route2write's writing competition 2024

Grades 4 & 5

The Story of Our Plate

Welcome to the 2024 Route2Write Writing Competition! Our mission is to inspire and celebrate the creativity and insight of young writers on the advantages of regenerative farming. By participating, you'll explore the world of sustainability and environmental responsibility, sharing your unique perspectives through your writing.

We invite you to write an essay on the impact of food production on our planet. Show us what you know and let your creativity shine.
You can choose from two tasks:

Option 1
Describe the food of the place where you live. Do people where you live eat mostly food from that place or food that came from far away? What is the result of eating food that comes from near you compared to food that comes from far away?

Option 2
Our food comes from all over the world. Explore the journey of the ingredients in your favorite meal. Trace their origins and consider how they reach your plate. What was the impact of your meal on the environment?

Contest Rules and Guidelines:

For the essay to be eligible for consideration, it must meet the following standards: 

  • Each participant is limited to the submission of one essay only. 
  • Essay must be submitted as a .doc or .pdf
  • Essays must be written using standard margins, 12-point font, and double-spaced.
  • Essays submitted by Grade 4/5 students must not exceed a word limit of 750 words.
  • Essays submitted by Grade 6/7 students must not exceed a word limit of 1000 words.
  • Essays submitted by Grade 8/9 students must not exceed a word limit of 1250 words.
  • Essays must be submitted via the designated submission forms on the contest webpage. Paper submissions will not be accepted.
  • Participant must be 18 years of age or younger and residing in Canada. Contest not open to residents of the province of Quebec, Canada. 
  • Participants must submit their own original work. All essays are subject to potential screening through an AI Detector for evaluation.
  • Participants competing in the Grade 6/7 and Grade 8/9 categories are required to include citations using MLA format for all referenced sources in their essays. Failure to provide proper citations may result in disqualification from the competition.
  • While not mandatory, participants in the Grade 4/5 category are strongly encouraged to include citations for any sources referenced in their essays. 

For more details, please review the Terms and Conditions of the Route2Write Writing Competition.