Fracchia Prize | San Francisco Historical Society
Source: https://www.sfhistory.org/fracchiaprize
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:17
Fracchia Prize | San Francisco Historical Society
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Fracchia Prize
The San Francisco Historical Society is excited to announce the Seventh Annual Fracchia Prize for original research and writing about San Francisco history. This contest is sponsored by the San Francisco Historical Society with support from SFHS donors and
SF City Guides
. It is open to any student
attending a high school in San Francisco
. Interested candidates are required to submit an original and properly cited written work consisting of between 1,200 and 1,600 words based on the year's prompt below.
Fracchia Prize Overview
This competition is named in honor of
Charles A. Fracchia
(pronounced FROCK-ee-ya), founder of the San Francisco Historical Society.
Open to any student attending a high school in San Francisco. The
top three winners
receive a cash prize and publication of their work.
This year's writing challenge is
Fighting for What's Right
.
Read the full prompt and learn about the e
ssay requirements and guidelines
here
.
To apply: 1) submit an an application
here
2) email your essay in PDF format to
FracchiaPrize@SFHistory.org
(Deadline to submit is April 12, 2026 at 11:59 PM)
Learn more about
past winners
and read their work samples
here
.
More questions? Contact us
here
.
This Year's Challenge:
Fighting for What's Right
San Francisco’s history is filled with stories of injustice and wrongdoing. It is also filled with stories of people who bravely fought against injustice. Who were these heroes? How did their actions make the city a better place? The 2026 Fracchia Prize invites you to research and write about a person or group who fought against an injustice or wrongdoing to make the city a better, safer, and more inclusive place. Your research should focus on events between 1850 and 2000.
Writing to be between 1,200 and 1,600 words (double spaced).
All entries will be judged by our panelists looking for: quality of the writing, engagement in topic, well-chosen topic, clearly addresses prompt, accurate information, development of theme, proper citations and possible use of primary and secondary sources.
All writing must be yours (no borrowing other's text or use of extensive quotations).
Article file format: PDF is preferred. Please keep your submission under 10MB file size. Please make sure to keep a copy of your article AND associated image files in their original formats for possible further editing.
Photography is optional and should be kept, if used, to no more than 3 shots.
Deadline: April 12, 2026 at 11:59 PM
Fracchia Prompt
Prize and Awards
First Place
- $2,500 and publication of the essay in
The Argonaut
Second Place
- $1,500 and publication of the essay in
Panorama
, our monthly newsletter journal
Third Place
- $1,000 and publication of the essay in
Panorama
, our monthly newsletter journal
If available, a celebration with the Mayor's Office of San Francisco.
“Winning the Fracchia Prize has truly been the highest honor of my academic career, transforming my personal confidence and deepening my relationship with storytelling itself. Most of all, researching San Francisco caused me to intimately redefine my connection to the city. I’ve always been a San Franciscan, but I now consider myself a custodian of its vibrant, living history.”
- Frances Carlson, junior, Lick Wilmerding High School;
1st place winner, 2025 Fracchia Prize
Fracchia Prize Awards
Past Winner and Samples
Past Winners and Writing Samples
Frances Carlson
2025 Fracchia Prize First-Place Winner
Hayes Valley: A Complex Concept of Identity Against the Backdrop of Gentrification and Immigration
Published in
The Argonaut
, Summer, 2025 Vol. 36 No. 1
Read
Eliana Molofsky
2025 Fracchia Prize Second-Place Winner
Parkside: a History of Transportation Shaping Urban Development .
Published in
Panorama,
September-December, 2025 Vol. 36, No. 3
Read
Jasmine Vaucresson
2025 Fracchia Prize Third Place Winner
Sand turned Gold: The Warmth of the Sunset
Published in
Panorama
, September-December, 2025 Vol. 35, No. 3
Read
Winter Caine
2024 Fracchia Prize First-Place Winner
Wildflower Wildfire
Published in
The Argonaut
Read
Kylie Chau
2024 Fracchia Prize Second-Place Winner
The Journey and the Destination
Published in
Panorama
, July-September, 2024 Vol. 25, No. 3
Zoe Amaya
2024 Fracchia Prize Third-Place Winner
Amy Meyer Brings Parks to the People
Published in the Panorama, July-September, 2024 Vol. 35, No. 3
Read
Education Director
Beth Roemer
Education Director
San Francisco Historical Society
Email:
beth.roemer@sfhistory.org
Contact Us
For more information about the Fracchia Prize, please contact Beth Roemer, Education Director.
