‘Mayor for a Day Essay Contest’ invites students to share ideas for improving their cities

Fourth, fifth, and sixth graders can submit essays by Dec. 13 for a chance to win $100.

The Mayor for a Day Essay Contest, hosted by the League of Minnesota Cities, is now open for submissions. To enter, fourth, fifth, and sixth graders must answer the prompt, “What would you do if you were mayor for a day?” for a chance to win $100 and recognition in Minnesota Cities magazine.

Essays must be submitted by Friday, Dec. 13. Students and parents/caregivers can submit essays via an online form, a PDF email attachment, or United States Postal Service mail. All contest materials are available at lmc.org/mayorforaday, including a primer on what it’s like to be a Minnesota mayor.

The contest is in its 12th year and received 540 essays from all around the state in 2023. The 2023 winners were from Byron, New York Mills, Shoreview, and St. Louis Park. In addition, judges selected four honorable mention essayists from the cities of Dilworth, Grand Marais, Lauderdale, and Windom.

“I always look forward to learning the passionate and creative ideas of Minnesota students, but our Mayor for a Day Contest is more than just a fun event,” League of Minnesota Cities Executive Director Luke Fischer said. “It’s an opportunity to inspire the next generation of civic leaders and let them know they can make a positive impact on their communities by serving in local government.”

Winners only will be notified via email in January 2025.

The League of Minnesota Cities is a membership association dedicated to promoting excellence in local government. The League, governed by a Board of Directors consisting of local elected and appointed city officials, serves its more than 830 member cities through advocacy, education and training, policy development, risk management, and other services.