High school seniors who reside in the Upper Peninsula and plan to pursue studies in a healthcare-related field at a college or university next fall are invited to participate in the fifth annual National Rural Health Day Essay Contest. The Northern Michigan University Center for Rural Health is coordinating the contest with the Michigan Center for Rural Health and the Literacy Legacy Fund of Michigan. The essay submission deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 12.

Students’ essays should be 500 words minimum or 1,000 words maximum. The essay topic to be addressed is, “Identify three ways you believe healthcare professionals can address health literacy.”

Prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers in the three U.P. regions: Eastern, Central and Western. They are $500 for first place, $250 for second and $100 for third.

“We are hopeful that more high school seniors pursuing higher education in a healthcare-related field will enter this year’s contest,” said Elise Bur, NMU Center for Rural Health director. “We’ve had some amazing entries in previous years, and it’s inspiring and hopeful to gain insight and perspective from our future healthcare workforce.”

Winners will be notified Nov. 21, which is National Rural Health Day. The first-place essays will be shared with students’ hometown newspapers.

The guidelines and submission link can be found here.