Established forty-three years ago, the ACTR National Russian Essay Contest (NREC) provides US high school and middle school students a unique opportunity to demonstrate their Russian language written proficiency and to be recognized for their progress. Students write essays in Russian on a topic announced at the beginning of a two-hour period during the week before Thanksgiving.

Registration Information and Placement Guidelines

• All participating teachers must be members of ACTR. Please use the online membership site to pay your dues if you have not already done so. The site can be accessed here. For questions about your ACTR membership, please contact ACTR Membership Secretary Olga Mesropova at olgames at iastate.edu.
  
  
• The registration fee per student is $5.00. Make one check payable to AMERICAN COUNCILS FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION and indicate that the check is for "NREC fees." Please send your check to Co-chair Paavo Husen by October 14 (email Paavo for mailing address). If you want to pay for NREC fees with a credit card, please use the following link. If you decide to pay by credit card, please send proof of payment to Paavo Husen via email.

• Teachers are to send one registration form for their students via email to Paavo Husen by October 14 at paavohusen at gmail.com. The NREC registration form can be downloaded here. The registration form must be typed and students must be grouped by separate levels. Please consult the Sample Registration Form (linked from this page) so that you enter student information correctly. The registration form may not be altered and no changes can be made after the October 14 deadline.

• Teachers decide which levels are most appropriate for their students. Suggested guidelines for determining student levels are as follows:

a) Beginner - Russian I or lI
b) Intermediate - Russian I or I
c) Advanced - Russian IV, V, AP

Special Note about Heritage Speakers

For the above three categories, "yes" must be entered in the Heritage column on the registration form if the student came to the US before age 10 or was born in the U.S. in a family where Russian, Ukrainian, or Belarusian is spoken.

d) Native Speaker - the student arrived in the U.S. at or after age 10, and is from a family where Russian, Ukrainian, or Belarusian is spoken.

• Teachers will receive one copy of all necessary NREC materials by email in early November. Teachers are expected to make the necessary number of copies for their registered students.
  
  Follow the links below for additional information about the contest.