Announcing New Look,
New Year of Contests

Home School Legal Defense Association is now announcing all of its contests at once. Click on the links above or on the menu at right to visit the new individual contest homepages or to see respective contest guidelines and themes. Although submissions for each contest will only be accepted during the dates specified, students can now spend more time working on their entries.

HSLDA held its first essay contest for homeschool students in 2002. The following year we added an art contest, and in 2005 photo and poetry competitions. Every year, hundreds of homeschool students from around the country and even around the world participate in the contests, raising thousands of dollars for the Home School Foundation’s Special Needs Children Fund.

HSLDA has been thrilled with the creativity and skill displayed by past contestants. But we would like to help make the contests even more of an educational experience. We want them to be a time for students to expand their skills and reach further, not just display what they can already do.

Although each entry must be completely the student’s own work (no outside editing, revising, or coaching allowed), we do encourage students to study great writers, artists, poets, photographers, and the techniques of their crafts.

We encourage parents and co-op leaders to use these contests as a time to study strong writing, art, poetry, and photography. Perhaps spend a month studying different American artists and practicing shadowing and lighting techniques, and then use the contest entry as a final project for students to use what they have learned.

As an extra bonus, you can read tips and suggestions from several of our past judges on how to make your entry stand out in the judging.