📘 Discovering Gálvez: A Pilot Contest for the 9th Largest School District in the US —Now Ready to Roll Across the USA

When I came across Bernardo de Gálvez’s name by chance, it felt like brushing past a wall in the house of American history—and discovering a hidden staircase I’d never noticed before. So I launched a contest to help students across Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) find that staircase for themselves—and choose to climb it.

As we now do the work to consider every essay—read through, synthesize, understand, and ultimately evaluate each submission for award placement—what follows are the results of the outreach effort. And as I read through these details, I have to believe we made an impact on awareness for this central figure in U.S.–Spain relations, across the ninth largest school district in the nation. The essays received give me hope. The encouragement from dozens and dozens of FCPS educators leaves me with a new awareness that this hit the mark. Gálvez is forever on the map in FCPS—and now the work must continue to keep him there.

What I also know is that educators now have a contest of their own: the opportunity to repurpose this project for each new class they teach. Gálvez’s story is profound and true—and worth sustaining for each new student who walks through their door.


Ryan Minton, Founder and President
Langley World Affairs Club
Langley High School, McLean, VA
May 18, 2025

🎯 Reaching Fairfax County's Diverse Student Body

The contest aimed to reach 86,540+ middle and high school students in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), the ninth largest school district in the United States. Our broader goal was to foster awareness, understanding, and engagement with the story of Bernardo de Gálvez and the critical Spain–U.S. alliance during the Revolutionary War—at the very birth of our nation. This includes:

FCPS has approx. 23 middle schools, 27 high schools, and 3 secondary schools. To reach them, outreach was sent to Spanish language, History & Social Studies, and English teachers, along with school administrators, across every public middle and high school in the county. Additionally, the campaign engaged all 23 Fairfax County Public Libraries, securing strong public visibility and support across branches.


📊 Outreach Snapshot: Who Said "Yes"

✅ High Schools (27 schools)

✅ Middle Schools (23 schools)

✅ Public Libraries (23 libraries)

👀 Awareness Metrics

During the two-month campaign from March 15 to May 15, 2025, we fielded numerous inquiries from teachers, librarians, and students—another indicator of awareness success. Outreach included two rounds of nearly 2,000 personalized emails—one at the beginning and one at the midpoint of the campaign. Each message not only delivered contest details but also introduced or reintroduced Bernardo de Gálvez to educators and their classrooms. 

From Schoology posts (FCPS’s online platform where teachers post announcements and assignments) to hallway flyers and morning announcements, students heard about Gálvez in more than one way. Some classrooms used it as a mini-lesson, others included it in writing assignments or reading discussions. Even students who didn’t submit an essay still walked away knowing something new.

We Asked Students: “How Did You Hear About the Contest?”

Teachers spread the word through Schoology, classroom announcements, Spanish Honor Society meetings, library posters, after-school fairs, and even daily loudspeaker updates. Some students discovered it on their own through flyers or were personally invited by a teacher or librarian. In every case, Gálvez became a name students couldn’t ignore.

📝 Participation Metrics

✍️ 71 Essays, 71 Discoveries

Seventy-one students—from middle and high schools across Fairfax County—chose to do something extraordinary. In the middle of finals season, they paused, researched, reflected, and wrote up to 650 words on a figure they likely never heard of just weeks before. Each essay represents hours of effort and a personal choice to explore an untold chapter of American history.

Out of almost 2,000 emails sent twice to educators across Fairfax County—reaching most every English, Social Studies, and Spanish language teacher, plus many school administrators—this campaign first had to create awareness, then spark belief, and finally inspire action.

To persuade a student to participate required a three-phase shift:

In that context, participation wasn't just a number—it was a high bar to clear. And it happened.


Each of these submissions is more than a statistic—they represent students who moved through all three phases: awareness, belief, and action. They didn’t just learn about Gálvez; they made the active choice to explore his story, reflect on its relevance, and contribute to how it will be remembered.

At the same time, we believe many others reached steps one or two—whether through a flyer, a teacher’s mention, or a moment of curiosity about a name they’d never heard before. Even without a submission, that spark of curiosity met one of our most important goals: planting Gálvez’s name—and story—firmly in the minds of students and educators across the ninth largest school district in the country.


✨ A Glimpse at Their Work

Dozens of original titles showed the creative range and passion students brought to their essays. Some of the most memorable include:


💬 A Sampling of What Educators Said

"Good morning, Ryan, I wanted to personally thank you for reaching out to share this amazing opportunity with the students at Woodson. I have advertised this opportunity with the members of the Spanish Honor Society and I’m sure you will get some essay submissions from our school. Please continue to communicate should you have any questions or further collaboration I can assist with during the final month of this contest. Thanks again for your meaningful work with the World Affairs Club! Keep at it!" — Spanish Teacher, Spanish Honor Society Sponsor, Woodson High School

"...I am most proud of Ryan and the Langley World Affairs Club. I have shared the information with appropriate people at Region 1 middle schools and high schools. I hope we get lots of entries!" — Dr. Douglas Tyson, Assistant Superintendent, Region 1, FCPS

"Thank you for reaching out about this opportunity. I will talk with our Spanish teachers here at Carson and make sure that our students are aware of the opportunity." — French Language Teacher and World Language Department Chair, Carson Middle School

"Ryan, I have shared this with my colleagues and will present the opportunity to students upon our return from Spring Break. Thank you for sharing this with us at Oakton High School." — Social Studies Department, Oakton High School

"I'm a 7th grader at Robinson Secondary and found out about this essay through my librarian. I'm interested in participating." — 7th Grade Student, Robinson Secondary School

"Ryan, I’ve promoted this with my APUSH and Honors students. This is the kind of opportunity they don’t forget." — History & Social Studies Teacher, Madison High School

"Hola Ryan, thank you for sending the contest information. I explained it to my department and hope many students participate. Gracias." — World Language Department Chair, Longfellow Middle School

"We’ve posted the flyer in both the teen area and our lobby. Best of luck!" — Youth Services Assistant, Dolley Madison Library

"Of course! We’ll display the flyer on our community events board. What a wonderful opportunity." — Branch Manager, Kingstowne Library

🚀 Why It Matters

Our goal with this contest was to invite students into the same story I had never seen before—and to share the lessons I learned along the way. I came to believe that history isn’t just a list of facts—it’s more like a house we live in. And sometimes, the most powerful moments come when you discover a staircase you never knew was there.

This campaign helped students across Fairfax County find one of those staircases—and gave them a reason to climb. For some, it was a new story. For others, a new sense of connection. And for me, it was a reminder: there’s always more to learn when you’re willing to look closer.

Ryan Minton, Founder and President
Langley World Affairs Club
Langley High School, McLean, VA
May 18, 2025