My City, My Teacher

connect2783
Sep 5
2 min read

Updated: Oct 14

Announcing the Winners of Youth Writing Contest 2025

This year’s Youth Writing Contest brought together over 400 voices from 174 cities, each sharing how their city became a teacher in unexpected ways. Meet the winners and explore their stories.

"In the city's noise is a quiet education, if you're willing to listen." Gordon Hempton

We launched the Annual Youth Writing Contest with great excitement. The chosen theme, “My City, My Teacher,” invited the youth to reflect on their cities as living classrooms, through spaces, people, traditions, and everyday moments that shape who we are and what we learn.

A Collective Voice from 174 Cities...

We were humbled to receive 400+ prose in English and Hindi from across 174 cities and towns. What made this even more special was that many came from small and mid-sized cities. Each entry carried the fragrance of its streets, the rhythm of its people, and the wisdom woven into daily life.

The submitted prose reflected on how:

A neighborhood park can become a lesson in resilience
A bustling market teaches resourcefulness
Festivals and traditions carry values across generations
Teachers appear in the form of auto drivers, vendors, or grandparents
The sounds, smells, and stories of a city leave lasting imprints on who we become

Reading through them was nothing short of a journey; one filled with discovery, nostalgia, and awe.

Announcing Top Entries of Youth Writing Contest 2025

Each entry went through three rigorous rounds of review by our team and an external jury, we were humbled by the sheer range of voices and stories. As part of the jury, there were practitioners, academicians, and city-lovers who engaged deeply with every composition. Their task was far from easy as each piece carried something meaningful, but with thought and care, the jury along with the Nāgrika team, chose the voices that resonated most, the ones that truly captured how cities teach and transform us.

Now the wait is over, and we are thrilled to announce the top entries of this year's Writing Contest.

While we could only select a few winning entries, every single entry deserves recognition for its thought, heart, and creativity. This contest is more than a competition, it is a reminder that our cities are not just buildings and roads, but living entities full of people, stories, and love. They are waiting to be explored, listened to, and learned from.

Join us in celebrating the winners and the many young voices who turned their cities into teachers through meaningful words!

What's next...

A heartfelt thank you to all participants who took the time to reflect and write. May this endeavor inspire you to continue seeing your cities and the ones you move to in the future, as classrooms brimming with lessons and stories.

Stay tuned to our website and social media channels as we publish the winning entries and highlight the many voices that turned their cities into teachers through words.

If you would like to read the published entires: