The Core Knowledge Blog

You won’t find a word about it in the papers, but Google ”Subway and homeschool” and you’ll see dozens and dozens of blog entries from HSers peeved that the sandwich chain has excluded their kids from a national essay contest.  The “Every Sandwich Tells a Story” writing contest offers $5,000 in athletic equipment to the winner’s school.  But it’s a disclaimer on the contest’s web page that wrankles. 

Contest is open only to legal US residents, over the age of 18 with children in either elementary, private or parochial schools that serve grades PreK-6. No home schools will be accepted.

A letter from the Home School Legal Defense Association calls for Subway to reverse itself. 

We understand that the competition is focused on traditional public and private schools because the grand prize of $5,000 of athletic equipment is designed to be used by a traditional school and not an individual family. A potential homeschool winner, however, could simply donate the grand prize to a public or private school of their choice or to a homeschool sports league.

Subway has reportedly responded to the pressure, but stopped short of changing the rules.  A letter from the chain posted on the HSLDA site apologies “to anyone who feels excluded by our current essay contest. Our intention was to provide an opportunity for traditional schools, many of which we know have trouble affording athletic equipment, to win equipment. Our intent was certainly not to exclude homeschooled children from the opportunity to win prizes and benefit from better access to fitness equipment.”

The letter promises Subway will “soon create an additional contest in which homeschooled students will be encouraged to participate.”