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Take the Challenge: Share What Citizenship Means to You in Six Words

Is it possible to capture hope, a feeling, or a story in six words? The idea of very short stories began in the 1900s, but has begun to take off on various social networks as people share their stories.

Today, we’re launching six-word essays for Citizenship Day and Constitution Week.

Here’s How it Works

Join the project by writing a six-word summary of what citizenship means to you. It can be a sentence or any six words that, together, express your thoughts. You can even share photos illustrating your essays. To get you started, here are examples:

  • Born and raised; I love it!
  • A new world, a new life.
  • Freedom, travel, culture, exploration, blessings, pride
  • Something much bigger than me, possibilities.
Are you up for the challenge? What are your six words? Share them in the comments below, on Twitter using #citizenship6, or as a comment on our Facebook post.
 
Throughout the week, we’ll retweet and share submissions on Twitter and Facebook. Afterward, we’ll pull together a collection of essays we like and share on our blog, The Beacon, and produce a slideshow for YouTube.

Who Can Participate

Everyone can participate: citizens of any country, living anywhere. Here are a few rules:
  • You can enter your six-word essay any time from Sept. 14-24, 2015.
  • You can’t enter a six-word essay that belongs to or has been copyrighted by someone else.
  • Don’t include:
    • Obscene, indecent, or profane language.
    • Threats or defamatory statements.
    • Hate speech directed at race, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, religion, or disability.
    • Advertising, promotion, or endorsements of products or services.
  • The topic of your six-word essay can’t be nudity, drugs, violence, or symbols or acts of hatred.
Now for a little legal language: by entering your six-word essay, you agree to all of the above, and you agree to allow us to use your essay worldwide without being compensated. We also reserve the right to not consider entries for any reason.
 
We look forward to seeing what you have to say!
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