TEAM Westport Teen Diversity Essay Contest Awards Ceremony 2026
Event Details
TEAM Westport, in partnership with The Westport Library, is proud to present the winners of the 13th Annual Teen Diversity Essay Contest during a special ceremony held at the Library.
For the past 23 years, TEAM Westport has been a town-appointed committee focused on making Westport proactively welcoming with respect to race, ethnicity, religion, and LGBTQI-A.
The contest is a competition aimed at engaging student reflection on topics that might present challenges to the Town of Westport’s publicly declared commitment to “fostering a civic culture that provides equitable respect, belonging, and treatment of all citizens, students, employees and visitors by its populace, government, schools, businesses, and organizations.”
About the 2026 TEAM Westport Teen Diversity Essay Contest
The theme of this year ‘s essay topic is the Declaration of Independence.
This year’s essay prompt was as follows:
This year, the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a document which Abraham Lincoln called “a rebuke and a stumbling-block to tyranny and oppression.”
The Declaration of Independence is a foundational document in American political and social life that also inspires TEAM Westport’s mission: to build a community where diversity is welcomed, and inclusion, respect, and belonging are actively extended to all who live, work, attend school, or visit in Westport — regardless of ethnicity, gender identity, race, religion, and sexual orientation.
In 1,000 words or less, please comment on the following:
1) The relevance and value of the Declaration of Independence in your everyday life and your duties or obligations, if any, to uphold its principles for all people living within our democratic society; AND…
2) Opportunities, if any, you believe town leaders (including fellow students, school officials, community members and TEAM Westport) could create to act differently or additionally to reinforce the principles of the Declaration of Independence.
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The Westport Library is committed to intellectual freedom, inclusivity, and lifelong learning. Our mission is to provide welcoming spaces for the free exchange of ideas. The Library does not endorse or condemn points of view, including any program content or the views expressed by presenters or participants.
