essay writing contest for elementary students

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Elementary Contests

The big green poetry machine.

A poetry competition to inspire children and young adults and get them writing about nature and the world around them.

Opening Soon April 15, 2024

Crazy creatures 2024.

Crazy Creatures is a mini saga writing contest guaranteed to get elementary school students excited about writing!

Me & My Family

A fun, engaging drawing contest for 4-7 year-olds!

Contest Now Closed

Poetry Towers invites your pupils to write a poem on any subject & in any style. Lets creativity flow & helps create confident writers...

Extended Closing Date April 19, 2024

Archived contests.

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Excellent Writing Contests for Kids (and Other Ways To Get Published)

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I’ve been searching for writing contests for kids for my daughter and her friend. Many kids, like mine, want to write for an audience; they’d love to be published. This round-up of writing contests for kids and other opportunities might help give emerging writers their first chance at publication.

Let me also suggest that you temper your kids’ enthusiasm with a bit of reality. It’s a tricky thing because you don’t want to be a killjoy, but you also want your children to understand that good, award-winning writing is hard work and takes dedication. So if your child applies to a writing competition and gets rejected or doesn’t win any writing prize, encourage your kids to persevere and keep writing. (Feel free to share stories of authors such as Madeline L’Engle, J.K. Rowlings, and Dr. Seuss, who were rejected for publishing  a lot.)

When you’re looking at these writing contests, suggest that kids read through the past winners or published pieces to get an idea of what the contest or publication is looking for in a writing piece.

Revision, of course, is essential. You can help by giving kids specific feedback on technique — revision tips here . If your child is writing a short story or children’s fiction piece, make sure their story has a story arc . And insist that they proofread a million times to be sure they’re not sending in something with errors! Check my NanNoWriMo for Kids post for more writing and revision tips.

All that being said, publishing can be a very motivational goal. Encourage your kids to write essays, short stories, poetry, and creative nonfiction and apply for opportunities like these. But remind your writers that failure only means that they haven’t been published YET.

Consider carefully writing contests with entry fees. I have mixed feelings about fees because sometimes they do pay for hiring judges but other times, I worry that it means the contest is simply a money-maker for them.

Best wishes!

**Check the comments for more contests.

Writing Contests for Kids

Roald Dahl’s ImaginormousChallenge ages: 5 – 12 Details: In this unique writing contest, kids submit  story ideas  in 100 words or less. The only judging criterion, in true Wonka style, is pure imagination. Five winners will get a Golden Ticket. See the website for all the prizes and opportunities.

Betty Award ages: 8 – 12 Details: Check the website for deadlines for their spring and fall writing contests. Cash prizes. $15 fee.

Funny Festive Fables ages: 7 – 13 In this writing contest, kids are asked to write a funny short story.

National Youth Foundation ages: grades K – 8 Details: It looks like you’ll be submitting a 20 to 30 page book with writing and art that incorporates the contest theme of anti-bullying.

Dandelion Press ages: all Get inspired by the illustration provided to write an original story. 

Tadpole Press ages: all For writers of all ages, this is a 100-word writing contest in any genre. This contest offers cash prizes to winners.

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards ages: 13+ The Scholastic Awards look for work in writing and art that demonstrates originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. Teenagers can apply to 28 art and writing categories including flash fiction, critical essay, digital art, humor, novel writing, personal essay, poetry, short story, and ceramics. The Scholastic writing contest is highly competitive, so submit your best work!

Literary Magazines and Online Publications for Kids and Teens

These publications are looking for submissions. These are NOT contests.

Hutch Magazine: A Creativity Magazine by Kids for Kids ages: grades 1 to 8 Hutch publishes art and writing submissions around a theme that imparts positive values and promotes self-esteem. Check the website for the latest theme and parent consent and media release forms.

Story Monsters ages 17 and younger Story Monsters is seeking articles, essays, book reviews, poems, short stories, and drawings.

Kidz Corner ages 6 to 12 Submit art, letters, and other writing. Guidelines here .

Magic Dragon ages: 12 years and younger Submit art, stories, essays, and poetry.

Cricket ages: 9 – 14 Details: Cricket is a well-known children’s magazine . Enter fiction, poetry, and nonfiction writing in this kids’ literary magazine. The magazine used to take submissions from young writers but now they’re offering other opportunities here: NewPages Writing Contests for Young Writers writing.

Stone Soup ages: 13 and YOUNGER Details: This magazine receives a lot of submissions, so read carefully what actually gets published for a better chance. It accepts stories, book reviews, and poems. $3 entry fee. 

Elementia ages: not stated A literary arts magazine from a library, check back to see when submissions open for poetry, short stories, essays, comics, and artwork.

Skipping Stones ages: 7 to 17 Details: This publication has a multicultural focus for its writing opportunities for kids. Send in essays, interviews, poems, plays, or short stories. $5 fee. Winners are published in their autumn issue.

The Caterpillar ages: not stated Details: This is an Irish publication but accepts entries from anywhere in the world.

Guardian Angel Kids ages: up to age 14 Details: This is a literary magazine (ezine) for kids with submission themes  here . If your work is accepted (articles, fiction, poetry), then the magazine will own it and will pay you for your work. Just be sure that if your writing is accepted, you don’t post it anywhere else since you will not own it anymore!

Chautauqua Young Voices ages: middle and high school Submissions can be in nonfiction, fiction, poetry, or flash.

Ember ages: 10 – 18 Details: This publication is searching for compelling poetry, short stories, flash fiction, and creative non-fiction that paint images with language. (THESE ARE NOT CONTESTS.)

Scholastic News Kids Press Corps ages: 10 – 14 Apply to be on a team of kid reporters from across the country and around the world covers “news for kids, by kids.” Kid writers who are ages 10–14 with a passion for telling great stories and discussing issues that matter most to kids are encouraged to apply in the spring for the following school year.

Bibliopunks ages 13 – 24 An online literary zine aimed at young adult writers. They are looking for writing in any genre.

Figment ages: 13+ Details: This is an online writing community meant to encourage  teen writers  to write and share their work. You can post your work and get feedback, as well as give feedback to other writers. Contests are posted throughout the year.

Cicada Magazine ages: 14+ Details: This magazine loves SF/fantasy and historical fiction as well as narrative nonfiction about teen topics.

Teen Ink ages: 13+ Details: This is an online writing community with a wealth of opportunities for young writers.

Canvas Literary Journal ages: 13 – 18 Canvas Teen Literary Journal is a quarterly journal that publishes the work of teen writers which are read and rated by a board of teen editors. If they’re not accepting submissions, follow them on social media to find out when submissions will open again.

Highlights Magazine ages: ages 16+ Details: This magazine publishes kids’ writing and will publish: drawings, poems, jokes, riddles, tongue twisters, stories, science questions, and book reviews. At the time of publication, they are closed to submissions.

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Melissa Taylor, MA, is the creator of Imagination Soup. She's a mother, former teacher & literacy trainer, and freelance education writer. She writes Imagination Soup and freelances for publications online and in print, including Penguin Random House's Brightly website, USA Today Health, Adobe Education, Colorado Parent, and Parenting. She is passionate about matching kids with books that they'll love.

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44 Comments

I work with Story Studio (a Victoria-based charity in Canada), and we host a themed monthly writing contest for kids aged 5-13 🙂 For April 2024, we’re hosting a special climate fiction writing contest for young authors aged 9-17. You can find details for our writing contests here: https://www.storystudio.ca/write/ Happy writing! Monika

IndigoTeen Magazine is a literary periodical created for teenagers and by teenagers. It features the most successful text and imagery submissions from children and young people from 13 to 19 years old: short stories, essays, and novellas, memes, and comics, fan fiction and poetry, graphic design and artwork. It’s a collection of literary pieces that reflects the world of modern teenagers. Are you a teen who loves English? Do you want to test your illustrator’s skills or other visual art talents? Let your mind shine bright and be enjoyed! We are eager to hear from you and let your creation be part of our magazine. https://indigohub.net.au/indigoteen

Some of these contests aren’t taking any submissions which sucks

Is there a graphic novel contest?

Not that I know of.

Are these competitions open to kids from other countries? My daughter loves to write and we are based in India

I think some are but you’ll have to check the rules for each one to know for sure. Good luck!

Young Writer Contests

Taradiddle is a youth writing program, created by the non-profit organization, Guardian Whiskers Inc, in Madison, Wisconsin. Taradiddle contests inspire youth ages 18 and younger to write with fun, animal-themed story prompts.

Experience the thrill of creative writing!

Write fun animal stories! Win prizes!

~ a writing contest for young authors ~, sign up below.

(Please scroll to the BOTTOM of the page!)

Taradiddle 2024 Youth Writing Contest Dates

Thursday, March 14 – Monday, March 18

Congratulations to the authors of the winning stories!

Here was the writing prompt: An unfamiliar sound startled Paquito, a Northern saw-whet owl, awake. He looked around. One moment he was sleeping in his favorite pine tree deep in the forest. Now, the forest was now gone, and the tree stood in a strange place! Paquito and his tree were surrounded by concrete and tall buildings. There were bright, colorful lights, music, and people looking up at the tree. Even the tree was lit by bright colorful lights!

the abecedarians (13 years and younger)

First Place: Amelie

Second Place: Olivia Benoit from Franklin, WI

Third Place: Jiaai Lu from Sunnyvale, CA

Honorable Mention: Natalya Bender from Knoxville, TN

Honorable Mention: Leah Tsujimoto from Wellington, CO

the doyens (14-18 years)

First Place: Emlyn Monti from Bristow, VA

Second Place: Shawn Hsieh

Third Place: Jessica Jiang from Pleasanton, CA

Honorable Mention: Sophia Zong from Pleasanton, CA

Thursday, September 19 – Monday, September 23

Weekly clues about the next animal protagonist will start arriving in your email inbox on Thursday, July 18!!

Taradiddle 2022 Contests

Read the stories of the 2022 Finalists by clicking on the button!

Taradiddle 2023 Contests

Read the stories of the 2023 Finalists by clicking on the button!

Meet the Taradiddle Judges!

Click on the button below to meet the Taradiddle Judges.

