The Gilder Lehrman Institute Partners with New York City Tourism + Conventions to Launch Student Competition

Middle and high school students are invited to explore how New York City’s history has shaped the nation and continues to inspire the world

NEW YORK , NY, UNITED STATES, September 17, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, in partnership with New York City Tourism + Conventions, has launched the Founded By NYC Student Competition. The initiative gives students a platform to express how New York City’s history, culture, and innovation resonate around the globe.
Open to students in grades 7–12 across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, the competition invites young people to create original performance pieces—such as rap, poems, songs, or monologues—that express the ways New York City has shaped history and continues to spark creativity and progress today.

One student winner will receive tickets for a special matinee performance of the award-winning Broadway musical HAMILTON through the Hamilton Education Program (EduHam), an ongoing partnership between the Gilder Lehrman Institute, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeffrey Seller, and The Rockefeller Foundation. The prize also includes admission for their teacher, two adult chaperones, and up to 29 classmates.

“Through this competition, we want students to connect their own voices to the story of New York City, its role in shaping American history, and its enduring influence on the world,” said James G. Basker, president and CEO of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. “It’s an opportunity to see how the next generation interprets the city’s past while imagining its future impact.”


Competition Guidelines:

- Submissions must highlight how New York City has shaped history and continues to inspire the world.

- Students must work independently; group submissions will not be accepted.

- Written pieces must not exceed 750 words.

- Recorded performances must be under two minutes and performed by the student who researched and wrote the piece.

- All work must be original and free of copyright or trademark violations.

Entries will be accepted until December 15, 2025, or until 300 submissions are received, whichever comes first. A panel of experts, including the staff from the Gilder Lehrman Institute and New York City Tourism + Conventions, will review submissions and select a winner. The winning student will be notified in February 2026 through their teacher.

For full competition details and to submit an entry, visit https://www.gilderlehrman.org/founded-by-nyc-student-competition.

For more information about New York City Tourism + Conventions’ Founded By NYC campaign, visit www.foundedbynyc.com.

About The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, visionaries and lifelong supporters of American history education, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to K–12 history education while also serving the general public. The Institute’s mission is to promote the knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources.

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. Drawing on the 87,000 documents in the Gilder Lehrman Collection and an extensive network of eminent historians, the Institute provides teachers, students, and the general public with access to unique primary source materials.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is supported through the generosity of individuals, corporations, and foundations. The Institute’s programs have been recognized by awards from the White House, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Organization of American Historians, the Council of Independent Colleges, and the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Since 2016, the Institute has been proud to partner with the producers of HAMILTON on the Hamilton Education Program (EduHam). Through the acclaimed program, students participate in a specially designed curriculum that has them follow in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s footsteps to create their own performance pieces based on primary-source research on people and events from the Founding Era. In New York City, students in Title I-eligible schools attend special HAMILTON matinees. Students outside the New York area submit their performance pieces online to win an all-expenses-paid trip to New York to see a live performance of HAMILTON. Since its launch in 2015, EduHam has reached more than one million students. Learn more at https://www.gilderlehrman.org/.

About New York City Tourism + Conventions
New York City Tourism + Conventions is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) and convention and visitors bureau (CVB) for the five boroughs of New York City. Our mission is to invite the world and energize the City, building equitable, sustainable economic prosperity and community through tourism for the mutual benefit of residents, businesses, and visitors. For all there is to do and see in New York City, visit https://www.nyctourism.com/.




###

Nicole Blake-Baxter
The Blake Agency
+1 678-957-7675
nicole@blakepragency.com
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.