ANNOUNCING…
LISTEN TO A LIFE WINNERS

Message from Susan V. Bosak, Founder, Legacy Project

We see the 7-Generation work we do as the legacy project of our time – more important now than ever before.

All generations face an uncertain future. Stories are a big part of how we come together, learn from and with each other, and navigate through with strength and meaning.

Glimpses into history. Hopes for the future. Life advice shared. Intergenerational connections strengthened. Families and communities inspired, healed, changed. That's what this contest is all about. We've been doing the Listen to a Life Story Contest for over 20 years. Between all the students and older adults who have participated over the years, this contest has touched thousands of lives.

Once again, I enjoyed helping judge the entries in this year's contest. Our youngest entrants were 9 years old, our oldest 98. So many wonderful entries!

Teachers tell us this contest inspires some of the best writing they've seen from students. Students take this experience to heart, wanting to "make the story really good" to honor a grandparent or grandfriend. Listening to a story from someone's life is one of the most important gifts you can give. Older adults often share that this contest has been one of the few times they've shared deeply personal memories with a young grandchild or friend.

For the contest, a young person 8-18 years interviews an older adult 50 years or over about their life experiences – their dreams and goals, obstacles they overcame, pivotal moments, how they found hope – and submits a 300-word essay.

One Grand Prize Timeless Award winner receives US $500 cash. Seven Legacy Award winners each receive US $100 cash. All winners will have their stories featured here on the Legacy Project website.

While not every entry can be an "official winner," everyone who participates in this contest is a winner. Each entry is important to us, and we respect the time – and effort – you put into making an entry happen.

There are some important folks I want to thank – because without them this contest wouldn't be possible.

First, a big thank you to the teachers and parents who encourage and support young people in entering this contest. A grateful thank you to our long-time partner Generations United in Washington, DC, who helps get the word out to young and old, and organizations big and small, across the country.

And a heartfelt thank you to our long-time lead judge Jim Barry, a retired educator who cares about young people, language, and the hope we can find across generations. He carefully reads through submissions (with some help from his wife, Mary) – highlighting, starring, and underlining to evaluate every entry. Jim and Mary both feel the same way I do – filled up and lifted up by the stories we've had the privilege of reading.

The next Listen to a Life Story Contest starts on National Grandparents Day, Sunday, September 13, 2026. To enter, all you have to do is Read, Listen, Write! Check out all the details below. Sign up for our newsletter to get updates.

Read the 2025-2026 Listen to a Life Contest WINNERS – Grand Prize Timeless Award winner and the seven national runner-up Legacy Award winners. The Legacy Award winners are presented in no particular order, other than an interesting sequence. Enjoy the stories!

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.

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

Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter below to get all the updates on the contest and other news from the Legacy Project.