Guidelines:

• Entrants must be 18 years and younger.
• No cost to enter contests.
• Write original stories inspired by the Taradiddle animal-themed writing prompts.
• There are two age categories: Elementary Contests for ages 13 years and younger and High School Contests for ages 14-18 years. Enter under the age category you will be at the time of the contest to receive contest and prize information. If you are under the age of 13 years, your parent or guardian will need to sign you up with their email address. If you are 13 years and older, you can sign up with your email address. (Be sure to check your spam folder if you do not see emails from us!)
• The sooner you sign up, the more hints you will receive about the writing prompt for the next contest!
• Each contest starts on a Thursday and ends on the following Monday. When the contest starts, we will email you the writing prompt to get you started on your story. You will have by midnight (in your time zone) on the following Monday to submit your story inspired by the writing prompt. Submissions are made by emailing them to [email protected]. If email is not available, please mail your story to: Guardian Whiskers, 1004 East Washington Avenue, Madison, WI 53703, postmarked by Monday. Be sure to indicate your age category.
• Only one submission is allowed per person.
• The Elementary Contests have a maximum word count of 500 words. The High School Contests have a maximum word count of 1,000 words.
• Judges will determine the top three finalists in each age category.
• Entrants retain the copyright of their submitted work. However, entrants grant Guardian Whiskers the right to reproduce any submission on its website or any other Guardian Whiskers publication regardless of medium or publication.
• Guardian Whiskers asks for international rights. Should you re-publish the piece at a later date, we ask that you acknowledge in print that Guardian Whiskers published it first.

Only original submissions will be accepted. We will not accept simultaneous submissions or work that has been published elsewhere.

1st Place: $150 / 2nd Place: $100 / 3rd Place: $50

The top three finalists in each age category will be featured as published authors on Taradiddle.org.

Guardian Whiskers

The Taradiddle Youth Writing Contests is a program offered by Guardian Whiskers. To learn more about Guardian Whiskers, please visit here .

Email us at [email protected] or call us at (608) 886-8849.

How Contests Work

Write original stories inspired by animal-themed writing prompts. Submit a story for a chance to win a cash prize and become a published author on this website! Contest and prize information is sent by email. Be sure to keep an eye on your email inbox (or check your spam folder if you don’t see it).

Enter under your age category to receive contest and prize information by email.

Taradiddle Youth Writing Contests SIGN-UP

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NEW CONTEST!

Youth Spring Writing Contest – April 22, 2022

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Confirmation

Last Updated: June 22, 2022

Guardian Whiskers Inc. and Taradiddle Young Writers Contests take your privacy seriously. We make every reasonable effort to keep your personal information private.

We also make every reasonable effort to comply with the  Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule  (“COPPA”). If we make substantive changes to this policy, we will make a reasonable effort to notify you via email, seek your consent to these changes, and give you the option to discontinue your use of the site. 

Our Privacy Policy delineates the information we collect, display, and share. 

What We Collect (Under-13 Writers)

The Taradiddle website collects the following information upon registration:

• Email address of parent or guardian
• How the parent/guardian would like the name of their child to appear publicly if their story places and is published on our website

What We Collect (13 and Older Writers)

• Email address 
• How they would like their name to appear publicly if their story places and is published on our website

IP Addresses and Cookies

The Taradiddle website may collect IP addresses and use browser cookies. We use these only to help you interact with the site, not to gather any further personal information.

What We Display (Under-13 Users)

The Taradiddle website will publish om its website the stories of the finalists for each contest, any submitted drawings and illustrations completed by the writer, and the name of the writer in the way that the parent/guardian had consented to. If desired, a picture of the writer that the parent/guardian supplies and agrees to have publicly posted may be displayed together with the story.

What We Display (13 and Older Users)

The Taradiddle website will publish on its website the stories of the finalists for each contest, any submitted drawings and illustrations completed by the writer, and the name of the writer in the way that the writer had consented to. If desired, a picture of the writer that the writer supplies and agrees to have publicly posted may be displayed together with the story.

What We Don’t Share

Guardian Whiskers Inc. and Taradiddle will not share any of your personal information with third parties unless it is necessary for safety or legal purposes.

In the event that Guardian Whiskers Inc is involved in a merger, acquisition, bankruptcy, change of control, or any form of sale of some or all of our assets, your personal information may be transferred or disclosed in connection with such business transaction. If the transaction involves the transfer Personal Information to a third party, we will require the new owner to continue to honor the terms provided in this Privacy Policy, or we will provide you with notice and an opportunity to opt-out of the transfer by deleting Personal Information before the transfer occurs.

If you have questions about the Privacy Policy or any other concerns related to the Taradiddle website, please email us at  [email protected] .

Last Updated: June 20, 2022

Acceptance of Terms

Your use of the Taradiddle website represents an understanding and acceptance of the following terms. If you do not agree with the following terms, you, your children, and/or your students should not use the website.

The following terms may be updated occasionally, at Guardian Whiskers Inc, creator of Taradiddle (“our”) discretion. Guardian Whiskers Inc via Taradiddle (“We”) will make reasonable effort to notify you of any substantive changes via email and obtain your consent. We suggest that you regularly review the terms to ensure your continued understanding and acceptance.

If you are under 18, you should review the following terms with a parent, guardian, or educator facilitating the Taradiddle Youth Writing Contests. If you are under 13, your parent or guardian must give you permission to participate.

Personal Information

• Parent or guardian email address (mandatory for under-13 users)
• Personal email address (for 13 and older users)
• City and State

The Taradiddle website also collects IP addresses and uses browser cookies. We use these only to help you interact with the site, not to gather any further personal information.

Guardian Whiskers Inc and Taradiddle Website will not share any of your information with third parties, unless it is necessary for safety or legal purposes.

We make every reasonable effort to comply with the  Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule  (“COPPA”), and we collect and display information differently for young writers under 13 years of age.

View full Privacy Policy.

We use a third party for our mailing-list management, but your information is only accessible by Guardian Whiskers Inc/Taradiddle.

You may unsubscribe or update your email preferences at any time.

Taradiddle is a program of Guardian Whiskers Inc, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and offers no paid services.

We will occasionally offer opportunities to donate or purchase programmatic merchandise. These transactions may be hosted on a store platform outside the Taradiddle website.

We will not share any of your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.

Intellectual Property

You will not knowingly share any content that has been created, copyrighted, and/or trademarked by another person or entity. We will immediately delete any content we determine to be plagiarized.

Codes of Conduct

You will abide by our  Codes of Conduct, including grounds for content, discipline, and account deletion.

Submitted Stories

Contest entrants retain the copyright of their submitted work. Guardian Whiskers Inc and Taradiddle claim no copyright on stories created, hosted, or submitted to Taradiddle, and will not be held liable for any content therein. However, entrants grant Guardian Whiskers the right to reproduce any submission on its website or any other Guardian Whiskers publication regardless of medium or publication.

Guardian Whiskers asks for international rights. Should you re-publish your story at a later date, we ask that you acknowledge in print that Guardian Whiskers published it first.

We will make every reasonable effort to host stories, but the Taradiddle website is not a permanent storage solution. We will not be held liable for accidental story deletions.

User Content

Guardian Whiskers Inc and Taradiddle claim no copyright on user-created content, and will not be held liable for it. We reserve the right to publish user-created content in our marketing and editorial materials.

Third-Party Links

The Guardian Whiskers Inc and Taradiddle websites may contain links to content hosted on other websites. We will not be held liable for any third-party content.

General Limitation of Liability

Guardian Whiskers Inc and Taradiddle will not be held liable for any damages associated, directly or indirectly, with your use of the Taradiddle website.

General Rights Reserved

Guardian Whiskers Inc and Taradiddle have made reasonable effort to account for common terms of use above, but we know this won’t cover everything. We reserve the right to take any and all action on your Taradiddle involvement. 

If you have questions about these Terms & Conditions or any other concerns related to the Guardian Whiskers Inc or Taradiddle websites, please email  [email protected] .

We want everyone who uses Guardian Whisker’s Taradiddle website to have a safe, fun experience. Below are some things to keep in mind when using our site.

By agreeing to our  Terms & Conditions , you also agree to these guidelines. They apply specifically to stories, social media posts, and profile information.

If you have questions or aren’t sure about something, send us an email . We’re here to help!

No matter what, we expect everyone to treat each other (and themselves) with respect.

We do not allow racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, hate speech, harassment, personal attacks, or bullying.

Keep it clean.

Don’t include things in your stories that you wouldn’t want your parents or teachers to see, including bad language, adult content, or criminal topics.

Avoid discussions of violence, including self-harm and imaginary violence to others.

Keep it legal.

No discussion of illegal activity will be allowed, even jokingly.

This is a big, diverse community. We have different ideas and different lives. Don’t do things with the intent of upsetting or interrupting other people. Treat others how you would want to be treated!

Please refrain from including serious political or cultural debates in your stories.

How to Report

To report a story or action that you believe is in violation of the codes of our Codes of Conduct,  email us. Include the name and please copy and paste the text so we can review it.

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• Writing Contests

The following is a list of writing contests for kids. We also maintain a list and resources for writing scholarships . You can find a list of upcoming writing-related contest and award deadlines for adults organized by date on the writing contests homepage.

This information is provided for parents of children looking for writing contests. You should be able to find more local writing contests for kids by checking with the library or with your child's teachers. Be sure to read any contest and/or submission guidelines carefully.

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Essay Writing Contests for Students

• Writing Essays
• Writing Research Papers
• English Grammar
• M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
• B.A., History, Armstrong State University

Are you a great writer? You may be able to win cash, scholarships, trips, and other awards with your essay-writing abilities. There are many contests out there that cover a wide variety of topics. Why not enter a competition today?

Contest rules vary significantly, and some may contain important information about possible restrictions, so be sure to read all rules carefully. Please note that most of these competitions require that participants be citizens of the United States.

Alliance for Young Artists and Writers: Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

This competition offers young scholars the opportunity to earn national recognition, publication opportunities, and scholarship awards. Students in grades 7-12 who reside in the U.S. or Canada are eligible to participate in this highly regarded competition.

