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A Voice For Animals High School Essay Contest

Each January, the Humane Education Network holds its annual A Voice for Animals high school essay contest.

The following prizes will be awarded to high school students whose essays best promote the humane treatment of animals:
$1000 1st Prize
$600 2nd Prize
$400 3rd Prize
$500 1st Prize (Underclassmen)
$250 2nd Prize (Underclassmen)
$100 3rd Prize (Underclassmen)
$750 Best personal and active involvement in a project or venture that directly impacts animal welfare
$750 Best Personal Activist
$400 Best Essay by a 14 Year Old
$250 Best essay from an entrant outside the United States.
$150 An Essay We Couldn't Ignore

The contest is co-sponsored in part this year by the Palo Alto Humane Society and the Animal Welfare Institute.

Congratulations to our 2009 contest winners!

1st Prize Kristen VanZant Technology Boom, Gorilla Bust
2nd prize Brittany Willingham The Orangutan's Struggle to Survive the Palm Oil Industry
3rd Prize Roxanne Olsson The Voice of the Macaw
Honorable Mention Muyi Li Preserving a Cultural Heritage: the Decline of the Dugongs
Honorable Mention Katherine Peter The Devastating Impact of Man on the Asian Elephant’s Physical and Social Welfare
Honorable Mention Christine Shieh Disappearing Silhouettes in the Savanna Sun: The Deathly Impact of Poaching and Hunting on Black Rhinos
1st Prize (Underclassmen) Sophia Hu The Detrimental Effects of Abusive Training and The Denial of Fundamental Needs on the Emotional and Physical Health of Circus Elephants
2nd Prize (Underclassmen) An Nguyen The Truth Behind the White Tiger
3rd Prize (Underclassmen) Dajahi Wiley Mass Murder: The Politics and Economics of Factory Farming
Honorable Mention (Underclassmen) Tori Burnett Lead Poisoning: A Silent Epidemic
Honorable Mention (Underclassmen) Alex Klintworth Protecting the Manatee
Honorable Mention (Underclassmen) Monica Lee Animal Sacrifice in South African Churches
Best Personal & Active Involvement Chelsi Sparti Menace of urbanization – Downfall of development
Honorable Mention (Involvement) Renee Ceil Some May Call Me Crazy -- My Dedication to the Welfare of Our Feline Friends
Honorable Mention (Involvement) Sarah Yeend Being Human: The Problem of Imprinting in Preditory Birds
Best Personal Activist Sofia Prado Huaperros Essay
Best Essay by a 14 Year Old Cayla Jakubowski A Call to Action: Cruelty Towards Cows in Factory Farms
Honorable Mention (14 Year Old) Sadia Ahmed The Life of a Battery Hen
Honorable Mention (14 Year Old) Briauna Inglis Polar Bears: Are They in Danger?
Overseas Prize Julianna Ko China's Secret: The Plight of Stray Cats
An Essay We Couldn't Ignore Megan Garbarini Elvis--A Shelter Dog To A Ground Zero Hero

Previous winners

Select a winning essay and click the Read Essay button. The essay will open as a PDF file in another window.
(Essays shown in gray are not currently available online.)

Contest FAQ


No. This is an essay contest with a set of rules and cash prizes. We advertise the contest on scholarship web sites to reach the largest number of eligible high school students.

The dates are usually announced on our web site mid-December after the judges have finalized the rules. The contest usually opens for entries in January and closes in March with results being announced in May.

Essays are accepted only between the contest opening and closing dates. The online form for submitting essays does not appear on this page until the contest opens.

Your essay must be submitted online using a form which appears on this page only while the contest is open for entries. Essays sent to us in any other way (e.g. e-mail or via the postal service) will simply be discarded.

Questions about the essay contest may be sent to contest@hennet.org. E-mail to any other address will not necessarily receive a response.


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