The English-Speaking Union

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100 Years, 100 Stories

For 100 years, The English-Speaking Union of the United States has been supporting cross-cultural education through leadership and scholarship in the English language. In our centennial year, we wish to celebrate the people who galvanize this organization: You. Whether you are a student, alumni, volunteer, patron, member, or otherwise, we want to hear your most memorable moments with the ESU. Regale us with stories from your favorite event, introduce us to a lost piece of branch history, impart wisdom you've learned through working with our programs, or simply make us laugh with a charming story. 

Submit Your Story


Your stories will become part of the ESU virtual time capsule - a website which stitches our individual stories together to form a centennial snapshot of the English-Speaking Union's impactful legacy.

Entries can be made in one of the following categories: 

  • Written word
    (narrative story, poem, etc) 

  • Photograph with accompanying description

  • Video

All entries should pertain in some way to the English-Speaking Union, but we encourage you to craft whatever story you'd like. Please submit all entries by May 24th using the 100 Years, 100 Stories FormEach entry will be considered for our 'Outstanding Story' award. There will be three finalists per category, with one winner per category selected. Selected winners will have the opportunity to present their story at the 100 Years, 100 Stories Event in June 2021 (details forthcoming). The winning stories will be featured as the homepage of the 100 years, 100 stories time capsule website.

When submitting, please follow these guidelines:

  • Written submissions should be kept under 1500 words.

  • Photographic submissions should be kept under 1GB, with their accompanying description not exceeding 500 words.

  • Video submissions should be kept to a maximum of 3 minutes.

For any questions, please take a look at our FAQ page and, if you require further assistance, please contact us at stories@esuus.org.

The English-Speaking Union has brought together an astounding variety of people over the past 100 years. We are thankful for your involvement and we look forward to hearing your story.


Submit Your Story