AWM Biographies Contest

In order to “increase awareness of women's ongoing contributions to the mathematical sciences,” the Association for Women in Mathematics holds a contest requesting biographical essays of “contemporary women mathematicians and statisticians in academic, industrial, and government careers.” Submissions are accepted from December 1 to February 1, with judging beginning in February.

Engineer Girl!

EngineerGirl, an entity of The National Academy for Engineering, holds an essay contest every year for aspiring young engineers. Entrants are required to evaluate one of their own engineering designs in a short essay. Instructions for applying and details about the essay requirements are posted in September and applications are due February 1st the next year.

EPIC New Voices

The goal of this competition is to improve student literacy through traditional modes of learning as well as through new technology. Applicants between the ages of 11 and 14 make up the junior division and applicants between the ages of 15 and 18 make up the senior division. You can receive cash or an ebook reader if your original essay or short story wins. Students from around the world are eligible.

NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund: The Second Amendment to the Constitution

The NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund (NRACRDF) holds an essay competition to encourage students to recognize the Second Amendment as an integral part of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The theme for the essay is “What Does The Second Amendment Mean to You?” Students can win up to $1,000 in savings bonds.

Holocaust Remembrance Project

The Holocaust Remembrance Project invites high school students to do the following in their essays: “analyze why it is vital that the remembrance, history, and lessons of the Holocaust be passed to new generations; and suggest what you, as students, can do to combat and prevent prejudice, discrimination and violence in our world today.” Students can win scholarship money up to $10,000.

JASNA Essay Contest

Fans of Jane Austen may be delighted to learn about the contest offered by The Jane Austen Society of North America. The topic of the annual essay contest changes each year based on themes covered in the Annual General Meeting for that year.

AEL Collegiate Essay Contest

If you are a U.S. citizen enrolled at a four-year college or university, Pepperdine Libraries has a scholarship contest for you. The contest requires a five- to eight-page essay, approximately 1,500–2,000 words, with a first-place prize award of $2,500, a second-place prize of $1,500, and a third-place prize of $1,000. The essay asks students to discuss the ways in which liberal arts degrees are advantageous.

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Writing Contests for Young Writers – the NewPages Guide

Updated March 3, 2024

View Publications for Young Writers

Where young writers can find print and online literary magazines to read, places to publish their own works, and legitimate contests. Some publish only young writers, some publish all ages for young readers. For specific submission guidelines, visit the publication’s website. Ages can include elementary, teen, or early college. This is an ad-free resource: publications and writing contests listed here have not paid to be included. This guide is maintained by Editor Denise Hill, a teacher who loves to encourage young writers.

Safety Matters! We expect sites listed in this guide to adhere to the  Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act . This includes a transparent method for obtaining parental/guardian permission when collecting information from contributors under the age of 13 years old.

This is a select list of contests from reputable sources. There are many contests that charge fees, but for this resource, I have sought contests which mean to recognize and encourage young writers and do not charge reading or entry fees. Of those listed that do charge a fee, some provide a publication subscription in return as they are trying to gain new readers; that seems fair and the publishers are upfront about it. Other fee-based contests are from reputable members of the literary community, and the fee is considered reasonable in relation to the prize winnings being offered.

Please avoid contests that tell you you’ve won and then want you to purchase expensive copies of the book in which you have been published. These types of “scam” contests publish hundreds, even thousands of entrants, and profit greatly from book sales. These contests take advantage of young writers and inexperienced writers of all ages.

Also see the NCTE Guidelines for Contests , which is helpful for contest organizers who want to reach out to K-12 students and for teachers assessing the legitimacy of contests for their students.

Contest Deadlines : I make every effort to update the contest list monthly and update deadline dates as the contest sponsors update them on their websites. Contest dates may change without anyone notifying me, so users of this guide should check the contest website for the most accurate information. If a previous year’s date is noted here, then the contest sponsor may not have updated their website yet, but they will likely be running the contest again. Please check back here or on the contest sponsor’s site if you are interested in that contest.

January    February     March     April     May    June     July August     September     October     November     December

The Alliance for Young Artists and Writers

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Grades 7-12 during the current school year Deadline: Varies by Region – Enter zip code to find deadline

The Earth Chronicles

Monthly Summer Writing Contests June/July/August Grades 9-12

Homer Humanities

Prompt-based Ages 10-22 Bimonthly

Manningham Trust Student Poetry Contest

National Federation of State Poetry Societies Grades 6-12 Each participating state conducts its own contest with deadline. Each participating state sends its top entrants to the national contest. Click here for a list of participating states.

NAACP ACT-SO Program

Open to U.S. citizen students of African descent grades 9-12 Multiple categories within academic, scientific, and artistic achievement Requires local program oversight and participation that culminates in a national competition.

National History Day Project Competition

Junior Division (grades 6, 7, 8) and Senior Division (grades 9, 10, 11, 12) Categories: Paper, Performance, Documentary, Exhibit, Website Check the website for an affiliate region near you for timelines.

National PTA Reflections Awards

Grades Pre-K to 12 Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography and Visual Arts Each state holds its own contest, submitting winners to the national contest.

National Writing Invitational

Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Essays Ages K-12 Chosen submissions published online monthly with “Best of” awards made on October 1.

The New York Times

Ages 13-19 Various contests with varying deadlines Editorial Cartoon Contest, Civil Conversation Challenge, Review Contest, Year in Rap Contest, Vocabulary Video Contest, Editorial Contest, Found Poetry Contest, Summer Reading Contest

Poetry in Voice

A monthly poetry contest for Canadian students grades 9-12. Based on a monthly prompt. All poems submitted are considered for publication in Voices/Voix.

Six Word Memoirs

Six Words hold monthly contests for which writers must respond to a prompt in exactly six words.

Stone Soup Flash Contest

Stone Soup holds a monthly flash contest challenge based on a prompt for writers 13 and under.

Under the Madness Magazine

A magazine for and by teens under the mentorship of the New Hampshire Poet Laureate. They offer multiple contests per year for writers ages 13-19.

Write the World

WtW holds monthly contests based on an idea or genre (poetry, fantasy, sports journalism, fiction, etc.). For young writers 13-18 years old.

An organization that runs quarterly writing contests with topics centered around different world issues, encouraging charity donations, and prompting teens 12-18 years old to reflect on current crises and inspiring solutions.

Young Writers Project

A free online community of writers and visual artists ages 13-18 (12-year-olds with permission). Teachers are also invited and have a “For Teachers” space on the site. YWP holds regular challenges and seasonal contests.

Youth Communication

Every three months, YC will highlight five recent articles and ask readers ages 14-19 to write a response to the author of a story (up to 300 words). Three winners will receive prizes of $150 (1st prize), $75 (2nd prize), and $50 (3rd prize.)

VSA Playwright Discovery Competition

Grades 6-12 / Ages 11-18 Ten-minute play, screenplay, or music theater exploring the disability experience Written by young writers with disabilities and collaborative groups that include students with disabilities Deadline: January 10, 2024

Quantum Shorts

Short Story “Entries must take inspiration from quantum physics and be no longer than 1000 words.” Ages 13+ Alternates between sci-fi and sci films each year. Deadline: January 8, 2024

National Youth Foundation

Amazing Women Writing Contest Theme: Local Heroines Grades K-8 Deadline: January 9, 2025 [that is correct – 2025]

International Bipolar Foundation

High School Essay Contest Ages 13-29 Deadline: January 15, 2024

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

Sponsored by the JFK Memorial Library and John Hancock Grades 9-12 Deadline: January 12, 2024 postmark

Atkins Center for Ethics Essay Contest

Carlow University Grades 11 and 12 Deadline: January 15, 2023 [Sent inquiry 12/2]

Ringling College of Art and Design

High School Creative Writing Contest High School Age Writers Deadline: January 15, 2024

Power to Explore Writing Challenge

California Institute of Technology U.S. Students in grades K-12 Deadline: January  26, 2024

Columbus State University

The Carson McCullars Literary Award Fiction, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, Expository Essay, Playwriting, Screenwriting High School Age Category for Georgia and Alabama High School Students Deadline: January 19, 2024

Saint Mary’s College

River of Words Poetry and Art Contest Grades K-12 (Ages 5-19) Deadline: January 31, 2024

Outdoor Writers Association of America

Norm Strung Youth Writing Awards Grades 6-8 or 9-12 For outdoor-oriented works. Deadline: January 31, 2024

Arizona Mystery Writers

Mary Ann Hutchison Memorial Story Contest for Youths Ages 9-13; 14-17 Both age groups awarded prizes. Deadline: February 1, 2024

Bluefire 1000-word Story Contest

Leyla Beban Young Authors Foundation Grades 6-12 Deadline: February 1, 2024

EngineerGirl Writing Contest

Fiction in which the main character is a female who uses engineering skills to solve a problem. Grades 3-12 Deadline: February 1, 2024

Gannon University

High School Poetry Contest Grades 9-12 Deadline: February 1, 2024

Go On Girl! Scholarships

Aspiring Writer and Unpublished Writer Each has unique criteria; See website Deadline: February 1, 2024

Narrative High School Writing Contest

Prompt provided in guidelines. Grades 9-12 Deadline: February 1, 2024

Paterson Prize for Books for Young People

Open to books published in the previous year FOR young readers. Categories: Pre-K to Grade 3; Grades 4-6; Grades 7-12 Deadline: February 1, 2024

Holocaust Art and Writing Contest

Chapman University Grades Middle and High School Deadline: Postmark February 2, 2024 or by February 5, 2024 for digital submissions

North Carolina Poetry Society

Student Poetry Contest Grades 3-College Undergraduate North Carolina Residents Only Deadline: February 2, 2024

U.S. Kids Annual Cover Art Contest

Ages 2-12 Deadline: February 1, 2024

Write On! Story Writing Contest

Ann Arbor District Library Flash Fiction and Short Story Grades 3-5 Open to Michigan Residents Only Deadline: February 5, 2024 [See March for Grades 6-12 contest.]

ukiaHaiku Festival

Haiku Contest All Ages – Some Regional to California Counties No Fee (except for Adult Contemporary Haiku) Deadline: February 8, 2024 The website includes helpful guidelines for writing haiku.

