The 2026 Paideia High School Essay Contest

Win a trip to Greece this summer!

The Paideia Institute is pleased to announce its ninth annual high school essay contest. We will publish the winning essay here on In Medias Res, and the winner will receive a full scholarship to our Living Greek in Greece High School summer program.

A year after an essay contest on the topic of The Odyssey and the return home, it’s time for a change. To change! The topic for this year’s contest is ‘Metamorphosis’. We invite you to offer either your own interpretations of Ovid’s great poem, The Metamorphoses, or of any specific episodes, including any Greek predecessors, and also any later literary or cultural work that engages with Ovid’s text. You should also feel free to address the topic more generally. What did ‘change’ mean to the Ancient Greeks and Romans, and how did they reflect on it? The strongest essays will ground themselves in the way the ancients discussed and reflected on metamorphosis and change.

Essay submissions are due on Monday, February 16th, 2026 and should not exceed 800 words. Please include your first and last name, grade level, and email address at the top of your essay. Essays should be emailed to [email protected] in PDF format with the subject line "2026 High School Essay Contest Submission." Submissions that do not meet these requirements will not be considered. For more information about Living Greek in Greece High School, please visit the program overview page. Please note that the essay contest prize scholarship does not include airfare to and from Greece. High school freshmen through graduating seniors are eligible to participate in the essay contest.

Nota bene: the essay contest is a separate venue for high school writing from Ephebeia: A Youth Classics Journal. Dates and submission guidelines for the Spring 2026 issue of Ephebeia will be announced in the coming months.