WHAT DOES COURAGE MEAN TO YOU?
2026 Youth Essay Challenge
In 1942, a B-17 carrying Columbus native Eddie Rickenbacker ditched in the Pacific after becoming lost and running out of fuel. Rickenbacker and the other survivors spent more than three weeks adrift in small life rafts, confronting hunger, thirst, exposure and uncertainty before rescue. Their extraordinary ordeal leaves a question that still matters today: What does courage mean when you don't know what comes next?
Now It's Your Turn.
Write an original essay about what courage means to you. You may reflect on Eddie Rickenbacker's story or describe a time when you, someone you know, your family, school or community demonstrated courage in the face of a challenge.
Contest Details
- Open to students in Grades 6–12
- Essay length: 500–750 words
- Contest opens Monday, September 14, 2026
- Submission deadline: Sunday, October 11, 2026 at 11:59 PM
- Three winning essays will be selected
- Entries will be evaluated with consideration for the student's grade level
- Winners will be announced after judging is complete
The Essay Prompt
Inspired by Eddie Rickenbacker's remarkable survival story, what does courage mean to you?
Describe a time when you, someone you know, your family, school or community faced a challenge that required courage. What can Rickenbacker's story teach us about facing uncertainty, helping others and continuing forward when circumstances are difficult?
Students may use AI tools to help research and learn about Eddie Rickenbacker, but the ideas, personal reflection and final essay must be the student's own work.
Winner Recognition
The first, second and third place winners will be invited to a special recognition gathering at Rickenbacker Woods Foundation, where they will receive their awards and have an opportunity to share excerpts from their essays with family and community guests.
Submit Your Essay
Students may submit online using the form below. Essays may also be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to:
Rickenbacker Woods Foundation
1330 E. Livingston Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43205
All entries must be received by Sunday, October 11, 2026 at 11:59 PM.