Korean Spirit & Culture Promotion Project

Nationwide Essay Contest Topic provided on website. Middle School and High School Deadline: February 15, 2024

Davidson Fellows Scholarship

Davidson Institute, Reno, NV Ages 18 and under as application date For completion of a significant work in STEM or Humanities categories Deadline: February 14, 2024

NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing

For Juniors in the current academic school year Students must be nominated by their school’s English Department Deadline: February 15, 2024

NCTE Promising Young Writers Program

For 8th grade students in the current academic year Students must be nominated by a school committee or department Deadline: February 15, 2024

West Chester University

Iris N. Spencer Poetry Award Myong Cha Son Haiku Award Rhina P. Espaillat Award for Poetry Sonnet Award Villanelle Award Undergraduate student poets who are enrolled in a United States College or University Deadline: February 16, 2024

Society of Professional Journalists and Journalism Education Association

Essay based on prompt. Grades 9-12 U.S. Public, Private, & Home Schools Deadline: February 19, 2024

Curieux Research Scholarship Award

Middle or High School Students Deadline: February 20, 2024

Polyphony Lit Black History Month Contest

Open to High School Students Globally Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction Deadline: Open February 1-February 28, 2024

Polyphony Lit Winter Contest

Open to High School Students Globally Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction Deadline: Open February 1 – February 28, 2024

The Sejong Cultural Society

Essay, Sijo (Poetry) Open to Pre-college and Young Adults Deadline: February 29, 2024

Cancer Unwrapped Teen Essay Writing Contest

Cancer Pathways Grades: 9-12 Deadline: March 1, 2024

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Society

University of Central Florida Middle & High School Writing Contest Story, Poem, Essay Deadline: March 1, 2024

Project Yellow Light

Scholarship Competition Grades High School or College Video, Billboard, Radio PSA on not driving distracted [Also listed under April] Deadline: March 1, 2024

Writing Contest Grades 3-12 Poetry Deadline: March 1, 2024

It’s All Write! Teen Writing Contest

Ann Arbor District Library Flash Fiction and Short Story Grades 6-12 Open to Michigan Residents Only Deadline: March 3, 2024 [See February for Grades 3-5 contest.]

Carl Sandburg Student Poetry Contest

Grades 3-12 Deadline: March 4, 2024

Elephant Aid International Essay Contest

Essay Prompts Grades 3-5 and 6-8 Deadline: March 4, 2024

American Society of Human Genetics

DNA Day Essay Contest Grades 9-12 Deadline: March 6, 2024

Taradiddle Youth Writing Contests

Animal-themed prompt-based fiction Age Categories: Elementary under 13; High School 14-18 Deadline: March 14, 2024

The Blank Theatre Young Playwrights Festival Competition

Original Plays or Musicals on any subject Ages 19 years or younger Deadline: March 15, 2024

Jacklyn Potter Young Poets Competition

The Word Works Grades 9-12 Deadline: March 15, 2024

The Haiku Society of America

Nicholas A. Virgilio Memorial Haiku Competition Grades 7-12 Deadline: March 27, 2024

Voyage of Verse

Annual Poetry Anthology For current high school students Deadline: March 30, 2024

Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship Program

Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction/Memoir Online Flexible Dates June 20-August 1 High School and Gap Year Students Financial Aid Available Deadline: March 31, 2024

The Caterpillar

Best Poem for Children Contest This contest is for adults writing for readers ages 7-11(ish). Deadline: March 31, 2024

Sarah Mook Poetry Prize

Grades K-12 Deadline: March 31, 2024

American Foreign Service Association

High School Essay Contest Grades 9-12 Deadline: April 1, 2024

Princeton University

Lewis Arts Center Ten-Minute Play Contest Grades 11 and 12 in the current school year Deadline: April 1, 2024 (or as soon as 250 entries are received)

Scholarship Competition Grades High School or College Video, Billboard, Radio PSA on not driving distracted [Also listed under March] Deadline: April 1, 2024

United States Institute for Peace

High School Essay Contest Deadline: April 3, 2023 [Sent inquiry 3/17]

All-Media Public Anti-Hate Message Contest Grade Categories: K12; 7-12 Grade; Higher Education Individual and Class Group Submissions Deadline: December 1, 2023 and April 5, 2024

The Legacy Project

“Listen to a Life” Writing Contest Ages 8-18 Deadline: April 12, 2024

We the Students Essay Contest

Bill of Rights Institute Ages 14-19 Deadline: on hiatus for 22-23

Americans Against Gun Violence

National High School Essay Contest Theme provided on website. Deadline: April 20, 2024

Dear Poet Project

Grades 5-12 Letters written in response to poets reading poems Select letters will be published online; Select letters will receive a response Deadline: April 22, 2024

Short on Words

Poetry or Prose in response to one of ten photographs. Age Categories 17 and under, 18 and older $10 Nonprofit fundraising entry fee Deadline: Hiatus for 2024

fingers comma toes

National Flash Fiction Day Youth Competition All ages Deadline: April 30, 2023

The Wilbur & NISO Smith Foundation

Author of Tomorrow Adventure Writing Contest Ages 11 and under; 12-15; 16-21 Deadline: April 30, 2024

Leaders Igniting Generational Healing & Transformation Under 18 category Art, Letters, Poetry, Stories Deadline: May 1, 2024

New Voices One-Act Competition for Young Playwrights

YouthPLAYS Non-musical, one-act play suitable for HS audience Written by Playwrights 19 years and under Deadline: May 1, 2024

World Historian Student Essay Competition

World History Association Grades K-12 Deadline: May 1, 2023

Skipping Stones Asian Celebration Haiku Contest

Ages 7-18 Deadline: May 5, 2024

Skipping Stones Youth Honors Award

Promoting Multicultural Awareness, International Understanding and Nature Appreciation Original Writing and Art Ages 7-17 Deadline: May 5, 2024

Holocaust Center for Humanity

Holocaust Art Contest Open to ages 9-18 in WA, OR, ID, AK Deadline: May 17, 2024

Last House Writing Contest for Emerging Writers

Sponsored by Audubon Canyon Ranch Essay, Short Story, Poetry Age Categories 8-12 years old and 13-17 years old Deadline: May 17, 2024

Quills and Keyboard

Poetry, Song Lyrics, SciFi, Fantasy, Short Story, Personal Essay, Memoir, Novel Excerpts, Journalism, Humor, Flash Fiction, Dramatic Script, Critical Essay, Horror, Philosophy, Speeches, Classic Literary Adaptations High School Students 14+ Deadline: May 20, 2023

Humane Education Network

A Voice for Animals Essay Contest for 14-15 and 16-18-year-olds Video Action Project for 16-18-year-olds Essay with Photos for 16-18-year-olds Deadline: May 31, 2024

The Adroit Journal

Prizes for Poetry and Prose Open to Secondary and Undergraduate Students Fee Waiver Request Form available Deadline: May 31, 2023

California Young Playwrights Contest

Open to residents of California only. Ages Under 19 as of June 1 Deadline: June 1, 2023

Fraser Institute Student Essay Contest

Open to students studying in Canada and Canadian students studying abroad. High School / Undergraduate / Graduate Categories Topic changes each year Deadline: June 1, 2023

Jane Austen Society of North America Essay Contest

Ages High School / College / Graduate School Topic changes each year Deadline: June 1, 2023

Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest

“Youth” Category of High School Age and Younger Deadline: June 1, 2023

Natures Wild Neighbour Society

“Get to Know Your Wild Neighbors” Art, Writing, Photography, Videography, Music Ages 11-18 Deadline: June 1, 2023

John Estey Student Writing Competition

American Writers Museum Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Cross-Genre, Drama/Playwriting, Hybrid Elementary, Middle, and High School Categories Deadline: June 5, 2023

Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest

Art, Poetry, Prose, Film, Music, Multimedia, Performing Arts, Spoken Word Ages 11-18 Deadline: June 13, 2023

Theme Essay Contest Grades 9-12 Deadline: June 15, 2024

Goi Peace Foundation International Essay Contest

Theme Essay Contest Ages 25 and under Deadline: June 15, 2023

National Teen Storyteller Contest: Solidarity

The Center for Fiction and The Decameron Project Ages 13-18 Deadline: June 1-June 25, 2022

Chicago Young Writers Review (CYWR)

Theme: “The Story That Made Me Feel” Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry Grades K-8 Deadline: June 30, 2022

Eden Mills Writers’ Festival

Poetry Contest for Children Ontario Residents Only Grades 1-3, Grades 4-6, Grades 7-8 Deadline: June 30, 2022

Poetry Contest for Teens Ontario Residents Only Grades 9-10 and Grades 11-12 Deadline: June 30, 2022

The Geek Partnership Society

Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Supernatural and Alternate History Fiction Poetry, Fiction, Graphic Novel Various age categories (K-Adult) Deadline: [on hiatus for 2023]

Polyphony Lit Pride Month Contest

Open to High School Students Globally Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction Deadline: Open June 1-June 30, 2023

Polyphony Lit Summer Contest

Theme: “2020 Hindsight” Open to High School Students Globally Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction Deadline: Open June 1-June 30, 2023

Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Award

Ages: Adult; Youth (13-18); Youth (12 and under) No fee for 12 and under. Deadline: Postmark July 1, 2023

1455 Teen Poetry Contest

Ages 13-19 Deadline: July 4, 2023

Johnson County Library Youth Short Story Contest

Short Story in Verse on a theme Grades 3-12 Deadline: Postmark July 6, 2023

Johnson County Library Youth Sticker Design Contest

Theme: “Oceans of Possibilities!” Ages 11 and under Deadline: Postmark July 6, 2023

Stony Brook Short Fiction Prize

State University of New York Only undergraduates enrolled full-time in American and Canadian universities and colleges for the academic year are eligible Deadline: July 14, 2022

Youth Innovation Challange

Global Environmental Education Partnership Themed Essay Contest Ages 15-30 Deadline: July 19, 2023

NCTE Excellence in Student Literary Magazines

Open to all accredited middle and secondary schools (US, CA, VI, US schools abroad) Deadline: July 31, 2023

