Freedom of Expression Essay Contest Award

The Freedom of Expression Essay Contest was created to encourage student reflection about free speech and civil dialogue. Participants of the contest must submit an essay or creative work answering the prompt provided at the “Gun Control: Divergent Paths to Meaningful Reform” event on October 23, 2025. More information on the event can be found here: uwosh.edu/community-engagement/. A recording of the event will be posted following the event on the website above.

Awards will be given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in the amounts of: 1st: $3,000, 2nd: $2,000, 3rd: $1,000. The awards will be paid out in Spring 2026. Recipients must be enrolled full- or part-time at UW-Oshkosh during the Spring 2026 semester to be eligible to receive the award payment.

This award is funded through the Kleinschmidt Family Foundation Freedom of Expression Fund, which was established to prioritize and foster freedom of speech programming at UW-Oshkosh.

Award
1st: $3,000, 2nd: $2,000, 3rd: $1,000
Categories
Center for Civic & Community Engagement, Graduate Award, Undergraduate Award
Deadline
11/09/2025
Supplemental Questions
  1. This prompt has multiple parts, please address all of them through your work:

    Was this conversation a good example of civil discourse and free speech? Why or why not? How did the speakers represent the best (or worst) of how civil dialogue and the exchange of competing ideas can or should occur at UW-Oshkosh?

    Quality essays will use multiple examples and direct quotes, when possible, from the event. You may also bring in additional outside sources as long as they are cited. Writing quality, detail, depth and thoughtfulness of argument, and accuracy of event description will also be considered while scoring the submission. Essays must be less than 1,000 words.