the Culture of life studies program's

CATEGORY 1

Middle School

(5th – 8th grade)

“Respect for life requires that science and technology should always be at the service of man and his integral development. Society as a whole must respect, defend, and promote the dignity of every human person, at every moment and in every condition of that person’s life.” – St. John Paul II

Choose one specific stage or circumstance of human life—such as life before birth, disability, serious illness, or old age—and write a 500-word essay defending why that person’s life has value and dignity, even when he or she may be dependent on others or facing difficult circumstances.

Your essay should connect your argument to St. John Paul II’s quote and use specific examples to support your position.

Make sure to include all of the following:

• Describe one or more challenges that can threaten the dignity of people in the situation you chose.
• Explain why that person’s life has value and dignity, even when he or she may be dependent on others or facing difficult circumstances.
• Give at least one concrete example for how individuals, families, communities, or society can respond with greater respect, compassion, and protection, and explain why you chose this.

Write 500 words responding to this prompt. Have your parent, legal guardian, or teacher submit your essay using this form. 

If you have any issues submitting your essay using the form, you can email it directly to clsp@all.org.

Deadline: November 7, 2026, 11:59pm Pacific

PRIZES

FIRST PLACE: $250; CLSP’s The Beauty of the Developing Human Being download; Virtues of the Saints: 5 Heavenly Habits for Children by Patrick O’Hearn and Fr. Donald H. Calloway (courtesy of Patrick O’Hearn); Daily Companion for Young Catholics: Minute Meditations for Every Day; pro-life saint cards; mini rosary; publication on CLSP website

SECOND PLACE: $150; CLSP’s The Beauty of the Developing Human Being download; Did Jesus Have a Last Name? by Matthew Pinto and Jason Evert (courtesy of Ascension); Jesus figures (one to keep, some to pass out to others); pro-life saint cards; mini rosary; publication on CLSP website

THIRD PLACE: $75; spiral bound prayer journal; Jesus figures (one to keep, some to pass out to others); pro-life saint cards; mini rosary; publication on CLSP website

HONORABLE MENTION: $25; mini rosary; publication on CLSP website

• Submissions must be the original and unpublished work of the student.
• AI assistance is not permitted. All submissions will be run through an AI checker.
• Use only your own work; plagiarism is not tolerated.
• Only one entry permitted per contestant.
• Only essays that respond to the essay prompt in its entirety will be considered.
• The contest is open to students in grades 5-12.
• All essays must be submitted by a parent, legal guardian, or teacher.
• All submissions become the sole property of American Life League’s Culture of Life Studies Program, which reserves the right to edit submissions for publication.
• We accept electronic submissions only; you can submit your entry below. If you have any trouble, let us know and we’ll help.
• Use the appropriate Google form to submit all contact information: Middle School | High School
• DEADLINE: November 7, 2026, at 11:59pm Pacific time. We will notify contestants of the results during the month of December 2026.
• If you are a school submitting a large number of essays, please email them to us at clsp@all.org. We are happy to receive them via email. Likewise, if you have any difficulty with the Google form, simply email them to that address. We will acknowledge receipt of all essays that are submitted via email.