Student Book Scholars

National Youth Foundation Theme: Anti-Bullying Grades K-8 Deadline: July 15, 2023

“I Matter” Poetry Contest

National Youth Foundation Topic: “Black Lives Matter” Grades: K-12 Deadline: July 23, 2024

Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award

The Poetry Society Ages 11-17 Deadline: July 31, 2023

The Lincoln Forum

Platt Family Scholarship Prize Essay Contest Specific topic posted on the website. For full-time college/university students. Deadline: Postmark July 31, 2023

Hindus for Human Rights

Essay and Art Contest on Human and Civil Rights Open to South Asian American students in grades 6-12 Deadline: August 15, 2023

Stone Soup Book Contest

Fiction, Memoir, Poetry Manuscript Ages 14 or under for 2023 Deadline: August 15, 2023

Wax Poetry and Art Poetry Contest

Ages under 25 Deadline: August 31, 2023

William Faulkner Literary Competition

Student Short Story Category Open to Mississippi High School Students Deadline: August 31, 2023

Youth Free Expression Film Contest

National Coalition Against Censorship Ages 19 and under Deadline: September 8, 2023

Animal-themed prompt-based fiction Age Categories: Elementary under 13; High School 14-18 Deadline: September 19, 2024

Art of Unity Creative Award

International Human Rights Art Festival Poetry, Short Story, Essay as well as any creative media Youth Age Category 18 and under Deadline: September 30, 2023 (will not be held in 2024)

Creators of Justice Literary Awards

International Human Rights Art Festival Poetry, Short Story, Essay 2500 words or less on Human Rights Theme Youth Age Category 18 and under Deadline: September 30, 2023 (will not be held in 2024)

Embracing Our Differences

Art Exhibit and Quote Contest For all ages Deadline: October 5, 2023

National YoungArts Foundation

Ages 15-18 Various Arts Categories Receive up to $10k + educational support Applications Open June 12 – October 13, 2023

American Geosciences Institute

Earth Science Week Essay Contest Theme: “Finding ‘Art’ in Earth” Grades 6-9 Deadline: October 13, 2023

Toyin Fálọlá Prize

Themed Short Story Contest Ages 15-35 Entrants must be African Deadline: October 15, 2023

Polyphony Lit Latin Heritage Contest

Open to High School Students Globally Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction Deadline: Open September 15 – October 15, 2023

Polyphony Lit Fall Contest

Open to High School Students Globally Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction Deadline: Open October 1 – October 31, 2023

VFW Patriot’s Pen

Themed Essay Competition Grades 6-8 Deadline: October 31, 2023

VFW Voice of Democracy

Audio Essay Competition Grades 9-12 Deadline: October 31, 2023

Hollins University

Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest For High School Sophomore and Junior Girls Deadline: October 31, 2022 [site not updated; contacted 10/24]

Bennington College

Young Writers Competition Grades 10-12 Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction Deadline: November 1, 2023

Interlochen Arts Academy

Virginia B. Ball Creative Writing Competition Fiction, Poetry, Spoken Word Personal essay or memoir, Screenwriting, Playwriting, Comics, Experimental or unclassifiable writing Grades 8-11 Deadline: November 15, 2023

Theme: A Story Worth Telling Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry Grades K-8 Deadline: November 7, 2022 [site not updated; sent inquiry 10/24]

Lions International

International Peace Essay Contest Ages 11, 12, 13 years old on November 15, 2023 Open to students who are considered visually impaired according to their national guidelines.

Rachel Carson Sense of the Wild Contest

Poetry and Prose w/ or w/o Photograph Intergenerational Team of two or more only Deadline: November 16, 2023

Rattle Young Poets Anthology

Open Call for Submissions Ages 15 or younger Deadline: November 16, 2023

One Teen Story Contest

Open Call for Submissions Ages 13-15, 16-17, 18-19 Deadline: November 27, 2023

Leonard Milberg ’53 Secondary School Poetry Prize Any student who is in the eleventh grade in the academic year is eligible. Deadline: November 26, 2023

Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers

The Kenyon Review High School Sophomores and Juniors Award: First place: Full scholarship to the Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop and publication. Second and third place: Publication. Deadline: November 1 – 30, 2023

NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers Program

National Novel Writing Month November 1 – 30, 2023 Many free events year-round; visit their website for details.

The Telling Room

Themed Poetry and Fiction Grades 6-12 / Ages 11-18 For Maine Residents only Deadline: November 30, 2023

The Upper New Review

Essay Contes: A Sense of Place Ages 13-17; 18-older Deadline: November 30, 2023

Literacy In Place

Rural Teen Writing Contest Fiction, Nonfiction Grades 9-12 Deadline: December 1, 2023

Smith College

The Poetry Center High School Prize An annual prize for sophomore & junior girls in New England Deadline: September 1 – December 1, 2023

Kemper Human Rights Education Foundation Essay Contest

Kemper Human Rights Education Foundation Essay Contest High School Students Deadline: December 10, 2023

Rider University

Annual High School Writing Contest Grades 9-12 Essay, Short Story, Poetry Deadline: December 20, 2023

Short Stories on the theme: 2050 Grades 9-12 Deadline: December 31, 2023

The Fire Scholarship Contest

Essay: Prompt using video examples on topic of Free Speech Grades High School Juniors & Seniors Deadline: December 31, 2021 [On hiatus 2022-23; check back in 2024]

The Fitzgerald Museum

Fiction, Poetry, Multi-Genre High School and College Students Deadline: September 1 – December 31, 2023

The Lyric Magazine

Poetry Contest Undergraduate Students – USA and Canada Deadline: Postmark December 31, 2023

Northeastern University – London

[Formerly New College of the Humanities] Essay Competition Prompts provided in humanities and social sciences. Grade 12 only Deadline: December 31, 2023

Poetry Society of America

Louise Louis/Emily F. Bourn Student Award Poetry Award Teacher/Administrator Nominated unpublished poem by 9-12 grade student. Deadline: Postmark October 1-December 31, 2023

The Society of Classical Poets

Poetry Competition Ages 13-19 Deadline: December 31, 2023 [New info is posted September 1]

Looking for a list of publications that publish young writers? Check out our guide here .

The NewPages Young Writers Guide to Contests is a free and ad-free resource for anyone looking for writing contests for teens, writing contests for high school students, scholastic writing contests, writing contests for middle school students, writing contests for kids, high school writing contests, writing contests for elementary students, creative writing contests for high school students, poetry contests for high school students.

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John Estey Student Writing Competition

5th Annual Student Writing Competition

2024 Competition Prompt

“Tradition was safety; change was danger.” — Mary Doria Russell, The Sparrow

Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow is a visionary work that combines speculative fiction with deep philosophical inquiry. The Sparrow tells the story of a charismatic Jesuit priest and linguist, Emilio Sandoz, who leads a scientific mission entrusted with a profound task: to make first contact with intelligent extraterrestrial life. The mission begins in faith, hope, and beauty, but a series of small misunderstandings brings it to a catastrophic end.

The Sparrow is recommended for ages 16 and up.

This prompt is a quote from Russell’s The Sparrow and can be used as a first line, a last line, a jumping-off point, an inspiration for your students’ work. They can use the entire quote or portions of it to write a fiction or nonfiction story, poem, song, scene, short monologue or other form of writing. Submissions should be 1,000 words or less regardless of format.

Prizes for the John Estey Student Writing Competition are as follows:

• 3 Winners from the Elementary Grade category will receive $500 each
• 3 Winners from the Middle School Category will receive $1,000 each
• 3 Winners from the High School category will receive $2,000 each

Homeschoolers are welcome to participate in the competition. Please indicate school name as ‘Homeschool’ while filling out the form.

International students may participate in the competition. Please indicate your school’s city and country clearly in the school name field when filling out the form. Be advised, the AWM requires a teacher email and name to participate. 

Steps to submit your students’ written pieces:

• Fill out the intent to participate form below.
• Submission links will be sent out to you on Monday, April 22, 2024. Note: Submissions will be accepted only via our submission link.
• Once you submit your written piece, you will receive an automated email.
• Winners will be contacted by August 30, 2024 before the names are announced to the public.

Submission deadline: June 7, 2024 at 11:59 PM CDT*

Winner announcement: September 10, 2024

* Not eligible to participate: Past winners of the competition, relatives of AWM staff or board.

*To submit your student’s work, please fill out the intent to participate form and you will receive a submission link from the education team at a later date. Submissions will ONLY be accepted through the submission link.

• The 3  winners of the Elementary Grade category will receive $500
• The 3 winners of the Middle School category will receive $1,000
• The 3 winners of the High School category will receive $2,000

Category Selection

• Elementary Grade Level (Grades 3-5)
• Middle School Grade Level (Grades 6-8)
• High School Grade Level (Grades 9-12)
• Only 3 entries per category from one school.
• Teachers will be allowed to submit entries for multiple categories.
• A school with K-8 students can submit 6 entries (3 for Elementary and 3 for Middle School).
• A school that is a stand alone middle school, or a high school can submit only 3.
• If multiple teachers in a school have their students compete, the school needs to pick the top 3 for the school.
• Winners agree to be filmed reading their work and to be featured in a press release and on the American Writers Museum website.

