Give Back to Utica Essay Contest Launches for 2022

The Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties is pleased to announce that its Give Back to Utica Fund has launched its annual essay contest for local high school juniors and seniors living in Herkimer or Oneida counties. Each year, the fund holds the essay contest where the winner receives a paid, full-time summer internship at the Utica Public Library.

The student intern will have the opportunity to see how the modern public library functions as a vital community organization.  The internship will also allow the student to learn about the wide array of activities that take place in the library, and the variety of skills library personnel employ in business management, human services, retail, entertainment, and education. 

This exciting opportunity for local students is made possible by the Give Back to Utica Fund, a donor-advised fund of the Community Foundation, that was established in 2007 by former Utica resident Steven H. Oram, of Washington, D.C.

Student are asked to submit an essay sharing how growing up in the Utica area has shaped their lives and their vision for what Utica can be and how they can be a part of it. The essay must be 1,500 words in length and may be submitted by email or on the Community Foundation website by Friday, May 6, 2022. Visit foundationhoc.org/gbtu for more information.