Submissions for the 2026 Anthro Day Unessay Competition are now OPEN through Anthro Day, February 19, 2026.
This contest encourages students to think critically about an anthropological question, but unlike a traditional essay contest, students can be creative and respond to the prompt in a way that is meaningful to them.
Theme
The theme for the UnEssay Contest is “On the Verge,” corresponding with the 2026 AAA Annual Meeting Theme. “On the verge” draws attention to thresholds—between endings and beginnings, stability and transformation, the known and the emergent. It invites reflection on what it means to inhabit spaces of anticipation, tension, and becoming, where outcomes are not yet fully formed but deeply felt.
Submissions should address how being “on the verge” shapes everyday life, social relations, institutions, and imaginaries of the future. Students must submit an original piece of work that responds to one of the following topics:
- Describe a moment when you felt “on the verge” of change. How do anticipation, uncertainty, or suspension shape everyday experiences such as school, work, family life, or community?
- Technologies, politics, and social movements often seem poised at critical thresholds, from AI and climate change to shifting democratic norms. Choose one domain where society appears “on the verge.” How does this sense of imminent change influence how people think, act, or imagine the future?
- Focus on a physical object, place, or boundary that represents being “on the verge.” How does it mark a transition between past and future, inclusion and exclusion, or stability and change?
Submissions may take creative, experimental, or nontraditional forms. We encourage students to be curious, reflective, and bold in exploring what it means to be on the verge, and why that space matters.
The contest is open to students in sixth through twelfth grades. Submissions will be judged in two separate grade divisions:
- Middle: 6th – 8th grade
- High: 9th – 12th grade
What is an Unessay?
Unlike a traditional essay competition, an unessay invites students to choose the format they submit. Students are encouraged to think creatively about the topic and respond to the prompt in a format they see fit.
Examples of unessay submissions include but are not limited to a comic strip, playlist, podcast interview, script for a play, a game, a film/video clip, a series of photographs, visual artwork, or a magazine-style article. You can find examples of previous unessay submissions here.
Students are welcome to submit entries in any format, including ones not listed above, as long as they meet the following criteria.
Submission Criteria
- Students must submit an original piece of work that responds to the theme of “On the Verge”. This theme is open to the student’s interpretation.
- Submissions must comply with the following time limits, word counts, and submission formats:
- Maximum of 500 words for any text-based responses, such as poetry and essays.
- Maximum of 5 minutes for any audio and video submissions, such as podcasts, music, and performances.
- All image-based submissions should be submitted as a JPEG file, such as photos of artwork or photography.
- Students are welcome to use artificial intelligence tools to assist with the creation of their submission; however, they must indicate the tool used and how they used it in developing their piece either as part of their UnEssay submission or in a supplemental piece. Submissions judged to be overwhelmingly produced by, or consisting entirely of, AI output, may be discounted at the judges discretion.
- Students under 13 must have a parent / guardian submit their work.
Notification and Prize
Entries must be submitted before midnight on Anthropology Day, February 19th.
Due to the high volume of applications, the winners of the unessay contest will now be notified via email by February 27, 2026 to ensure that every submission is properly reviewed. The winning unessay(s) will have their content published by the American Anthropological Association in Anthropology News and will receive a $50.00 gift card.
Submit Your Entry
Submissions for the 2026 Unessay Competition should be sent to gro.orhtnAnaciremA@gnitekraM with the subject line, “2026 UnEssay Submission”.