges before a final determination is made of the winners, runners-up, and finalists. Results will be announced to the public in early to mid-September.

Eligibility

The essay competition is open to middle and high school students who are U.S. residents and/or U.S. citizens who are living overseas. If you are chosen as winner, only domestic flights will be covered by the India Philanthropy Alliance.

Competition categories

The competition is judged in two separate categories, middle school and high school, determined by the student’s grade level during the 2025-2026 school year. Middle school students must respond to the prompt in 600 words or less. High school students must respond to the prompt in 900 words or less.

Permission to feature your essays

Competition winners, runners-up, and finalists will be asked to submit written permission to have their name, grade level, city, and state, essay, and image shared on print, digital, and social media. We will also require signed permission from parent/s or legal guardian/s.

Past Winners, Runners-Up, and Finalists

Click here to view the essays of winners and finalists of the 2025 competition.

Click here to view the essays of winners and finalists of the 2024 competition.
Click here to view the essays of winners and finalists in the 2023 competition. Click here to view the essays of winners and finalists in the 2022 competition.
Click here to view the essays of winners and finalists in the 2021 competition.
Click here to view the essays of winners and finalists in the 2020 competition.

Our heartfelt thanks

The IPA is tremendously grateful to the competition’s sponsors, the Iowa-based Sehgal Foundation, which has been strengthening community-led development initiatives in rural India for the past 25 years, the Gupta Giving Fund, Mamta Bhandari, and Ujala Foundation, which supports education and health care in the U.S. and India. We also extend our thanks to Indiaspora for providing the winners a terrific platform to share their ideas.