The Open Letters: Our Opinion-Writing Contest invites students to write public-facing letters to people or groups about issues that matter to them. An open letter is a published letter of protest or appeal usually addressed to an individual, group or institution but intended for the general public. Students are encouraged to write their own open letter to anyone they choose on any issue they care about, provided it is appropriate and meaningful for a general Times audience. The historical 2025 contest ran March 12-April 16, as confirmed by the official 2025 rules PDF. The next announced contest window is February 17-March 31, 2027.
Checked November 3, 2026 against the official 2026-27 contest calendar, which confirms the 2027 window. The official 2025 rules confirm the separate historical 2025 dates. The linked contest webpage could not be retrieved, so the retained 2026 schedule and 2027 detailed submission rules remain unverified; the previous cycle's cutoff time is not assumed for 2027.
Eligibility check (2026-11-03): The detailed 2027 contest rules were inaccessible. Age limits, enrollment/grade requirements, and geographic eligibility for that cycle remain unverified. The prior catalog’s worldwide eligibility and general Learning Network audience descriptions are not treated as verified 2027 entrant requirements.