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The Pulitzer Center congratulates the 2020 Local Letters for Global Change contest winners and finalists!
The eighteen young leaders whose writing and bios appear below were selected from among over 800 entrants in 26 U.S. states, three countries, and the District of Columbia. These young people have demonstrated passion for global issues, made meaningful connections between their own communities and the wider world, and offered compelling solutions for some of the world's most pressing problems.
In fall 2020, we asked K–12 students to make their voices heard by writing a letter to their local representative about a global issue they want to see addressed, using Pulitzer Center reporting to make their case. Students drew on diverse reporting projects on subjects ranging from pesticide use to water pollution, from police surveillance to the COVID-19 pandemic and its human impact.
Thank you to every participating student and teacher who engaged deeply with a global issue and inspired us with your passion and your insight. You can view the letter-writing workshop guide here and stay up to date on education opportunities and resources by signing up for our weekly education newsletter.
Contest Winners
First Place, High School Category (Tied)
Ryan Reiche, 12th grade, Doral Academy Preparatory School, FL
Letter on the internment of Uigher and Muslim people in China
Ava Agostinelli, 12th grade, Montclair High School, NJ
Letter on climate change and the environment
First Place, Middle School Category
Caleb Villegas, 6th grade, Mitchell Elementary School, IL
Letter on the COVID-19 pandemic's disproportionate impact on communities of color
First Place, Elementary School Category
Keshav Venkat Easwar, 4th grade, Oak Hill Elementary School, TX
Letter on the use of pesticides
Finalists
Zalachi James Robinson, 8th grade, Grand Concourse Academy Charter School, NY
Letter on homelessness and the COVID-19 pandemic
Kaitlin Kitagawa, 10th grade, King Kekaulike High School, HI
Letter on mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic
Mateo Curiel, 11th grade, Back of the Yards College Preparatory High School, IL
Letter on LGBTQIA+ rights, visibility, and education
Dani Cohen, 11th grade, One SchoolHouse, UT
Letter on the COVID-19 pandemic's disproportionate impact on Indigenous communities
Sophia Reynolds, 9th grade, Montclair High School, NJ
Letter on the COVID-19 pandemic's disproportionate impact on Indigenous communities
Prajit Manivannan, 5th grade, Stowers Elementary School, FL
Letter on air pollution
Cody Zhu, 8th grade, Keystone School, TX
Letter on the ecological significance of bees
Dina Shah, 11th grade, Bloomfield Hall School, Pakistan
Letter on water contamination, health, and the environment
Matthew Gomez, 9th grade, Doral Academy Preparatory School, FL
Letter on climate change and sea level rise
Patten Lane, 10th grade, St. Andrew's Episcopal School, MS
Letter on voter suppression in the U.S. elections
Mia Wolfe, 6th grade, Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School, MN
Letter on the internment of Uigher and Muslim people in China
Radiah Jamil, 11th grade, Brooklyn Latin School, NY
Letter on mental illness and incarceration in the U.S.
Simon Lee, 10th grade, Whittle School, D.C.
Letter on police surveillance
Alexa Troob, 9th grade, Horace Greeley High School, NY
Letter on climate change and migration
Letters were judged by the Pulitzer Center team based on content and structure according to the criteria in the Local Letters for Global Change judging rubric.
Thank you to our semifinal and final round judges: Mary Nance, Amanda Nyakela Nyang’oro, Jaya Mukherjee, Fareed Mostoufi, Hannah Berk, Mark Schulte, Boyoung Lim, Glenn Williams, Claire Seaton, Lucy Crelli, and Leilani Rania Ganser.