Greenwich students in grades 5 through 12 can enter essay and video contests tied to the 250th anniversary of American independence, with entries due Nov. 1.

The Putnam Hill Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is running two essay tracks and a video contest for the 2026–2027 school year, according to a community post on Patch. The contests are open to all students who live in or attend school in Greenwich, including those in public, private, parochial and home-school programs.

Students in grades 5 through 8 write an American history essay on the local and emotional impact of the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. Students in grades 9 through 12 write a biographical and historical study of a figure from the Revolutionary era, covering 1773 to 1783.

A separate Youth Video Contest is open to all eligible grades. Students can work alone or in pairs to produce an original video of up to three minutes on the same Revolutionary-era topics.

Chapter-level winners receive Bronze Medals and official certificates. Winning entries advance to state, divisional and national levels, where monetary prizes and additional recognition are available.

The contests come as Greenwich continues to mark the nation's 250th anniversary. The town held a July 4 ceremony at Town Hall that included bell-ringing, children reading the Declaration of Independence and a 21-gun salute, the Greenwich Sentinel reported.

The chapter, active in Greenwich since 1897, encourages educators to offer extra credit for contest participation.

Entries must be submitted to the Putnam Hill Chapter by Nov. 1. Families seeking submission details can contact the chapter through the Connecticut DAR website.