2022 Scott Johnson Open Government High School Essay Competition Opens

The 2022 Scott Johnson Open Government High School Essay Contest is now open. The purpose of this annual contest is twofold: to help to educate young people about the importance of open-government principles; and to honor the memory of the late Scott Johnson, a former Washington Coalition for Open Government board member and attorney with Stokes Lawrence, which sponsors the annual competition.

This year’s topic:

“One of the most impactful cultural shifts since the Public Records Act was adopted 50 years ago has been the birth of the internet and social media. How do you think these new technologies work to assist and/or complicate truth, trust, and transparency?”

Essays should be 400-600 words and represent the original work of the contestant and not previously published.

The contest is open to all public, private, and home-schooled high school students in Washington state and the winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize in June. More information and examples of previous entries are available on the WashCOG website.

Deadline for contest entries is June 16. Entries should be submitted electronically to info@washingtoncog.org with the subject line “Essay Contest Entry” no later than 5 p.m. on June 16, 2022.