AMLE Announces Middle School Student Sound Off Contest Finalists
What’s it really like being a middle schooler in 2023? Hundreds of middle schoolers from around the world answered that question, responding to the student sound off contest held to mark Middle Level Education Month this past March. While “sounding off,” students could consider a variety of different prompts for inspiration but were encouraged to tap into their creativity and respond in the format that most appealed to them. The submissions were profound, offering incredibly keen insights into the post-COVID middle grades experience. While AMLE congratulates the contest finalists, we also offer a big “thank you” to all of the students who contributed their voices to this project. We look forward to featuring your voices at AMLE50: The 50th Annual Conference for Middle Level Education this November.
Middle School Student Sound Off Winner
Willow Farquhar
Grade 8
Park Ridge Middle/High School
Park Ridge, New Jersey

Middle School Student Sound Off Finalists
Aurora Chen and Favour Akinnifesi
American Overseas School of Rome
Kenzi Greenberg and Ava Delgado-Bozeman
Beman Middle School
Erin Koerner and Magnolia Ruth Zeeberg
American Overseas School of Rome
Middle School Student Sound Off Honorable Mentions
Avaani Basnet
Cannon School
Dilara Demirtas
Dickerson Middle School
Viana Mattson
Park Ridge Middle/High School
Paul McCloskey
DuBois Area Middle School
Ameena Zia
Dickerson Middle School