MML’s annual “If I Were Mayor, I Would…" essay contest is the League's oldest ambassador program and is celebrating its 25^th anniversary. The 25-year-old contest educates fourth graders (and teachers) about municipal government and the role of the mayor. A postcard announcing the 2025 essay contest was mailed to schools and municipalities in early January. Materials are now live on our website.

Essay contest deadline is March 7

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This year’s fourth grade "If I Were Mayor I Would..." essay contest winners were able to capture the volunteer readers and finalist judges’ attention with their dynamic essays. Volunteer readers were enlightened with new ideas to take to their own municipalities, on how to better their Maryland communities, sometimes forgetting that the ideas came from a nine-year-old.

Please join us in congratulating the eleven winners of MML’s If I Were Mayor, I Would…essay contest, their teachers, and the municipalities they represent:

There's still time to encourage your local fourth grade classes to take part in the League's oldest and most popular ambassador program. Our "If I Were Mayor" essay contest has successfully educated 55,000+ Maryland students on the role of the Mayor and how local government works. Help students from your community participate in this fun civics exercise, by encouraging them to submit an essay.

The fuel of the "If I were Mayor" essay contest is our volunteer readers.  Each year dozens of volunteers help read nearly 3,000 essays, narrowing them down to only 11 winners. The window is now open for individuals interested in joining this year's virtual reading day, scheduled for March 19 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Reading Volunteer Registration

Our Engagement and Outreach volunteer readers were not daunted by the packets and packets of essays. Among them were 11 bright spots who had dared to tackle the topic of Preserving the Past to Power the Future - specifically, what events, beliefs or traditions they believed made their community/city/town what it is today. Which would they keep and which would they change?