Fracchia Contact
bottom of page
top of page
Fracchia Prize
The San Francisco Historical Society is excited to announce the Seventh Annual Fracchia Prize for original research and writing about San Francisco history. This contest is sponsored by the San Francisco Historical Society with support from SFHS donors and
SF City Guides
. It is open to any student
attending a high school in San Francisco
. Interested candidates are required to submit an original and properly cited written work consisting of between 1,200 and 1,600 words based on the year's prompt below.
Fracchia Prize Overview
This competition is named in honor of
Charles A. Fracchia
(pronounced FROCK-ee-ya), founder of the San Francisco Historical Society.
Open to any student attending a high school in San Francisco. The
top three winners
receive a cash prize and publication of their work.
This year's writing challenge is
Fighting for What's Right
.
Read the full prompt and learn about the e
ssay requirements and guidelines
here
.
To apply: 1) submit an an application
here
2) email your essay in PDF format to
FracchiaPrize@SFHistory.org
(Deadline to submit is April 12, 2026 at 11:59 PM)
Learn more about
past winners
and read their work samples
here
.
More questions? Contact us
here
.
This Year's Challenge:
Fighting for What's Right
San Francisco’s history is filled with stories of injustice and wrongdoing. It is also filled with stories of people who bravely fought against injustice. Who were these heroes? How did their actions make the city a better place? The 2026 Fracchia Prize invites you to research and write about a person or group who fought against an injustice or wrongdoing to make the city a better, safer, and more inclusive place. Your research should focus on events between 1850 and 2000.
Writing to be between 1,200 and 1,600 words (double spaced).
All entries will be judged by our panelists looking for: quality of the writing, engagement in topic, well-chosen topic, clearly addresses prompt, accurate information, development of theme, proper citations and possible use of primary and secondary sources.
All writing must be yours (no borrowing other's text or use of extensive quotations).
Article file format: PDF is preferred. Please keep your submission under 10MB file size. Please make sure to keep a copy of your article AND associated image files in their original formats for possible further editing.
Photography is optional and should be kept, if used, to no more than 3 shots.
Deadline: April 12, 2026 at 11:59 PM
Fracchia Prompt
Prize and Awards
First Place
- $2,500 and publication of the essay in
The Argonaut
Second Place
- $1,500 and publication of the essay in
Panorama
, our monthly newsletter journal
Third Place
- $1,000 and publication of the essay in
Panorama
, our monthly newsletter journal
If available, a celebration with the Mayor's Office of San Francisco.
“Winning the Fracchia Prize has truly been the highest honor of my academic career, transforming my personal confidence and deepening my relationship with storytelling itself. Most of all, researching San Francisco caused me to intimately redefine my connection to the city. I’ve always been a San Franciscan, but I now consider myself a custodian of its vibrant, living history.”
- Frances Carlson, junior, Lick Wilmerding High School;
1st place winner, 2025 Fracchia Prize
Fracchia Prize Awards
Past Winner and Samples
Past Winners and Writing Samples
Frances Carlson
2025 Fracchia Prize First-Place Winner
Hayes Valley: A Complex Concept of Identity Against the Backdrop of Gentrification and Immigration
Published in
The Argonaut
, Summer, 2025 Vol. 36 No. 1
Read
Eliana Molofsky
2025 Fracchia Prize Second-Place Winner
Parkside: a History of Transportation Shaping Urban Development .
Published in
Panorama,
September-December, 2025 Vol. 36, No. 3
Read
Jasmine Vaucresson
2025 Fracchia Prize Third Place Winner
Sand turned Gold: The Warmth of the Sunset
Published in
Panorama
, September-December, 2025 Vol. 35, No. 3
Read
Winter Caine
2024 Fracchia Prize First-Place Winner
Wildflower Wildfire
Published in
The Argonaut
Read
Kylie Chau
2024 Fracchia Prize Second-Place Winner
The Journey and the Destination
Published in
Panorama
, July-September, 2024 Vol. 25, No. 3
Zoe Amaya
2024 Fracchia Prize Third-Place Winner
Amy Meyer Brings Parks to the People
Published in the Panorama, July-September, 2024 Vol. 35, No. 3
Read
Education Director
Beth Roemer
Education Director
San Francisco Historical Society
Email:
beth.roemer@sfhistory.org
Contact Us
For more information about the Fracchia Prize, please contact Beth Roemer, Education Director.
Fracchia Contact
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