Contact [email protected] with any questions

Previous Winners

• Siaansh Singh Bhadauria – Deerfield Elementary School, CA
• Aydin Soner – Homeschool, SC
• Aiza Liya Vattoth – Forest Park Elementary, AR
• Olivia Bakal – Oakwood School, CA
• Evelyn Basken – Alcott College Prep Elementary School, IL
• Catherine Huang – Collegewood Elementary School , CA
• Chloe Truong – Norwood Park School, IL
• Sophiya Subba – Whittier Elementary School, IL
• Raymond Cai – Keystone School, TX
• Audriana Giudice – Lazar Middle School, NJ
• Taylor Haase – The Rhoades School, CA
• Chloe Lind – Ashley Hall School, SC
• Alessandra Giordano – Lazar Middle School, NJ
• Alisha Walker – Lincoln Middle School, IL
• Taskin Arisha – Castle Hill Middle School, NY
• Aisling Panjwani – Skinner North Classical School, IL
• Brooke Elwell – Eastern Camden County Regional High School, NJ
• Anita Raj – Eastern Camden County Regional High School, NJ
• Charity White – Carlisle School, VA
• Elizabeth Boguslavsky – Glenbard South High School, IL
• Lana Olarte – Durham School of the Arts, NC
• Katie Liske – Marian High School, NE
• Adina Tanner – Yeshiva University High School for Girls, NY
• Nina Artwell – Niles North High School, IL
• Ysa Quiballo – Niles North High School, IL
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• Classroom Ideas | High school
• October 5, 2023

The Best Student Writing Contests for 2023-2024

When students write for teachers, it can feel like an assignment. When they write for a real purpose, they are empowered! Student writing contests are a challenging and inspiring way to try writing for an authentic audience— a real panel of judges —and the possibility of prize money or other incentives. We’ve gathered a list of the best student writing contests, and there’s something for everyone. Prepare highly motivated kids in need of an authentic writing mentor, and watch the words flow.

With a wide range of categories—from critical essays to science fiction and fantasy—The Scholastic Awards are a mainstay of student contests. Each category has its own rules and word counts, so be sure to check out the options  before you decide which one is best for your students.

How To Enter

Students in grades 7-12, ages 13 and up, may begin submitting work in September by uploading to an online account at Scholastic and connecting to their local region. There are entry fees, but those can be waived for students in need.

This ends soon, but if you have students who are ready to submit, it’s worth it. YoungArts offers a national competition in the categories of creative nonfiction, novel, play or script, poetry, short story, and spoken word. Student winners may receive awards of up to $10,000 as well as the chance to participate in artistic development with leaders in their fields.

YoungArts accepts submissions in each category through October 13. Students submit their work online and pay a $35 fee (there is a fee waiver option).

Each year, awards are given for Student Book Scholars, Amazing Women, and the “I Matter” Poetry & Art competition. This is a great chance for kids to express themselves with joy and strength.

The rules, prizes, and deadlines vary, so check out the website for more info.

If you’re looking to help students take a deep dive into international relations, history, and writing, look no further than this essay contest. Winners receive a voyage with the Semester at Sea program and a trip to Washington, DC.

Students fill out a registration form online, and a teacher or sponsor is required. The deadline to enter is the first week of April.

This annual contest invites students to write about a political official’s act of political courage that occurred after Kennedy’s birth in 1917. The winner receives $10,000, and 16 runners-up also receive a variety of cash prizes.

Students may submit a 700- to 1,000-word essay through January 12. The essay must feature more than five sources and a full bibliography.

Bennington College offers competitions in three categories: poetry (a group of three poems), fiction (a short story or one-act play), and nonfiction (a personal or academic essay). First-place winners receive $500. Grab a poster for your classroom here .

The contest runs from September 1 to November 1. The website links to a student registration form.

Looking for student writing contests for budding playwrights? This exclusive competition, which is open only to high school juniors, is judged by the theater faculty of Princeton University. Students submit short plays in an effort to win recognition and cash prizes of up to $500. ( Note: Only open to 11th graders. )

Students submit one 10-page play script online or by mail. The deadline is the end of March. Contest details will be published in early 2024.

The Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize recognizes outstanding work by student writers in 11th grade. Prizes range from $100 to $500.

Students in 11th grade can submit their poetry. Contest details will be published this fall.

This contest is also a wonderful writing challenge, and the New York Times includes lots of resources and models for students to be able to do their best work. They’ve even made a classroom poster !

Submissions need to be made electronically by November 1.

The deadline for this contest is the end of October. Sponsored by Hollins University, the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest awards prizes for the best poems submitted by young women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school. Prizes include cash and scholarships. Winners are chosen by students and faculty members in the creative writing program at Hollins.

Students may submit either one or two poems using the online form.

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers is open to high school sophomores and juniors, and the winner receives a full scholarship to a  Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop .

Submissions for the prize are accepted electronically from November 1 through November 30.

High school students can win up to $1,000 and publication by entering an essay on a topic specified by the Jane Austen Society related to a Jane Austen novel.

Details for the 2024 contest will be announced in November. Essay length is from six to eight pages, not including works cited.

Open to students from 15 to 18 years old who are interested in publication and exposure over monetary awards.

Teachers may choose five students for whom to submit up to four poems each on their behalf. The deadline is November 15.

This is a chance for new and emerging writers to gain publication in their own professionally published chapbook, as well as $500 and free copies of the book.

There is an $18 entry fee, and submissions are made online.

For students under 18, the YouthPlays one-act competition is designed for young writers to create new works for the stage. Winners receive cash awards and publication.

Scroll all the way down their web page for information on the contest, which accepts non-musical plays between 10 and 40 minutes long, submitted electronically. Entries open each year in January.

The 2024 Ocean Awareness Contest, Tell Your Climate Story , encourages students to write their own unique climate story. They are asking for creative expressions of students’ personal experiences, insights, or perceptions about climate change. Students are eligible for a wide range of monetary prizes up to $1,000.

Students from 11 to 18 years old may submit work in the categories of art, creative writing, poetry and spoken word, film, interactive media and multimedia, or music and dance, accompanied by a reflection. The deadline is June 13.

Each year, EngineerGirl sponsors an essay contest with topics centered on the impact of engineering on the world, and students can win up to $500 in prize money. This contest is a nice bridge between ELA and STEM and great for teachers interested in incorporating an interdisciplinary project into their curriculum. The new contest asks for pieces describing the life cycle of an everyday object. Check out these tips for integrating the content into your classroom .

Students submit their work electronically by February 1. Check out the full list of rules and requirements here .

The National Council of Teachers of English offers several student writing awards, including Achievement Awards in Writing (for 10th- and 11th-grade students), Promising Young Writers (for 8th-grade students), and an award to recognize Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines.

Deadlines range from October 28 to February 15. Check out NCTE.org for more details.

Children of incarcerated parents can submit artwork, poetry, photos, videos, and more. Submissions are free and the website has a great collection of past winners.

Students can submit their entries via social media or email by October 25.

The Adroit Journal, an education-minded nonprofit publication, awards annual prizes for poetry and prose to exceptional high school and college students. Adroit charges an entry fee but also provides a form for financial assistance.

Sign up at the website for updates for the next round of submissions.

The National PTA offers a variety of awards, including one for literature, in their annual Reflections Contest. Students of all ages can submit entries on the specified topic to their local PTA Reflections program. From there, winners move to the local area, state, and national levels. National-level awards include an $800 prize and a trip to the National PTA Convention.

This program requires submitting to PTAs who participate in the program. Check your school’s PTA for their deadlines.

The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international contest open to students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, as well as those in home-study programs. The $500 prize is based on an essay that addresses one of this year’s two prompts.

Students can submit entries via email or regular mail before May 1.

The National Society of High School Scholars awards three $2,000 scholarships for both poetry and fiction. They accept poetry, short stories, and graphic novel writing.

Apply online by October 31.

Whether you let your students blog, start a podcast or video channel, or enter student writing contests, giving them an authentic audience for their work is always a powerful classroom choice.

If you like this list of student writing contests and want more articles like it, subscribe to our newsletters to find out when they’re posted!

Plus, check out our favorite anchor charts for teaching writing..

This Article, The Best Student Writing Contests for 2023-2024 was written by Sean Hogan on   October 5, 2023 1:02 pm on the article source website .

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Our Recommended Youth Story & Essay Writing Contests

by  Royd Hatta

March 28, 2022

Writing Contests, Events, Story Writing

Our Recommended Young Writers Contests

Besides our own Story, Poetry, and Essay Contests for youth and teens, we'd like to share others. Hopefully, it will encourage you to stay motivated to write more–and perhaps win!

The contests below are mainly from California.

For those of you from other California regions or states, there are a few here that allow anyone to participate regardless of where you live!

Of course, this is NOT a comprehensive list. We have limited our contest list to

• 3rd grade through 8th , OR
• 9th-12th grades we trust and love to promote

High school writers have more opportunities so we'll have a separate post for them soon.

By the way, the contests presented here were selected because

• they have an excellent reputation , 
• the have been established for many years , and
• our  own students have participated in them, and at times have won . 

Safety First

Young writers,

Please make sure you work with your parents so they can submit the contest with their email on your behalf. 

Contests are often a team effort. Parents who help search and vet the contests will be able to ensure that their child, and you, will have the best possible experience.

Read the Rules

Young writers, part of winning these contests requires that you read the rules.

Tip: We recommend

• printing the rules on paper.
• confirm that you completed the requirement
• and then checking each rule off with a pen.

Note that some contest officials will reject submissions if they see that you did not pay attention to their rules. 

Usually, there are not many rules, so it's not that difficult.

Besides This List, Where Else Can I Find Contests?

Informed students know that participating in local organizations and their contests, such as the ones below, may greatly improve their chances of winning.

Why? Because they have lower competition! 

You can often find Essay, Poetry and Story Contests from your Local

• Neighborhood Newspaper 
• Libraries, and
• Writing Clubs. 

Also, ask if there are writing contests from

• your parent’s company
• community service clubs (like Rotary Club, Scouts), and
• non-profit organizations

Tip : Do a Google Search for "Writing Contests near me." Check beyond the first page search results.

How often do these contests occur?

Each site varies, but many are annual. Please check their contest submissions timeline for the most up-to-date information.

Tip: Sign up for our newsletter to be notified when these websites announce their latest contest.

Let me know what contests you've entered. We'd love to know your experience! 

Do your best, and good luck!

Writing Coach

[email protected]

Sister Cities International's (SCI)

(yaas) young artists and authors showcase.

Teen & Young Adult:   Ages 13-18

For Mid-Peninsula students residing in San Carlos through Sunnyvale.

Offers CASH Prizes: $1000 for each Category (Art, Poetry, Essay, Story, Photography) 

Tip: You may submit something for each category, but you need to fill out the category form each time. (Wow. So you could potentially win for each category? Cool!) 

