The Ackerman Essay Contest

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The American Iris Society Foundation Ackerman Youth Essay 

Mission Statement

The Ackerman Youth Essay is sponsored by the AIS Foundation to generate appreciation and love of everything iris by youth through 18 years of age.

Writing to a prompt is a skill to help youth organize their thoughts and learn to do creative stories. The youth are encouraged to get guidance from an older mentor to improve and expand their stories. 

Prizes are awarded to let the youth know their work is appreciated and encourage them to participate. 

Description

The AIS Foundation sponsors an essay contest each year for youth who are interested in iris. There are three age groups of competition. There is the 9 and under group, the 10-12 year-olds, and the 13 and over. 

The contest is managed by a chair that is appointed by the AIS Foundation executive board. The AIS Foundation also provides cash awards for the first, second, and third place winners. Currently they are $100, $50, and $25 respectively, 

Sometime in July or August the Chair writes a prompt for the youth to study and write their essay about. It is announced in “AIS News And Notes”, “Irises: The Bulletin of The American Iris Society’, and the youth newsletter, “The Iris Fan”. 

The rules, suggestions for writing, deadline, age groups, prizes, and where and who to send the essays to are also published. The youth can either mail their essay in or email it to the addresses in the announcement. The essays should be 500 words or less. 

The winners are announced at the awards banquet of the annual AIS National Convention. The winners are recognized by coming to the front of the banquet, if they are present, to receive certificates, their checks, and a coupon for a free new iris rhizome from one of AIS’s hybridizers. If they are not present, they receive their certificate, check, and rhizome coupon in the mail. 

Everyone who enters the contest receives in the mail a letter thanking them for participating, as well as a nice certificate. 

Youth are encouraged to begin writing soon after they learn the prompt for the year. This gives them time to write one than one draft and get their spelling and grammar checked.

“There is a little witch in all of us, just like there is a little iris in all of us!

2026 AIS Foundation Ackerman Youth Essay Contest

By Debbie Strauss, Chair

“There is a little witch in all of us, just like there is a little iris in all of us!”

May all your pumpkins be glowing and your creative juices flowing. Below is the theme for the 2026 AIS Foundation Ackerman Youth Essay Contest. The 2026 American Iris Society National Iris Convention is May 18–23 in New Jersey and New York. During the awards ceremony, the Ackerman Essay winners will be recognized and receive their cash reward and a certificate for a 2026 iris! The deadline for sending the essays will be Thursday, April 30, 2026. Make your essay a creative writing piece and be sure you have fun imagining how you can showcase irises to honor your country’s anniversary. Before you turn it in, get your Mom, Dad, Sister, Aunt, teacher or anyone to review it and check for correct grammar and spelling. 

Read this year's Essay theme below and let your imagination flow.

'The 250th Anniversary of the United States is a landmark in human history— a time to honor the past, celebrate the present, and inspire the future as the nation gathers in collective reflection and joy. The Semiquincentennial stands as an invitation for all to participate in the American story, forging new chapters and dreams.  You have been invited by your state governor to plant an iris bed at your local library for your state’s celebration of our National 250th Anniversary. These gardens will be highlighted in a 250th National Anniversary book. You must decide how to make yours reflect somepart of our nation. Use your imagination to pick a shape and size for your iris bed and the type or types of iris you want to plant to represent something historical in our country.'

Choose a color or colors of iris and explain what they mean to your interpretation of the joy of our country. Perhaps pick low-growing irises for the edges of the beds and taller ones further in. You might want to highlight irises bred by a hybridizer who lives in your area.  Perhaps pick low-growing irises for the edges of the beds and taller ones further in. You might want to highlight irises bred by a hybridizer who lives in your area.

Essays should be written in 500 words or less!  Please submit by mail or email your completed essay by: April 30, 2026 to:

Check out the other rules below and send your finished essay to me, Debbie Strauss at debbie@loveirises.com or mail it to me at 2213 Hereford Blvd, Midland TX 79707 by the deadline of April 30, 2026.

There are three age group competition categories, thus awarding three 1st, three 2nd, and three 3rd place prizes: one in each age group! The age groups are 9 and Under, 10-12, and 13 and Over. All three age groups will receive a $100 Reward for First Place, $50 Reward for Second Place, and $25 Reward for Third Place (courtesy of The American Iris Society Foundation). Winners will also receive a new 2025 iris from one of our wonderful hybridizers. And of course, there are just a couple of other easy rules:

Essays should be written in 500 words or less. Once again, the deadline for getting the essay finished and submitted to me is April 30, 2026.  

If you write for the contest, on Saturday, May 23, you might be up front at the final convention banquet in New Jersey accepting your certificate, money, and a coupon for a 2026 iris! So, get started NOW, don’t wait, get it finished and send it in. I can’t wait to learn about an iris that you create, how you hybridized it, your iris name, and maybe a drawing of it too!