New Student Essay Contest Asks What It Means To Be American
An inaugural essay contest from the Soloviev Foundation asks New York City students in grades 6-12 what it means to be American. The topic comes at a time of democratic uncertainty and great change in the nation and is a part of the Foundation’s upcoming public art exhibit, Path of Liberty: That Which Unites Us.
| 13 Mar 2025 | 03:10
The Future Generations Essay Competition, part of the Path of Liberty art project, asks young New Yorkers what it means to them to be American at a time of democratic uncertainty. (
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An artist’s rendering of the upcoming Path of Liberty exhibit in Manhattan’s Freedom Plaza. The exhibit will be an interactive, multimedia display highlighting American ideals, along with the challenges, and successes of democracy. (
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A new local essay contest is asking young New Yorkers, “What does being American mean to you?”
The Future Generations Essay Competition, presented by the Midtown-based Soloviev Foundation, presents the following essay questions to New York students:
“What values or principles do you believe define America?”“What gives you hope for the future of America?”“Can you share a moment of your life where you felt especially proud to be an American?”
The inaugural contest is open to students in public or private schools in all five boroughs, grades 6 to 12. All essay entries must be 500 words or less and will be judged by a panel of judges from the foundation. “The Future Generations Essay Contest is an opportunity for our youngest citizens to contribute to the national dialogue on the values that unite us as Americans,” Michael Hershman, Chief Executive Officer of the Soloviev Group, said in a press release.
The essay contest is part of the upcoming interactive public art installation, Path of Liberty: That Which Unites Us, presented by The Soloviev Foundation. Located in Manhattan’s Freedom Plaza, the Path of Liberty will be a six-acre, large-scale, multimedia exhibition that “provides a visual and narrative journey of the founding principles of the United States, framed by stunning portraits and immersive landscapes,” per a Soloviev Foundation statement.
The First Place essay will come with a $5,000 prize toward furthering the winner’s scholastic education. Second Place will receive $2,500, and Third Place, $1,000. In addition to the three top spots, there will be 18 Runner-Up positions, which will each receive $500. The top 250 participants will receive exclusive Path of Liberty merchandise.
“The contest is a great opportunity for kids to speak their minds and explore what they think of our country, and how we can improve our nation,” said Margaret O’Brien, a public relations Executive for the Soloviev Foundation.
The exhibit will feature personal stories of Americans across the country and their feelings on American democracy and the nation’s ideals, as well as historical documentary footage, highlighting the successes and ongoing challenges our democracy faces. Path of Liberty will also act as a forerunner to America 250, the semiquincentennial anniversary of the founding of the United States.
Students interested in the contest can go to the Path of Liberty website to submit an essay. The deadline for the Future Generations Essay Contest is April 14. Path of Liberty: That Which Unites Us is set to open in May, with a ceremony featuring the contest winners to take place soon after.
The Freedom Plaza is in a tract of land that at one time was a Con Edison substation but it was sold to what was then known as the Solov Group in 2000 for $630 million. The company spent about $100 million cleaning up the site of environmental hazards and sold off the two most southern acres to a developer that eventually erected the Copper Building on the site.
The Solov Group changed its name to the Soloviev Group several years ago. It is now seeking to build a below ground casino, ground level parkland and about 1,500 housing units, with at least 40 percent earmarked for middle class housing. It is one of several developers vying to win one of three casino licenses in the downstate area which NYS is expected to award later this year. The Soloviev plans are also calling for the inclusion of a Museum of Democracy on the site.