The Kinsale Waterfront Fund is sponsoring its first youth writing contest, “Making 1776 Relevant in 2026,” a project in honor of America’s 250th anniversary.

“This is a momentous year, with a lot of attention paid, rightfully, to America’s founding as a country and Virginia’s essential role in that founding,” said board member Michael Shank. “We thought it’d be a great opportunity to make this 250th anniversary relevant and interesting to our youth who will lead us into the next 250 years of this country’s footprint and formation.”

All students in Northern Neck schools, or homeschooled in the region, are encouraged to submit a 700–800-word essay that re-envisions a statement or speech from the late 1700s and makes it relevant to a current local, national, or international problem or conflict.

“There are so many inspiring speeches from the 1700s, some well-known and some lesser-known, that deserve airtime now, 250 years later, because they’re still very germane to how we govern and coexist today,” explained Shank.

“A quick read of George Washington’s farewell speech, as one of many examples, illustrates how relevant those words are today. But unless we translate these speeches into modern language and reference, they may fall flat and fail to resonate,” he noted. “That’s why the student-led bridge building is so important. We’re interested in hearing and seeing how they can repurpose the past for the benefit of the present.”

But the challenge goes beyond modernizing thoughts and words of the past. Essays must also propose a solution to a current problem that draws on the historical piece selected.

Essays will be judged on clarity, coherence, problem definition, and solution feasibility and scalability. “We’re interested in universal solutions that respond to universal problems. The issues that fellow Americans are facing here on the Northern Neck aren’t that different from the issues folks are facing elsewhere,” said Shank. “When we use the term scalable, we’re interested in solutions that are feasible here in the Northern Neck but that also resonate around the world.”

Prizes are $500 for 1st place, $250 for 2nd, $100 for 3rd, and $50 for honorable mention. Currently, there is a budget to fund at least three honorable mentions.

“There’s never enough award money to recognize all the good ideas out there. So, if enough heartstrings are pulled as part of this process, we may need to find more funds for additional honorable mentions,” said Shank.

Kinsale Waterfront Foundation became a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible organization in the last year, and it is now building out programming to support Kinsale’s and the Northern Neck’s marine economy, environment, education, and entertainment. The organization raises funds to provide scholarships for activities such as sailing and river camps, with the mission of supporting the Northern Neck’s future leaders.

Details on the contest can be found at: https://nnkwrites.org/