America & Me Essay Contest

Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan is once again sponsoring its annual America & Me Essay Contest — celebrating its 56th year.

This contest encourages young people to write about their Michigan heroes, especially those individuals who have made a difference in their lives. Throughout the duration of this competition, more than 500,000 eighth graders from hundreds of Michigan schools have participated.

This year's contest, held September 2024 through Nov. 8th, will again ask students to write while considering the topic "My Personal Michigan Hero.”

ELIGIBILITY

Rules to sign up for this year’s essay contest will be sent to schools throughout Michigan in late August.  The contest is open to any eighth-grade student in Michigan enrolled in a public or private school and offers a variety of awards on the local and statewide levels.  Each school can submit up to 10 essays and the student essays must be submitted by a school.

AWARDS

The America & Me Essay contest offers a variety of awards on both the local and statewide levels. In the school’s first year of participation, schools receive a plaque where current and future first-place student’s names will be engraved and displayed. 

The first-place entry from each school will be entered into the statewide competition from which the top ten essays in the state will be chosen.  Each top ten statewide winner will receive $1,000 cash, another $1,000 for the school they attend, and another $500 for their school if the school is sponsored by a Farm Bureau Insurance agent.

A special day will be planned to celebrate the top ten winners in May 2025.  Each of the top ten winners is encouraged to bring two adults and a teacher to the awards celebration.

As the sponsor of the contest, Farm Bureau Insurance has earned 11 national awards from the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge.

REGISTRATION

Insurance Agents and Michigan 8th-grade teachers can register through a link provided on this page starting August 12th and continuing through October 25th, 2024.

Learn More About the America & Me Essay Contest

2024 – 2025 America and Me Contest Rules Brochure 
2024 – 2025 America and Me Essay Contest Poster 
2023 – 2024 Winners Essay Booklet