Typical submissions dates: March - April 29th

• https://sistercities.org/2023-yaas (For the latest, replace the year.)
• https://sistercities.org/what-we-do/programs/
• https://sistercities.org/yaas

For more information contact: [email protected]

Palo Alto Weekly Annual Story Contest

Teen 12-14 (Grades 7-9)

Young Adult 15-17 (Grades 10-12) 

Offers Prizes

Typical submissions dates: December to March

https://www.paloaltoonline.com/promotions/

https://www.paloaltoonline.com/short_story/short_story_35/index.php

This is our first suggestion for students who want to submit to a story contest. Royd used to work at the Weekly ages ago. Besides that, the judges are often famous authors, and the quality of submissions is high. This popular contest has been around for more than 30 years so there are often many entrants. Kudos to you if you place!

Ages 14 & under.

Stone Soup is a magazine established in 1973 in Santa Cruz! It's main mission is to promote youth story writing and art. Young writers and artists,  or "children who are not yet in high school,” can submit their work, though I recommend reading a copy of their magazine. You may see that it favors realistic fiction, though other genres apply. 

Stone Soup Magazine • Story Submissions:

Typically, 2-5 pages long. They say they have limit of 10,000 words, but they hint that length is a bit long for their magazine. Perhaps try for 3000 words.

https://stonesoup.com/how-to-submit-writing-and-art-to-stone-soup/#who

Stone Soup's main contests page:

https://stonesoup.com/contests/

Flash Fiction Contest - Monthly

https://stonesoup.com/post/stone-soup-monthly-flash-contest-winners-roll/

Book Contest - Annual

https://stonesoup.com/post/annual-book-contest-2022/

https://stonesoup.submittable.com/submit/139445/annual-book-contest-2022

This a contest for a short novella. Winners will have their book published.

Here are some of the details pulled from their website:

Length: For fiction submissions, the minimum length is 20,000 words. For poetry submissions, the minimum length is 40 pages, with no more than one poem per page. There is no maximum word or page limit.

Age Limit: For this contest, we will accept manuscripts written by those age 14 or under.

Deadline: Sunday, August 21, 2022 11:59 pm (Pacific Time)

Entry fee: $15.00

Submissions of multiple manuscripts by the same author are accepted but you must submit each as an individual entry and pay the fee each time.

Results and Prizes: We will select two winning manuscripts—one in fiction and one in poetry—to be published and distributed by Stone Soup in both print and ebook forms, available for sale on Amazon, in the Stone Soup store, via our distributors, and advertised along with the rest of our books to libraries and other vendors.

Bookshop Santa Cruz Contest

https://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/young-writers-contest

Bookshop Santa Cruz is an institution when it comes to indy bookshops, so much so that nearly every author makes this a major stop on their promotions tour.

This story contest has been running for decades, and the placeholders will be published in a Story Contest book. Here are some details from their website: 

"Entries may be on any subject and in any genre—including fiction, poetry, nonfiction, biography, autobiography, humor, mystery, science fiction or fantasy. Word count limit is 2100. Each entry must be an original work, submitted in the appropriate age group: 6–9, 10–13, and 14–17. First, second, and third place winners from each age group receive Bookshop Santa Cruz gift certificates. Plus, the winning entries are published together in a collection each November."

Bluefire $1000 for Exactly 1,000 Words Flash fiction Contest - Due FEB 1

Emerging Writers $1,000 for 1,000 Words Middle and High School Creative Writing Contest. The Leyla Beban Young Authors Foundation awards two top prizes of $1,000 for previously unpublished flash fiction, exactly 1,000 words long, by students worldwide in grades 6-12 (one prize for grades 6-8 and the other for grades 9-12). Winners may be published online and in the sponsor's annual Bluefire journal. Submit one entry via the sponsor's online submission form by February 1.

Jack London State Park Story Contest

For 6th-8th graders.

The Information below refers to the 2023 Annual Young Writers Contest.

Please check the website below for the most current writing prompt and contest rules. https://jacklondonpark.com/annual-young-writers-contest/

The first place winner receives $250, second place gets $150 and third place gets $100. All the winners are also given a voucher to the park’s gift shop for a free Jack London novel of their choice.

Jack London was known for his naturalistic style of writing and his focus on realism. He also stood out with stories that cast animals in the main role and he “spoke” from the animal’s point of view. Great examples of this include Call of the Wild and White Fang . Your writing prompt this year is to: "Create a story where your main character(s) are animals with animal qualities (like Buck in Call of the Wild) . Tell your story from the animal’s perspective."

Your story must  follow the guidelines and regulations spelled out in the contest flyer, and you need to complete an entry form for your story to qualify for the contest. Click here for the  Contest rules and entry form . This contest is open to middle schoolers everywhere!

More information on the contest rules can be found on the park’s website at jacklondonpark.com. Stories must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 31.

Bowseat.org: Ocean Awareness Contest

https://bowseat.org/programs/ocean-awareness-contest/contest-overview/

Annual Arts and Writing Contest for the Environment.  

Ages 11-18. 

“The 11th annual Ocean Awareness Contest is a platform for young people to learn about environmental issues through art-making and creative communication, explore their relationship to a changing world, and become advocates for positive change. Students ages 11-18 from around the world are invited to participate.

The contest deadline is june 13, 2022.”, cate: california association of teachers of english.

This teacher's organization holds an annual writing contest based on a writing prompt or on class essays and stories. Teachers are encouraged to submit their student's work. Young writers, ask your teacher if your work is ready to submit to this contest as well.

https://www.cateweb.org/contests-awards/creative-writing-contest/

Awards will be given in six divisions: 

Grades 3-4;

Grades 5-6;

Grades 7-8;

Grades 9-10;

Grades 11-12;

and College.

From their website:

2021-22 Writing Prompt

Deadline for submissions: April 1, 2022

What does California dreaming mean to you?

In an essay, story, poem, or memoir, consider responding to one of the following prompts, or an idea of your own:

• What dream do you have for California?
• How do you envision the future of this state?
• How might your own dreams offer a vision for California?

* “California Dreamin’” is a song by the Mamas and the Papas

(Songwriters: Michelle G. Phillips, John E. A. Phillips). You may want to look up the lyrics.

St. Mary's River of Words Poetry & Art Contest

St. Mary's College in Moraga, California, hosts a well-established natural environment themed contest for young writers as young as kindergarten. Placeholders and others will be included in an anthology for the year. 

Note that Poems and Art works are accepted. Short stories are not.

What's nice is that young writers and artists can submit as many poems or artworks as they like.

Our tip : This contest is brilliant as it was probably created with social media in mind! View their Twitter and Instagram posts for the impressive quality of the art and poetry.

There is a strong focus on watersheds, such as bays, rivers, stream, and lakes. We encourage you to experience a local area with water as inspiration. Connect your poetry or art with how we live and consider the environmental problems that we inflict on it. Consider what solutions we all can do to preserve our natural environments. 

Here's their video:

• The contest is open to K–12th grade students, ages 5–19. Students must be enrolled in school to be eligible. All entries must be submitted by a parent, guardian, educator, or facilitator unless the student is 18 years old or older.

Open submissions: Around Oct 15 - Dec 1.

Website: stmarys-ca.edu/row Email: [email protected]

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/riverofwordssmc/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/riverofwordssmc?lang=en

Art Gallery:  https://www.stmarys-ca.edu/row-2020-2021-art-winners

The Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) Biographies Contest

Just because we teach English, Literary Analysis, and other courses related to writing that doesn't meant we don't like math or the sciences. On the contrary!  

Here's a wonderful essay contest that encourages youth and teens to interview a woman in the mathematics field. Once you've done your interview, you'll need to write an essay. You can view all the previous winners on their contest site.

Here's the essay contest info from their Contest page:

The Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) seeks to increase awareness of women's ongoing contributions to the mathematical sciences.  The essay contest described below is sponsored by AWN and Math for America:

Contest Topic: Biographical essays of “contemporary women mathematicians and statisticians in academic, industrial, and government careers.”  Your essay should be based primarily on an interview with a woman currently working in a mathematical career. The submission must be in essay form, not just a transcript of your interview.

Submission Deadline: December 1 to January 31 via an online submission form (see website below). DEADLINE IS JANUARY 31 EACH YEAR

Who Can Submit: Students grades 6-12 and undergraduate students.

Submission Length: The essay should be approximately 500 to 1000 words in length.

Prize: Winners will receive a prize, and their essays will be published online at the AWM web site. Additionally, a grand prize winner will have his or her submission published in the AWM Newsletter.

For More Information:

https://awm-math.org/awards/student-essay-contest/

Other Contest Lists:

Here are some websites that have a collection of contests for young writers to submit to.

We recommend perusing these lists as they serve as a filter from nefarious or ad-intense websites. That said, please be cautious about sharing your email.  

Young writers, please read each contest carefully with your parents. And whenever possible, allow your parents to submit your work. 

Finally, note that many "Young Writer" contests are actually for high school students, but you may find some that are for 3rd graders and up. 

Tip: Many of these lists can be filtered to show deadlines. Often you'll see due dates with a few days! If you have a poem, story, or essay already written then feel free to submit your work.

If you do not have work ready to go, then look to about a month or more in advance. Choose a handful that seem to fit your genre, style, or interests and work towards those. In this way, you'll have plenty of time to revise and edit. It's tough to polish work where you have to submit the next day. We all need time for our writing to sit and allow our eyes and minds to see our work with fresh eyes.

If you submit your work, we'd love to know!

Newpages.com

This list is our first choice. We like how it's organized, and its brief comments on what the contest is about, thereby some saving time.

https://www.newpages.com/writers-resources/young-writers-guide-to-contests

TCK Publishing: Young Writers & Teens List

This site actually has a Young Writers (elementary) focused list. Still, you may have to sift through some that are meant for 9th grade and up.

https://www.tckpublishing.com/writing-contests-for-kids/

Reedsy: Young Writers & Teens List

Though you may find many the due dates on the list as "expired," note the organizations anyway for future reference. 

https://blog.reedsy.com/writing-contests/children-s/

We are Teachers:

This has a list of popular, national contests, mainly for 9th graders and up, but they do have 3rd graders and up contests. It's worth checking out.

https://www.weareteachers.com/student-writing-contests/

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14 fascinating teacher interview questions for principals, tips for success if you have a master’s degree and can’t find a job, 14 ways young teachers can get that professional look, which teacher supplies are worth the splurge, 8 business books every teacher should read, conditional admission: everything you need to know, college majors: everything you need to know, 7 things principals can do to make a teacher observation valuable, 3 easy teacher outfits to tackle parent-teacher conferences, the ultimate guide to student writing contest.

