Contest Overview
High school juniors and seniors across South Carolina are invited to participate in the Strong Men & Women in S.C. History student essay contest, sponsored by Dominion Energy and the South Carolina Department of Education. Celebrate the legacy of influential African Americans from South Carolina by submitting an original essay. Five winners will be selected!
Prompt
South Carolina’s history has been shaped by the courageous and inspiring contributions of its African American community, from Revolutionary War patriots like Oscar Marion and Robert Smalls to modern leaders such as Septima Poinsette Clark and Mary McLeod Bethune. This year’s essay prompt encourages students to write about an African American from South Carolina who has positively impacted their educational journey. Essays should highlight how this individual’s actions relate to one or more of the six key purposes outlined in the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution: to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, or secure the blessings of liberty.
Contest Rules
- Submit a 500-word essay by March 27, 2026, for a chance to win an Apple MacBook Air and a $1,000 award for your school or homeschooling organization.
- Open to high school juniors and seniors enrolled in public or private schools in South Carolina.
- Homeschool students with active, dues-paying memberships in a homeschool association are eligible; the $1,000 school award can be applied to a homeschool organization.
- Entries must be original, unpublished works.
- Essays should not exceed 500 words.
- Winners will be chosen by a panel of Dominion Energy employees and teachers from each of South Carolina’s five regions: Midlands, Upstate, Lowcountry, Pee Dee, and the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA).
- Winners will be invited to participate in the 2027 African American History Calendar unveiling ceremony.
- Selected essays will be showcased on the websites of Dominion Energy and the South Carolina Department of Education.
Timeline
- Deadline for submissions: March 27, 2026
- Judging period: March 30 – April 17, 2026
- Winners notified: Late April 2026
- Awards ceremony: Winners and their school representatives must attend to receive their awards.
Judging Criteria
| Content | Demonstrates careful, thorough thought and reflection |
| Focus | Responds directly to the prompt, clearly articulating the main idea |
| Support | Provides relevant, detailed evidence supporting key points. |
| Style | Exhibits good flow, vocabulary, and structure. |
| Mechanics | Uses correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. |
Questions?
For more information or questions, please contact us at scafricanamerican@ed.sc.gov.