The Pulitzer Center Local Letters for Global Change contest asks K–12 students worldwide to connect a global issue to their own community in a one-page letter to a local decisionmaker. The 2026 rules require English and/or Spanish, evidence from at least one Pulitzer Center-supported story and a proposed solution. The recipient can be elected or non-elected, including a school principal or corporate executive. Entering the contest does not send the letter to that recipient.
The five 2026 focus categories are Climate and Environment, Global Health, Human Rights, Information and Artificial Intelligence, and Peace and Conflict. One winner per category receives $300 for classroom global-community engagement, distributed to the class teacher, plus publication of the letter, photo and bio. Up to four finalists per category receive $75 for the same classroom purpose and publication. The current rules do not state separate elementary/middle/high-school judging divisions.
The published 2026 deadline was November 1 at 11:59pm EST. As checked November 4, the date has passed, but the landing page still calls the contest open and the entry form remains available. No extension or confirmed late-entry policy has been announced in the checked sources. The form says winners and finalists will be notified in December 2026. The listed free workshops ran August 5–October 23, 2026 and are historical; no later cycle or workshop calendar is yet confirmed.
Sources checked November 4, 2026: official 2026 rules and entry form. Teacher contact details and disclosure of any AI assistance are part of submission. The organizer’s EST deadline label is retained literally.