national wwii museum essay contest 2021

The National WWII Museum

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The National WWII Museum offers an annual Essay Contest, the topic of which is announced each January. Our latest contest, My Town Remembers WWII, is a photo contest/interactive online map that showcases memorials and other WWII-related memory sites. Find out how to get involved here!

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The National WWII Museum tells the story of the American Experience in the war that changed the world - why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today - so that all generations will understand the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn.

Sign up for updates about exhibits, public programming and other news from The National WWII Museum here.

945 Magazine Street New Orleans, LA 70130, Entrance on Andrew Higgins Drive PHONE: (504) 528-1944 - FAX: (504) 527-6088 - EMAIL: [email protected] | Directions

Museums of the World: The National WWII Museum

Museums – revealing untold stories

Museums are one of the keys to unlocking the mysteries of our past. They give insights into the history of not just our culture or land but of all mankind. Although museums may need to paint a complete picture and create information gaps, it has helped in piecing together many historical events. The lessons we can learn from the past are countless.

The National World War II Museum 

The National D-Day Museum was founded in 2000 to commemorate the 56th anniversary of D-Day. It is a military history museum located in the Central Business District of New Orleans , Louisiana, in the United States. The museum focuses on highlighting the country’s contributions made to attain victory in World War II. The museum talks about the story of the Americans in the War – what happened, how it was won, and everything that changed the world forever. The National D-Day Museum was named the National World War II Museum by the United States Congress in 2003. The Government aimed to renew the museum campus by extending it furthermore. An international master plan competition was held to find ideas and designers for the same. Voorsanger Architects PC won the competition and was awarded the commission to build the new campus. Upon winning, the firm joined hands with Edward C. Mathes from Mathes Brierre Architects to form the design team for The National World War II Museum.  

Voorsanger Architects PC, Mathes LLC – Vision and Mission | The National WWII Museum

An architect’s design is a reflection of his/her values and beliefs. The team at Voorsanger with a dedicated commitment to the defence of freedom values the courage and sacrifices made during World War II. Optimism, determination, and teamwork are key values that drive them along the design of the museum . With the completion of the new campus, they wish to inspire all generations – young and old- by depicting heroism, tragedies, and the aftermaths of loss and victory. They aim to create a world-recognized museum by creating pavilions and exhibition spaces. It is no doubt that one learns more by interacting with the exhibits. Hence the team of architects will engage the audience through interactive oral talks, distance learning, new forms of media, and communication – all to create an interactive museum experience. 

The Museum Campus master plan by Voorsanger Mathes LLC consists of five buildings built in phases – Solomon Victory Theater, U.S. Freedom Pavilion, Campaigns of Courage: European and Pacific Theaters , Hall of Democracy , Liberation Pavilion , and Bollinger Canopy of Peace . 

U.S. Freedom Pavilion – The Boeing Center

Completed in 2013, it is the tallest building on the National World War II Museum’s Campus at 96 feet. With a budget of 20.5 million dollars, it stands as an architectural statement for the entire campus. The pavilion has elevated bridges to create interaction and dialogue between the visitor and the exhibits. This helps in viewing the exhibits closely and creates movement in the pavilion. An addition of LED screens allows viewing of documentaries and historical footage, thus immersing the visitors in the historical events. The restored Boeing B-17G “Flying Fortress.”, the B25J Mitchell Bomber, the TBM Avenger, the P51, the Corsair F4U and the SBD Dauntless are a few large exhibited artefacts that were integral to the Allied victory. 

Bollinger Canopy of Peace | The National WWII Museum

The National World War II Museum’s Bollinger Canopy of Peace pavilion has made a new identity and memorable landmark along the city skyline . The entire canopy is a truss system consisting of an exposed steel frame structure with tensile fabric shades. It rises 150 feet above ground level and covers a triangular area about 400 feet long and 120 feet wide. The engineering and technical details were a challenge taken up to bring this dream to fruition. It is strategically placed in the master plan of the museum’s campus and serves as a visual landmark inside the campus, linking all other exhibits with each other. The Canopy symbolises all the values fought for in World War II, their sacrifices and their hope to win for the country. 

Solomon Victory Theater 

“Beyond All Boundaries” is a 4D cinematic experience produced and narrated by Tom Hanks . It was produced exclusively for The National World War II Museum, to be viewed at the Solomon Victory Theater. The theatre has a capacity of 246 viewers. It is also open for corporate events, award ceremonies and movie premiers with new-age digital technology . 

The Liberation Pavilion | The National WWII Museum

Journeying through the pavilions and exhibits of the Museum Campus, the visitors will enter The Liberation Pavilion set to complete in 2023. It will reflect on the closing months of World War II and the immediate years after the War. There will be three levels in the pavilion. The pavilion’s concept portrays the end of various aspects of World War II . The first floor, named as Liberation, will allow visitors to reflect upon the joys and costs of liberation. It will encourage the visitors to contemplate what freedom means. The second and third floors of the pavilion will focus on what the war means in our lives today. It will show the visitors a fresh perspective of democracy. The second floor will comprise interactive spaces depicting how the world has changed since World War II. It talks about America ’s growth, and it’s stand in the world. 

Online Sources:

The National WWII Museum (2023) Wikipedia . Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_National_WWII_Museum (Accessed: February 19, 2023). 

Wwii museum (2018) Voorsanger Architects Archive . Available at: https://voorsangerarchive.org/national-wwii-museum/ (Accessed: February 19, 2023). 

