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February 27, 2026

MRL Announces 29th Annual Honored Teachers Essay Contest

Massanutten Regional Library is pleased to announce that the 29th annual Robert B. and Gladys Hopkins Strickler Honored Teachers Essay Contest is underway. Dedicated to celebrating the inspiring influence of our area's educators, the Honored Teachers Essay Contest is open to all students, grades K-12, who live or go to public, private or home schools in the city of Harrisonburg or in Rockingham and Page Counties. Students are invited to enter essays recognizing current or past teachers who have made a difference in their lives. Each essay should be the original work of the student and should follow the official contest guidelines, available in both English and Spanish. The deadline for entries is Saturday, March 28, 2026. 

This year, in partnership with Dukes Against National Illiteracy (DANI), MRL will be offering an essay writing workshop for students that need help crafting, writing, and editing their essay for the contest. This workshop is free and open to all students submitting essays for the Honored Teachers Essay Contest and will be held at the Central Library in Downtown Harrisonburg on March 23, 2026, from 5-7:30 PM. Dukes Against National Illiteracy, better known as DANI, is a new organization at JMU focusing on promoting and celebrating literacy in our community. 

The Kiwanis Club of Harrisonburg will once again serve as judges for the contest and will choose the top two essays in each of the following grade ranges: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Essay winners in each grade range will receive $150, while runners-up will receive $100 each. In addition, one of the teachers honored from the winning essays from all categories will be selected "Honored Teacher of the Year" and will receive $1,500 to enhance his/her teaching.

Essays can be delivered in-person to any of MRL's seven branch locations, emailed to zelder@mrlib.org or mailed to Zach Elder, Massanutten Regional Library, Honored Teachers Contest, 174 S. Main St., Harrisonburg VA 22801. Submissions must be accompanied by an official entry form, which can be downloaded from www.mrlib.org, and the links above. 

A reception recognizing the winning essays and the teachers honored will be held on Monday, April 27, 2026, at 7:00 PM, at the Central Library in downtown Harrisonburg. Winning students and their caregivers will be invited to attend, as well as the teachers honored in their essays. The "Honored Teacher of the Year" will be kept secret until this event. Media are invited and encouraged to attend this heartwarming event. 

Since its founding in 1997, the Honored Teachers Essay Contest has received over 5,000 student entries—each heartfelt and each celebrating phenomenal local teachers who make incredible differences in the lives of area students. The contest was made possible through the generosity of Robert H. "Twig" Strickler and his wife Lorraine, who set up a memorial endowment to honor Twig's parents, Robert B. and Gladys Hopkins Strickler, who were both inspiring teachers. To date, the contest has awarded a total of more than $10,000 to teachers to enhance their work, as well as thousands of dollars in prizes to student writers. Though Mr. Strickler passed away in 2019 at the age of 90, the program continues to honor his and Lorraine's commitment to highlighting the importance of excellent teaching in the Valley.

© 2026 Massanutten Regional Library
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