American Philosophy Olympiad

To enter the contest, an interested American High School student participates in an online proctored essay writing competition on either March 14 or March 15. Essays must be written in either French or Spanish. This is because at the International Philosophy Olympiad (IPO), no contestant may write in the national language of their home country. The essay will be written in the student's target language live on a Google Doc while being proctored virtually by APO staff. The use of a paper mono- or bi-lingual dictionary is permitted; however, overdependence on the dictionary will not substitute for linguistic competence and can drastically reduce quality due to the time constraint (three hours).

 

Essays are then reviewed by the APO panel to see which essays meet the criteria for the competition. At this stage, the panel reviews the candidate's skill at writing about a philosophical question, problem, or issue in French or Spanish. Contestants must be able to write a philosophical essay in their target language at a minimum of a post-AP level. 

 

The APO panel will then choose the two student essays that demonstrate the strongest philosophical thinking in the language that the student has chosen. Final selection for the two U.S.A. winners may include an interview with a member of the APO board via video conference (Zoom). Potential national winners must also be willing to participate in a video (Zoom) conference along with at least one of their parents/guardians and the Director of the APO before the selection of a national winner can be declared. This is a significant and exciting process that the committee takes very seriously. We encourage you to apply to take advantage of this remarkable opportunity.

​

Qualifications and Requirements

 

APO participants must:

 

• be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and current high school students in the USA

• Have a valid, current passport with an expiration date no sooner than December 2026

• participate in a high school philosophy class, club, Ethics Bowl, or core subject with a philosophical bent or concentration

• be highly proficient in any one of the following three of the four official languages of the IPO; French, German*, or Spanish

​

Participants are also  required to submit two Google Forms to compete in the APO. The first one tells us about you and your school. The second ensures that your parents and school administrators approve of your participation.

 

You will need to get permission to travel and participate in the conference from May 12th -18th so it's important to get approvals to move forward as a contestant.

​

Forms are due on May 10!

​

COSTS

 

There is no cost to apply. The APO assumes all implementation and processing costs and there is no registration fee. For our two APO winners, the IPO host country pays for all in-country expenses (meals and lodging) during the event. Our two APO winners, however, must be able to cover the cost of their own transportation to and from the IPO host country venue, which is Warsaw, Poland (plus one extra night on either end of the competition dates). If necessary, contestants are encouraged to seek sponsorship beyond family from school, town, community, corporate, and/or educational institutions.

 

BENEFITS

 

The two victorious APO contestants win the opportunity to travel abroad to share a once-in-a-lifetime experience networking face-to-face with other high school students from around the world and meeting some world-renowned philosophers. Winners of the APO competition receive international recognition through the IPO by UNESCO, the International Federation of Philosophical Societies (FISP), the American Philosophical Association (APA) and other international philosophy organizations--honors that will make the student, their parents, friends, school, and community very proud.

​​

For additional information about the IPO and to view sample essays and a writer's guide, visit the International Philosophy Olympiad.

 

If you have any further questions, you may reach us at PhilosophyAPO@gmail.com

 

Bonne chance! ¡Buena suerte!

​

*The APO has suspended accepting essays in German for the moment. Contestants still have the opportunity to write in German at the IPO should they first win the APO by writing in French or Spanish.