Educator Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is there a deadline to submit essays?

A:  No.  We welcome student essays at any time.

Q: How long should my students’ essays be?

A:  Between 350 and 500 words, or about three minutes when read aloud at a natural speaking pace.

Q: How do I submit my students’ essays?

A:  Our preference for accepting essay submissions is through our online submission form.  We are no longer accepting essays by U.S. Mail.

If your students are under the age of 18, ask your students’ parents or guardians to sign the Submission Agreement form.   After you receive parents’ permission, your students can submit their essays online.  When they begin the process, they will need to click the link at the bottom of the page that says “I Agree With the Terms of Submission.” Since their parents have already signed the permission forms, it is okay if the students click this link.

On the next page, your students can copy and paste their essays into the field provided. There is also a field for “reflections” on having written their essay. This is optional.

For Students Age 12 and under: It is the policy of This I Believe to comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which is aimed at strengthening protection for minors on the Internet.  For this reason, if your students are age 12 or younger, we ask that you submit only the name and age range of the student in the online submission form.  All other contact information should be for you (the teacher) or parent.

Q: How do I know you received my students’ essays?

A: When your student successfully submits an essay through our web site, he or she will see an on-screen message that says the essay was received.  In addition, he or she will receive an email with information about the review process.  Your students will receive another email when their essays have completed the review process and have been posted to the This I Believe Essay Collection on our web site.

Q: Will my students’ essays be posted on the This I Believe web site?

A: Yes, all essays that are submitted through our online form will be posted to the This I Believe Essay Collection online. Essays are not automatically posted; they must first go through a review process, which can take up to six weeks.

Q: Will my students’ essays be on NPR?

A: The collaboration between This I Believe and NPR ended in April 2009. Essays will no longer be considered for broadcast on NPR after this date.

Q: May I make copies of essays to use in my classroom?

A: This I Believe, Inc., generally grants permission for copies to be used in classrooms as long as the text is being used in a single classroom and a fee is not being charged for the materials. If you wish to make copies of essays beyond these terms, please feel free to contact our Permissions Director with details of your request.

Q: How may I contact someone at This I Believe?

A:  Our staff are available to assist you with specific questions about bringing This I Believe to your classroom.  Please write us via our Contact Us page.