Mission / Vision / Values: The National WWII Museum: New Orleans, The National WWII Museum | New Orleans . Available at: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/about-us/mission-vision-values (Accessed: February 19, 2023). 

Bollinger Canopy of peace: The National WWII Museum: New Orleans, The National WWII Museum | New Orleans . Available at: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/visit/museum-campus-guide/bollinger-canopy-peace (Accessed: February 19, 2023). 

WW II Museum’s Bollinger Canopy of peace hits major milestone (2020) Walter P Moore . Available at: https://www.walterpmoore.com/ww-ii-museums-bollinger-canopy-peace-hits-major-milestone (Accessed: February 19, 2023). 

Liberation pavilion: The National WWII Museum: New Orleans, The National WWII Museum | New Orleans . Available at: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/visit/museum-campus-guide/liberation-pavilion (Accessed: February 19, 2023). 

Rhea is an architect by profession who believes that architecture is an intangible form of art that has the power to shape people’s life and surroundings. The relationship between built and unbuilt spaces intrigues her. She is a curious person with a love for art and its various forms of expression. She has a keen interest in travel, photography, and music.

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The National WWII Museum Essay Contest

The National WWII Museum is pleased to announce High School Essay Contest and Middle School Essay Contest. To commemorate the life, courage and achievements of Elie Wiesel, the National WWII Museum is asking middle and high school students to respond to a quote by Wiesel about his life and legacy. Winning essays will be posted on The National WWII Museum’s website, along with honorable mentions. A total amount of $2250 will be given to high school students and $250 award will be given to middle school students.

The National WWII Museum tells the story of the American Experience in the war that changed the world.  The Museum features immersive exhibits, multimedia experiences and an expansive collection of artifacts and first-person oral histories to take visitors inside the story of the war

Eligibility:

• The contest is open to all high school students in the United States, United States Territories, and military bases.
• The contest is open to all middle school students in grades 5-8 in the United States, United States Territories, and military bases.
• Only one essay per student may be submitted.

How to Apply:

For applying the scholarship, the candidates must submit an an essay. For your essay, please write a response to Elie Wiesel’s quote from your point of view as a young person coming of age in the twenty-first century. Do you agree or do you disagree?

Essay Guidelines:

Your essay must be 1,000 words or less. All essays should:

• Be double-spaced
• Have 1-inch margins
• Include page numbers
• Include an essay title
• Be typed in 12 point font
• Be in Microsoft Word-compatible format only. No zip files or Google documents are permitted. Any files received without a .doc or .docx extension will be deleted.

Submitting Details:

• Middle School students (Grades 5-8) can submit their essay through the given link:  http://www.nationalww2museum.org/learn/education/for-students/essay-contests/middle-school-essay-submission.html
• High School Students (Grades 9-12) can submit their essay by using the following link:  http://www.nationalww2museum.org/learn/education/for-students/essay-contests/high-school-essay-submission.html

Financial aid and Award Money:

Winning essays will be posted on The National WWII Museum’s website, along with the names of the honorable mentions:

• Awards for High School Essay Contest
• First place: $1,000
• Second place: $750
• Third place: $500
• Awards for Middle School Essay Contest
• The Museum will select one winning essay from each grade. Winners will receive a $250 prize. Three honorable mentions from each grade will receive a Museum baseball cap.

Application Deadline:

Entries must be submitted via the website by December 2, 2016, 5:00pm Central Time.

Link for More Information:

http://www.nationalww2museum.org/learn/education/for-students/essay-contests/

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Knight Essay Resources

Knight essay state contest contacts.

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National Deadline for Knight Essay Applications is February 15, 2025

The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) invites all high school students (9th through 12th grades) interested in the American Revolution to participate in the George S. & Stella M. Knight Essay Contest. The contest is open to all US Citizen and Legal Resident students attending home schools, public, parochial, or private high schools in that same grade range.

To participate, students must submit an original 800- to 1,200-word essay based on an event, person, philosophy or ideal associated with the American Revolution, Declaration of Independence, or the framing of the United States Constitution. Each student’s essay will be judged based upon its historical accuracy, clarity, organization, grammar and spelling, and documentation.

The contest is conducted in three phases: the local chapter, state-level society, and national phases. The contest must be entered through an SAR chapter near the student’s residence. In some cases, the contest may be entered at the state level (if the local society does not have chapters or the chapters are not participating) and a contact-at-large should be used to find out more contest details. The list of contest contacts listed below can provide you with assistance in entering the Knight Essay Contest. Only one entry per student is permitted per contest year.

A complete set of rules, along with the application for both the applicant and the sponsoring SAR members, can be found below. Please be aware that the local application deadline dates may vary, so interested applicants should reach out to their local SAR member listed below for further details.

Mr. Christopher Smithson is the current George S. & Stella M. Knight Essay Contest Judge-at-Large.

Essay Contest Winners

2024 Winner: Sarith Narasimha, California Society

Second place james dykes kansas society, third place august moran, rhode island society, fourth place sarah caldwell, maryland society, fifth place louis huang, michigan society, previous winners.

The George S. and Stella M. Knight Essay Contest Committee is proud to announce the winner of the national contest. Each year, the SAR receives an average of thirty state-level winners from around the country to compete in the national-level contest. Visitors can find a list of the previous George S. & Stella M. Knight Essay Contest national winners below.

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