Essay Contest

How do we get more people to use public transit? Which policies are best for replacing funding for the declining fuel tax? Are the bike paths in your city distributed fairly for everyone? 

The Mineta Transportation Institute Essay Contest invites students in grades 6-12 to propose and explore a solution to a problem centered around a specific theme each year under one or more of the following principles of transportation: sustainability, equity, safety, community, and innovation. 

This essay contest is your chance to propose solutions to real-world issues. No matter your passion—sustainability, equity and diversity, safety, community, or technology—you can take hold of this moment to write something worth reading about. Don’t forget prize money, a certificate of achievement, and the chance to get published!

Our world is being transformed by technology, by climate change, and by you. Although the future feels uncertain, your voice can make a difference. Are you up for the challenge?

Participants must be enrolled in any public, private, or home school in 6th-12th grade in the United States to participate. Each entry must have a mentor or teacher to review and sponsor the essay. See THE RULES for details on how to submit!

2022-2023 "Rethink Your Ride" Essay Winners
Group 1		Group 2
	Reduction of Car-Reliance in the US Economy By Anping Huang Grade 9, Lynbrook High School, San José, CA   Read Anping's Essay		Public Transportation: Incentivizing Widespread Usage By Caitlin Zhou Grade 10, Lynbrook High School, San José, CA   Read Caitlin's Essay

2023-2024 #VisionZero2030 Essay Winners
Group 1		Group 2
	Distracted Driving: Its Impact on Society and Solutions By Christine Jung Grade 7, Campbell School of Innovation, Campbell, CA   Read Christine's Essay		Infrastructure That Saves Lives: How to Make El Camino Real Safe For Everyone By April Beyersdorf Grade 12, Saint Francis High School, Mountain View, CA   Read April's Essay

2024-2025 "Get Going, Go Green" Essay Winners
Group 1		Group 2
	1st Place Electric Vehicles: Their Monumental Impact and How We Can Achieve it By Neoli Sarkar Grade 7, Chaboya Middle School, San José, CA   Read Neoli's Essay		1st Place Feasibly Implementing Electric Vehicles: How to Maintain Government Tax Revenue By Abraham Yeung Grade 10, American High School, Fremont, CA   Read Abraham's Essay
	2nd Place Replacing the Gas Tax By Aydin Firoozshahian Grade 9, Mountain View High School, Mountain View, CA   Read Aydin's Essay		2nd Place The Inaccessibility of Sustainable Transportation in Americ By Solika Mau Grade 10, Piedmont Hills High School, San José, CA   Read Solika's Essay

The Prizes

A total of $2,250 will be given to four winners! The 1st place winner from the 6th-9th grade category will receive $500, and the 2nd place winner will receive $250. The 1st place winner from the 10th-12th grade category will receive $1,000, and the 2nd place winner will receive $500. Each winner will also receive a certificate of achievement.

Winning essays will be published on MTI’s website and in our newsletter for more than 2,000 readers!

Note: All prizes must be claimed by the end of the academic school year in which the entries were made. 

The Rules

All students enrolled in grades 6-12 in public, private, and home schools within the United States are encouraged to submit.

All entries must be original work reviewed, approved, and sponsored by a teacher or mentor. MTI will contact the sponsor with any questions about a specific entry. Homeschooled students must contact a mentor to sponsor their entry. The teacher/mentor must complete and attach the required required cover sheet. A digital signature will be approved.

General Rules

• All essays must be the original work of the student. 

• Essays must be double spaced and can be typed or legibly handwritten.

• Essays and the required cover sheet must be submitted in PDF format.

• Any quotations or copyrighted material used in the essay must be identified properly. Failure to identify non-original material will result in disqualification.

• All participants must cite sources they used to research their topic throughout their essay. Please use parenthetical citations within the text. We can not accept citations in footnote form.

• Essays must include a bibliography. Accepted formats include APA, MLA, or Turabian. 

Grades 6-9 Rules & Essay Details

• Essays for students in 6th, 7th, 8th, or 9th grade must be between 400 and 500 words. Title, citations, and bibliography are not included in the word count. 

• Essays for students in these grades must use a minimum of two selected sources.

Grades 10-12 Rules & Essay Details

• Essays for students in 10th, 11th, or 12th grade must be between 700 and 1,000 words. Title, citations, and bibliography are not included in the word count.

• Essays for students in these grades must use a minimum of five selected sources.

Judging Criteria

Total points possible: 15

1. Content - Understanding of the topic: To what extent did the writer demonstrate a clear understanding of the essay prompt and respond with details about their ideas?

2. Material Organization & Sources - Effectiveness in presenting a point-of-view, logical interpretation of the subject - clear thesis, and supporting ideas, and factual information

3. Vocabulary, grammar and spelling - Uses vocabulary related to the transportation industry, use of grammar and spelling

Resources

On Writing

• How to Write a Works Cited or Bibliography from Purdue University Online Writing Lab
• Writing an Argumentative Essay from Purdue University Online Writing Lab

On Transportation

• Transportation News from the United States Department of Transportation
• United States Department of Transportation
• Federal Highway Administration
• Research Publications from MTI

FAQs

Questions about Writing

• Who is my audience?

Your writing should be appropriate for all audiences and written to inspire your peers and community. The judges include MTI staff, educators, and industry professionals.

• Can I use AI to help me write?

Although large language models can be a useful tool for brainstorming and even outlining, your essay needs to be your original work. It should not be plagiarized, generated by AI, or written by someone else. All quotations must be cited and sources included in your bibliography.

• Can I submit more than once?

Each student can only submit to each contest once. You’re welcome to submit again next year!

• Can my friend/sibling/someone else help me write?

Getting feedback from peers can be very helpful in the writing process, and your work must be reviewed and approved by your mentor/sponsor. Remember, however, that the work itself must be 100% your original work. It should not be plagiarized, generated by AI, or written by someone else. All quotations must be cited and sources included in your bibliography.

• Can I use ProWritingAid/Grammarly/Spellcheck to check my work?

Your essay must be your original work, but yes, please do use spell check!

• Can I use an essay I already wrote?

This essay must be written specifically for this contest and not previously published.

Questions about the Rules

• How will I know if my entry has been received?

You will receive an email response noting that we have received your entry after the submission deadline. Please contact us if submitted before the deadline but you have not heard from us three days after the deadline, or if you have any questions.

• Who do I contact if I have any questions?

Please reach out to Alverina Weinardy at alverina.weinardy@sjsu.edu with any questions.

Questions about Judging

• Who are the judges?

Judges include MTI staff, transportation industry professionals, and educators. Judges have extensive industry experience, advanced degrees, teaching experience, etc. that make them uniquely qualified.

• How do you decide the winners?

Judges use specifically tailored criteria developed by educators and professional writers. The criteria includes content, organization and materials, and grammar and spelling. You can learn more about the criteria in the Rules section under “Judging Criteria.” 

Teacher and Mentor Resources

• Essay Writing Handouts from Duke University
• Improving Student Writing from University of Wisconsin
• Transportation Research from MTI
• Online Writing Lab (OWL) from Purdue University
• Guides to Teaching Writing from Harvard