LISTEN TO A LIFE STORY CONTEST

Now, more than ever, young and old need to come together to learn from the past, live fully in the present, and dream for the future.

Together, across generations, we can change lives and how we understand and live in the world. So, reach out your hand to someone older or younger and see what you discover! Big things happen when you listen to a life.

The Legacy Project's 26th annual Listen to a Life Story Contest runs to April 17, 2026. The contest is open to young people 8-18 years, with a grandparent or grandfriend 50 years or older (cannot be a parent). To enter, all you have to do is Read, Listen, Write! Check out all the details below.

We have two prize categories – one Grand Prize Timeless Award winner receives US $500 cash, and 7 Legacy Awards each receive US $100 cash. All winners will have their stories featured here on the Legacy Project website.

Our contest partner is Generations United, which supports the oldest and youngest members of our society working together to achieve transformational change.

The contest was inspired by the award-winning bestseller Dream: A Tale of Wonder, Wisdom & Wishes by Susan V. Bosak. The book is about hopes and dreams across a lifetime, through history, and into the future. It has won 11 national awards including an International Reading Association Children's Choice, a Teachers' Choice, and the Pinnacle Award for Best Gift Book. 15 top illustrators each offer a gorgeously illustrated page in a poetic, multilayered story about life's hopes and dreams. A great book to share in the classroom – from elementary to high school – Dream is also a popular milestone gift book for children, teens, and adults. Find out more about Dream.

READ

To enter the Listen to a Life Contest, a young person 8-18 years old interviews an older person over 50 years (cannot be a parent; may be a grandparent, older friend, mentor, neighbor, assisted living or long-term care resident, etc.). The young person then writes a 300-word essay (maximum) based on the interview.

Get ready by doing a little reading…

Check the contest rules. You can also read Why Enter?

Read past winning stories to see how to craft an appropriate essay. The judging committee isn't looking for a laundry list of dates and life facts. Rather, they're looking for an evocative, creative story that captures a critical moment or experience. We're especially interested in stories that connect this moment in time to another. How has the world changed? What stays the same? What really matters?

Finally, young and old can read and discuss the award-winning book Dream: A Tale of Wonder, Wisdom & Wishes, by Susan V. Bosak. A multilayered story told by a wise old star, it's about hopes and dreams across a lifetime, in the past and into the future. We even have intergenerational activities you can do. The book sets the stage for a great interview.

LISTEN

Do your interview by listening to a grandparent/grandfriend's life story. Learn about their hopes and values through their life, their experiences in the world and what the world was like when they were younger, and their hopes for future generations based on their own life experiences.

As you're listening, focus in on a significant life experience – it may be big or small, but it has to mean something to the person being interviewed. The judges are looking for an evocative, creative story that captures a criticial insight on what really matters.

To help with your interview, we have Life Interview Tips and sample Life Interview Questions (you don't have to use the questions; they're designed to give you ideas and inspiration).

WARNING: Entries MUST be based on an actual interview the young person completes in person, over the phone, or via the Internet with a living older adult. An entry cannot be based on a story the young person has been told by another person or has overheard. It must be a true, real-life story, not creative fiction. It must also be written by the young person without AI-generated content. Failure to follow these rules will result in immediate disqualification. Please read all the contest rules.

WRITE

Now you're ready to write your story – 300 words maximum. Remember, the judging committee isn't looking for the person's whole life story (which is impossible to do in 300 words), but an essay that captures a theme, moment, or experience that's important in the older person's life.

No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. One entry per team (i.e. young person and grandparent or grandfriend). Entries must be 300 words or less, be a true story about an older person's life, and will be judged by a committee based on the following criteria: 1/3 writing quality, including creative presentation; 1/3 content depth and evocativeness; 1/3 appropriateness to theme, particularly the ability to capture an insightful idea, insight, or theme (big or small) based on real-life experience.

You can submit your completed entry online (preferred) or by mail/fax. Only receipt of online entries can be acknowledged. Contest closes April 17, 2026.

Questions? Call the Legacy Project at 1-800-772-7765 or e-mail us.

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