Every year on the first Sunday in June, our community gathers for a tradition that connects our past to our present: Dorchester Day. The parade and the various associated events started at the turn-of-the-20th century to commemorate the 1630 settlement that eventually became the town of Dorchester.
But while the modern version of Dorchester Day has some nods to our past, it has become much more about this neighborhood’s present and future and a celebration of our diversity.
As we prepare for this year’s celebrations, the Dorchester Reporter, in collaboration with the Dorchester Day Parade Committee, is reviving an old favorite: the Dorchester Day Essay Contest for students in grades 6 through 8 who live in our neighborhood or attend a Dorchester school. The contest will invite young residents to think about Dorchester’s history, its present challenges, and the possibilities for its future.
Students are invited to respond to one of four suggested essay topics, each designed to spark thoughtful reflection about the place we call home.
The first topic deals with a major milestone that’s fast approaching: the 400th anniversary of the English settlement in 1630. We’re asking Dorchester’s young people to start to imagine what that celebration should look like. Beyond the parade itself, what other special events might help the community recognize its long history while celebrating the diversity that defines Dorchester today? And how should such a milestone honor the Indigenous people who lived on this land long before European settlement?
Another topic invites students to take a creative look at Dorchester’s political history. Until 1870, Dorchester was its own town before voters—at the time limited to land-owning men—approved annexation into the city of Boston. Was that the right decision? What might Dorchester look like today if it had remained an independent town?
A third topic focuses on the neighborhood’s natural treasures. With miles of shoreline along Boston Harbor and the Neponset River, Dorchester is a waterfront community with beaches, walking paths, and recreational opportunities. Students will be asked how we can better care for these resources, protect them from climate change, and make them more accessible and enjoyable for everyone. How can we incorporate our waterfront into the 2030 celebrations of Dot Day?
A fourth option is for students to formulate their own topic about a matter of general interest related to Dorchester.
Essays should be between 750 and 850 words and must be written by the students themselves without composition assistance from “artificial intelligence” or adults. Participants should be students currently in grades 6 through 8 who live in Dorchester or attend a Dorchester school.
The contest will officially open April 1, 2026, and submissions will be accepted through midnight on April 24.
The application with full instructions will be posted at DotNews.com and ForryFoundation.org.
Winners will be selected by a panel of Dorchester Reporter editors and staff in consultation with the Dorchester Day Parade Committee. Select essays will be published in the Dorchester Reporter and on DotNews.com, along with an optional photo of the student author. And the top prize winners will receive gift cards: $500 for first place, $300 for second, and $150 for third.
We look forward to reading what the next generation has to say!
