The Founded By NYC Student Competition

The Founded By NYC Student Competition

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is proud to partner with New York City Tourism + Conventions on The Founded By NYC Student Competition. The Competition is designed to celebrate outstanding student work and creativity using the principles of the Founded By NYC Campaign. One winning student will be selected to participate in a full-day experience including a performance of HAMILTON in New York City with their class.

 

The Competition closed on December 15, 2025. All applicants will be notified by February 28, 2026. 

New York City Manhattan skyline.

About the Contest

Founded by NYC 400

Students in grades 7–12 in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania are encouraged to create and submit a performance piece (e.g., a rap, poem, song, monologue) highlighting how New York City has shaped history and continues to inspire the world today. Students are encouraged to highlight New York City’s history, culture, and innovation.

Students and teachers can submit student entries here. The submissions form will close once 300 entries have been received or by December 15, 2025, whichever occurs first. A panel of experts familiar with the award will review the entries. Staff from the Gilder Lehrman Institute and New York City Tourism + Conventions will determine the award winner. Entries will be assessed based on this rubric. The student winner will be notified in February through their teacher.

The winner of this Competition will participate in a full-day experience including a performance of HAMILTON in New York City with their teacher, two adult chaperones, and up to 29 classmates. Transportation to/from New York City will be at the expense of the winning school.

 

Where to Start

Students can use this activity sheet to create a performance piece. The activity sheet provides several tips on creating a performance piece and suggests websites that could be helpful for researching New York City’s history, culture, and innovation.

Entry Requirements and Guidelines

Eligibility

Age: Students must be at least 13 years old.

Who Can Submit the Entry: Students currently enrolled in grades 7–12 in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. A teacher can also submit the student-produced project on the student’s behalf.

Performance Piece Requirements

  • Submissions must highlight how New York City has shaped history and continues to inspire the world today.
  • Submissions without a connection to New York City’s history, innovation, and/or culture will not be considered. 
  • Students must work on their own project and may not work in groups. 
  • Written performance pieces should not exceed 750 words.
  • If recorded, the Submission must be under 2 minutes long.
  • If recorded, the Submission must be a performance by the student who researched and wrote the piece. 
  • The creative piece must not violate any party’s copyrights or trademark rights.

Project Examples

Here are some ideas to get you started. You don’t need to use these, your project can highlight any way New York City has shaped history and continues to inspire the world today.

  • Historic Moments That Sparked Global Change: From the women’s suffrage movement to the Stonewall uprising to the resilience shown after 9/11, New York City has been the stage for powerful moments that changed the course of history.
  • Cultural Movements with NYC Roots: Hip-hop, Broadway, the Harlem Renaissance, street art, fashion — New York is where creative energy starts and then spreads worldwide.
  • Iconic New Yorkers Who Made a Difference: People like Jackie Robinson, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alicia Keys all used their voices, talents, or courage to make an impact far beyond the city. 
  • Places That Inspire the World: The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Times Square, Federal Hall — these symbols of welcome, hope, and celebration show why New York continues to inspire people everywhere.
  • How NYC Has Shaped Dining: The City is home to America’s first fine dining restaurant, Delmonico’s; its first pizzeria, Lombardi’s; and hundreds more culinary landmarks. It’s also served as a melting pot, incorporating the world into its cuisine, and is responsible for the invention of many signature foods that have had enduring cultural impact.

Founded By NYC

To mark the 400th anniversary of New York City in 2025 and the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026, Founded By NYC highlights how the City has helped shape history and continues to inspire the world today. In partnership with the City of New York and HAMILTON, Founded By NYC invites the world to explore original storytelling, can’t-miss events, iconic sights, and immersive tours that bring NYC’s groundbreaking innovations to life.

Read the contest rules and guidelines. If you have any questions, please email education@gilderlehrman.org.