2026 Abdelkader Global Citizenship Prize Guidelines & Procedures

Posted: November 25, 2025 in Global Citizenship Prize

Abdelkader Global Citizenship Prize (2026) Essay And Multimedia Contests For Students

These contests are sponsored by Abdelkader Education Project (AEP) and Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). AEP is a 501c3 non-profit organization.

Guidelines & Procedures

Prompt:

Research Emir Abdelkader’s leadership style and identify how his approach could help address challenges in your community today. Using these insights, write an open letter to a local educator, official, or other leader recommending actions to strengthen civic life. Then create a brief video that expresses the core idea of your letter.

Eligibility:

All students enrolled at high schools (grades 9-12) or colleges in the United States, including exchange students, may compete.

Note for educators:

Please share the contest with your students and offer to be their mentor/advisor as they learn about Emir Abdelkader and develop their entry.

Steps for students:

  1. Select a mentor/advisor from your school/college to support your entry.
  2. Read and research. Resources include, but are not limited to, Commander of the Faithful: The Life and Times of Emir Abdelkader by John W. Kiser. The book’s 21st chapter, “The Emir’s Letter,” (available here) is especially relevant for understanding Emir Abdelkader’s vision for unity.
  3. Follow the prompt and guidelines (see next page) while crafting your entry.
  4. Submit the online entry form by 11:59pm CST on February 28, 2026.

Evaluation criteria:

Relevance to Emir Abdelkader’s legacy and ethical leadership principles

  • At least two significant quotes or life events from Emir Abdelkader are cited (from primary sources or biographies) in your letter
  • Creativity, originality, and artistic expression
  • Impact, depth, and clarity of message
  • Grammar and writing conventions
  • Technical proficiency and presentation

Entries will be evaluated impartially by contest judges (educators, former contest winners, and others). AEP has the right to not award prizes if entries do not meet its standards.

Guidelines for letter:

  • 800-1,200 words (excluding titles, citations, and bibliography or works cited)
  • Use a consistent referencing style (parenthetical citations or endnotes are acceptable)
  • Format the page with 1-inch margins, 1.5 line spacing, and a legible font in size 12
  • You can include diagrams/images so long as the file does not exceed 6 pages
  • Do not include your name and any personal identifiers in the letter
  • Address your letter using a pseudonym, except when writing to a public official
  • Submit a DOC (.doc) file

Guidelines for video:

  • Potential formats: Reel with on-camera narration or captions, animation, slideshow, etc.
  • Duration should be 30-90 seconds
  • Any sourced material must be in the public domain or you must have permission to use it
  • File should be within 300 MB
  • If needed, attach a DOC (.doc) file that lists references and discloses AI usage

Policies (must be agreed to on contest entry form):

  • Ethics and AI use: All entries must be the original work of the student. Texts or images generated in whole or in part by artificial intelligence (AI) are ineligible. AI narration for videos is acceptable if disclosed. Please make sure to consistently and clearly cite all of your sources, including any visual materials. All entries will be checked with AI and plagiarism detection tools.
  • Intellectual property and permissions: By submitting their work, participants grant AEP and ISNA the right to use, publish, and display their creations for promotional and educational purposes, crediting the respective creators, on the AEP website, social media, and other materials.

Entry process:

  • All entries must be received by 11:59pm CST on February 28, 2026
  • Any updates on the contest will be shared on the contest website
  • Winners will be announced in late March 2026

 

Additional Resources

2026 Intro & Resources
Global Citizenship Prize