ELIGIBILITY:

The competition is open to all students from any country who will be enrolled in high school (as of December 31, 2025).

Essay entries are reviewed by our Academic Advisory Committee, an international panel of distinguished professors and researchers.

Free to enter and open worldwide, the award celebrates rising thinkers, sparks dialogue about the ideas shaping our future, and continues Lumiere’s mission of empowering the next generation of researchers.

Participants can choose ONE of the following prompts:

Humanities Prompt #1: How should societies determine which past injustices deserve apologies and reparations from the state?

Humanities Prompt #2: How might popular culture reshape our understanding of the world around us?

Free entry: There are no fees required to enter this essay award. It is open to all eligible participants without cost.​

Single Submission: Participants may submit only one essay.​

Original Scholarship & Sole Authorship:​
Each essay must be the original work of the participant.
While participants may seek feedback or engage in discussion, the writing must be conducted entirely by the student. No joint or collaborative submission is permitted.
The use of external writing services is strictly prohibited.

Language​: Essays must be in English.​

Academic​: Essays must be academic and use formal language. Students may not use personal anecdotes to substantiate their arguments. ​​

The award seeks well-reasoned, research-based argumentative essays rather than original research papers. ​​Participants are not expected to perform primary data collection or advanced data analysis to submit.

Word Limit​: Essays must not exceed 2,000 words, excluding footnotes and bibliography.

BENEFIT:

6 winners from 3 categories (Humanities, STEM, and Social Sciences) will receive a total of $20,000 in cash prizes and scholarships.