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
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This competition is named in honor of Charles A. Fracchia (pronounced FROCK-ee-ya), founder of the San Francisco Historical Society.
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Open to any student attending a high school in San Francisco. The top three winners receive a cash prize and publication of their work.
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This year's writing challenge is Fighting for What's Right. Read the full prompt and learn about the essay requirements and guidelines here.
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Application is available here. Deadline to submit is April 12, 2026 at 11:59 PM. Please email your essay in PDF format to FracchiaPrize@SFHistory.org.
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Learn more about past winners and read their work samples here.
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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.
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Writing to be between 1,200 and 1,600 words (double spaced).
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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.
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All writing must be yours (no borrowing other's text or use of extensive quotations).
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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.
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Photography is optional and should be kept, if used, to no more than 3 shots.
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Deadline: April 12, 2026 at 11:59 PM
Prize and Awards
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First Place - $2,500 and publication of the essay in The Argonaut
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Second Place - $1,500 and publication of the essay in Panorama, our monthly newsletter journal
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Third Place - $1,000 and publication of the essay in Panorama, our monthly newsletter journal
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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
Past Winners and Writing Samples
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.