UIL Essay Contest
Barbara Jordan Historical Essay Competition
Founded in 1995 as an event sponsored by The University of Texas at Austin, the Barbara Jordan Historical Essay Competition moved to its new home with UIL Academics in 2011-2012.
Competition Theme
Essays should focus on an individual, organization or movement that has made significant and positive contributions to Texas history or culture. Students should look first to their local communities for possible essay subjects.
Entry Deadline
February 11, 2026
Entries will be submitted electronically. All essays received on or before February 11, 2026, that meet the basic requirements of the competition will be entered for judging.
General Guidelines
- Essay with a word count between 1,500 and 2,500 words
- MLA format or APA format is recommended
- Source citations and bibliography required
- Essays should display original research; use of primary sources and interviews strongly encouraged
State finalists will be invited to attend the State Academic Meet in May, where UIL will award state champions by conference divisions based on the number of entries received.
Competition Structure and Awards
- Any student in grades 9-12 who attends a UIL member high school is eligible to enter
- Judges will evaluate each entry and provide comments that will be returned to the contestants
- Judges will nominate essays to be considered as state finalists
- A selection committee will determine state finalists from among the nominees
- All state finalists will become eligible to apply for Texas Interscholastic League Foundation scholarships