Great American Think-Off 

About

The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center, located in the rural farm and manufacturing town of New York Mills, MN (population 1,294), sponsors this annual philosophical essay and debate contest.

The Great American Think-Off is an exhibition of civil disagreement between powerful ideas that connect to your life at the gut level. The Cultural Center, located in the rural farm and manufacturing town of New York Mills, sponsors this annual philosophy contest.

People of all ages and backgrounds are encouraged to submit an essay of no more than 750 words for a chance to win one of four $500 cash prizes and participate in the live debate to ultimately answer the question, determined by audience vote.

The question is released each year on January 1st. Essays are then accepted through April 1st (postmark or electronic date stamp), with the finalists announced May 1st. The debate is held each year on the second Saturday in June.

Writers are encouraged to ground their essays in personal experience rather than philosophical abstraction. Each year, four writers will be selected as finalists, awarded $500 each, and invited to debate the question in front of a live audience on the second Saturday in June in New York Mills, MN. Costs for winners’ travel (within the United States), food, and lodging will be covered by the Cultural Center.