Students are invited to participate in the 2023 Hispanic Heritage Month Contest

The Florida Department of Education and Volunteer Florida would like students to participate in Hispanic Heritage Month student contests with the theme “Celebrating Florida’s Hispanic Heroes and their Contributions to Freedom.”

Student essay contest winners will receive a 2-year Florida College Plan scholarship provided by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation.

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All Florida students are invited to participate in the art contest and in the writing contest that is based on this year’s theme. Students from kindergarten through 3rd grade are invited to participate in the art contest and students from 4th grade to 12th grade are invited to participate in the essay contest.

Students, parents, teachers, and principals are invited to nominate full-time educators of all student grades for the Hispanic Heritage Month Excellence in Education Award.

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Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis’ Hispanic Heritage Month Art Contest is open to all Kindergarten through third-grade students in Florida. Each student will submit original, two-dimensional artwork based on this year’s theme. Four statewide winners will be selected, and each winner will receive a $100 gift card for school supplies and a 1-year pass to Florida State Parks.

For the essay contest, all students from grades 4 through 12 are invited to participate. Six winners will be selected: two elementary school students (grades 4-5), two middle school students (grades 6-8), and two high school students (grades 9-12). Each winner will receive a 2-year Florida College Plan scholarship provided by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation and a $100 gift card for school supplies.

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Contestants must be Florida residents, attend school in Florida in grades 4-12 (including public, charter, private, home or virtual), and able to provide a Social Security Number. Each student may enter only one essay, written in English, no longer than 500 words.

Four winners will be selected, and nominations may be submitted by a principal, teacher, parent/guardian, or student. Excellence in Education award winners will receive $2,500 from Volunteer Florida.

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Student contest forms and educator nomination forms must be mailed to Volunteer Florida or submitted online at www.FloridaHispanicHeritage.com.

The entries are due Sept. 18.

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