A national essay competition is inviting American high school students to examine an intriguing chapter in the country’s early history – how Christopher Columbus became connected to the emerging identity of the United States long before Washington, D.C. existed.
The National Italian American Foundation and the National Christopher Columbus Association have jointly sponsored the annual Christopher Columbus Essay Contest since 1996. The program is open nationwide to students in grades 9 through 12 attending public, private or parochial schools, as well as homeschooled students.
For the 2026–2027 competition, participants are being asked to investigate the historical use of “Columbia,” the poetic name derived from Columbus that became associated with the young United States. During the Revolutionary era, Columbia appeared in American songs, poems and speeches as a personification of the new nation. In 1791, the name was formally incorporated into the District of Columbia.
Students must use historical and literary evidence to explain how Columbus’s name developed into an American national symbol and examine how that connection remains visible in Washington today, including through the recently restored Columbus Memorial Fountain.
The competition awards 3 national prizes. The first-place student receives $1,200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., where the winner will read the essay during the Columbus Day celebration. Second place receives $500, while third place receives $300.
Entries must be submitted as a PDF or Word document by 11:59 p.m. EST on March 15, 2027. Winners are scheduled to be notified by June 15.
Nearly 250 years after American independence, the contest offers younger generations an opportunity to explore the historical connections between an Italian navigator, the creation of American national identity and the symbols that still surround the nation’s capital.
