All New York City high school students are invited to participate in the 4th Annual NYC Emergency Management “Commissioner for a Day” essay contest. Entrants must submit an original essay and complete an application form. The NYC Emergency Management
Commissioner will select the winner who will be invited to participate in the Commissioner for a Day ceremony.

 

The essay contest is open to all New York City high school students enrolled in grades 9-12 across all five boroughs. The deadline to apply is Feb. 3. All entries must be emailed to readyny@oem.nyc.gov with the subject line “Commissioner for a Day Essay Contest.” All submissions must include the application form signed by the student. If the student is under 18 years of age, the application form must be signed by the student’s parent/guardian.

 

Important Dates:

• February 3, 2024: All entries must be emailed by 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, February 3, 2024.
• February 23, 2024: Winners will be announced by 12:00 PM on Friday, February 23, 2024.
• March 6, 2024: The Commissioner for a Day ceremony’s date is Wednesday, March 6, 2024.

 

Criteria: Each submission will be evaluated based on:

• Response to the call of the question.
• Original ideas posed by the student.
• Creativity of the submission.
• Spelling and grammar.
• Adhering to all submission requirements.

 

Requirements: Students must create their own essay, between 500 to 1,000 words, addressing ONE of the following topics:

• How would you encourage greater leadership from the local community to better prepare for an emergency event?
• What is the role New Yorkers can play in responding to emergency events? How would you engage your community to prepare for the unexpected?
• How can businesses play a role in preparing, responding, and recovering from local emergency events?
• How can emergency events and disasters from afar have an impact on the local community?

 

Click here to apply.