It does happen that when students write for their teachers, it can seem like an assignment. But they are motivated to take it to another level when they write for special purposes. Students’ writing contests are simple and motivating methods to try writing for a real audience. At the same time, there are panels to scrutinize them and the possibility of awards attached. Below is a list of student writing contests. Explore to see any which fits your curriculum. 

• The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

You could almost find something for each student’s consumption. Each of the categories has its own rules and also word counts. Be sure to check the ideal ones for your students before procuring them.     

How to Enter: Each student may start turning in their work in September, uploading it to an online account at scholastic. Then printing is required before sending their submission forms to a nearby affiliate. 

• YoungArts’ National Arts Competition

This national competition offers a category of inspiring nonfiction, plays, novels, short stories, and spoken words. Winners can earn cash awards valued at $10,000 and the opportunity to participate in artistic development with professionals in their fields. A poster for your classroom wall is available here. 

How to Enter: YoungArts allows submission in each category till the second Friday of October. Students are to submit their work online and pay a fee of $35 (An option for waiver is allowed.)

• American Foreign Service High School Essay Contest

If you’re interested in helping students go in-depth on international relations, writing, or history, this essay is your stop. Winners get tuition fees covered for the semester at Sea program and a trip to Washington DC for an honorary visit with a leader at the Department of State.    

How to Enter: A new brief is published every September. The deadline to enter the competition is April 1. 

• John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

The contest, held annually, invites participating students to write about a political official’s act of political courage after Kennedy’s birth. The winner takes home $10,000 plus a trip to Boston to receive the award.     

How to Enter : Participating students must submit 700-1000 essays between September and January. The essays must contain more than five sources and a complete bibliography.

• Bennington Young Writers Awards

Bennington College provides the competition in three categories: poetry ( a group of three poems), nonfiction ( a personal or academic), and fiction ( a short story or one-act play.) First place receives $500. Get a poster for your classroom here.     

How to Enter : The contest is open from September 1 to November 1. Stay connected to the website for information on submitting entries. 

• The Princeton Ten-Minute Play Contest

In this competition, to be judged by the theater faculty of Princeton University, students are to submit short plays in a bid to win recognition and money awards up to $500. (This is only open to 11th graders)     

How to Enter : Students submit ten-page play scripts by mail. The turnaround time is the end of March. 

• Princeton University Poetry Contest for High School Students

Leonard L. Milberg’s ’53 High School Poetry Prize recognizes notable works by students in the 11th grade. Case awards from $100 to $500 are available for winners.     

How to Enter: Only students in eleventh grade can submit. The turnaround time is at the end of November. 

• Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

Funded by Hollins University, this poetry contest prize is for the best poem entry by young women juniors in high school. The prizes include cash and scholarship opportunities. The winners are selected by students and faculty members in creative writing programs at Hollins University. 

How To Enter: Students must turn in their entries by the end of October.  

• The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers

The Patricia Grodd Poetry for Young Writers is open to high school juniors, and the best bag a full scholarship to the Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop.  

How to Enter: Submissions are accepted electronically only from November 1 through November 30.   

• Jane Austen Society Essay Contest

High schoolers can bag prizes up to $1,000 by entering an essay on a topic similar to Jane Austen novels. 

How to Enter : The deadline for entry is June 1. Essay length is from 6-8pages, minus works cited. 

• SPJ / JEA High School Essay Contest

The Society of Professional Journalism sponsors this contest, and the Journalism Education Association invites students to consider independent media’s importance. Chances are that students win scholarship awards up to $1,000. 

How to Enter : Students should submit 300-509 word essays based on the yearly prompt either online or by mail, plus a $5 entry fee. The deadline is by the end of February.    

• We the Students Essay Contest

Students can bag a whooping watery amount of $7,500 through this essay contest, funded by the Bill of Rights Institute. 

How to Enter : Open to students around age 14-19. The deadline for all entries is April 15.         

• The Voice of Democracy Audio-Essay Contest

Formed in 1947, this audio-essay program ranging from the Veterans Foreign Wars gives high school students the rare opportunity to express themselves concerning a democratic and patriotic-themed essay. Annually, over 50,000 students participate, but that shouldn’t bother you. For the best, the prize is a $30,000 scholarship.    

How to Enter: All entries must be received by October 31. It must be recorded in an audio device for submission. 

• The Ocean Awareness Contest

This one of its kind competition invites students to use their skills to make a change for our planet. As contest owners wrote on their website, “Our contest is a call for young artists, conservationists, makers, thinkers, and activists concerned about the future of our blue planet.” Students have the opportunity of winning various monetary benefits.   

How to Enter : Students can send their work in various categories ranging from art, prose, film, or poetry, which a reflection must back up. The turnaround time is June 15. 

• Engineer Girl Annual Essay Contest

Annually, Engineer Girl sponsors an essay contest with various themes based on the effect of engineering on the globe, where students can win up to $500 in prize money. The contest is a good connection between ELA and STEM and awesome for teachers who fancy fusing an interdisciplinary project into their curriculum. The latest contest brief is usually published in October. Go to the educator’s page for more information on how to partner with this project for your school. 

How to Enter : Students are to submit their work electronically. Grade level determines the word limit. See the full list here for rules and requirements. 

• NCTE Student Writing Awards

The National Council of Teachers of English presents these writing awards to students, plus Achievement Awards in Writing ( for 11th-grade students), Promising Young Writers ( for 8th-grade students), and a journalism award for both middle and high school students: Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines. 

How to Enter : This deadline is from February 15 to July 31. Check the rules for more details. 

• Patriot’s Pen Contest

The Veterans of Foreign Affairs gives the award for this contest. At the state level of the contest, each first-place winner gets the lowest limit of $500. While at the national level, the first-place bags $5,000 and a fully sponsored trip to Washington, D.C.     

How to Enter: The essays are 300-400 words in length on any topic given on the website. All entries must be made by October 31. 

• Rachel Carson Intergenerational Sense of Wonder / Sense of the Wild Contest

This contest is quite different. It needs two participants of two generations. Either a student/teacher, student/parents, or a student with an adult. The categories include poetry and essays with optional photographic elements. The topics are usually connected to nature.     

How to Enter : The deadline is November 6. 

• PTA Reflection’s Contest

The National PTA presents offers of various awards, including one for literature, in their yearly Reflection Contest. Students of all age brackets can turn in entries on the chosen topics to their local PTA Reflections program. Winners proceed from the local areas to state and national levels. The National level awards include an $800 award and, of course, a trip to the National PTA Conference.     

How to Enter : This event requires submitting to PTAs participating in the program. Check your school’s PTA for their respective deadlines. 

• GPS Writing Contest for Scifi and More

This is an exciting contest for fictional writing. All entries must be within science fiction, fantasy, poetry, short fiction, or comics. Categories are set according to topic and age, and the award valuations are up to $100.    

How to Enter : All entries may be in printed format and mailed in by the timeline in January. 

• World Historian Student Essay Competition

This international essay competition is open to students in grades K-12 in public, private, or parochial schools and those in home-study programs. The prize, $500, is based on an essay that examines the issue: In what way has the study of the world of history affected my understanding of the world I live in?

How to Enter : Submit all entries before May 1.      

If you let your students start a blog, start a video channel, start a podcast or take part in a writing contest, setting them on the right stage with the needed audience is always a highly influenced classroom choice.

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Best 2024 Competitions for Students in Grades K-12

Competitions in STEM, ELA and the arts, and more!

We tell students that learning is its own reward, and that’s certainly true. But it’s also nice to win money and other prizes! Knowing they could gain recognition or even a prize for winning can be incredibly motivating. This roundup includes the best contests and competitions for high school students, as well as middle school and elementary too.

Contests and Competitions for High School Students

Contests and competitions for middle school students, contests and competitions for elementary school students, contests and competitions for students of all ages, adcap challenge.

Come up with a big idea to help create meaningful change and healthier school communities. Then use the AdCap project designer to submit your idea, and compete for funding to bring your project to life.

AFSA National High School Essay Contest

If you’re looking to help students take a deep dive into international relations, history, and writing, look no further than this essay contest. Winners receive full tuition to the Semester at Sea program as well as a trip to Washington, D.C., to meet with a leader at the Department of State.

All American High School Film Festival

Student films have the opportunity to become an Official Selection, screened at the AMC Empire 25 Theaters in Times Square, the busiest movie theater in America! Each October, thousands of student filmmakers gather in New York City for an action-packed weekend of resources and entertainment, including the Teen Indie Awards Show, where over $500,000 in prizes and scholarships are handed out.

ArtEffect Project

The ArtEffect Project teaches middle and high school students about their power to effect positive change through creative storytelling that celebrates unsung heroes from history. Students submit high-quality creative art projects in the visual arts, narrative film, theater, and creative nonfiction genres. Winners can receive thousands of dollars in prizes.

Biomimicry Youth Design Challenge

The Youth Design Challenge (YDC) is a free hands-on project-based learning experience that provides classroom and informal educators with a new framework to introduce biomimicry and an interdisciplinary lens on science and environmental literacy. It’s open to middle school and high school students.

Breakthrough Junior Challenge

Students submit a big scientific idea in fundamental physics, life sciences, or mathematics in video form. Winners receive college scholarships, plus money for their teacher and school.

BUILD’s Design Challenge

Students in grades 7–12 use design thinking to create solutions to real-world challenges. In this 10-hour experience, students develop entrepreneurial skills and empathy while learning about prototyping and testing.

Congressional Art Competition

Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition. Winners are recognized both in their district and at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. The winning works are displayed for one year at the U.S. Capitol.

Conrad Challenge

Design an innovation, solve an important problem, and establish yourself as an entrepreneur. You might just change the world in the process! Students work in teams of two to five to compete for prizes such as scholarships, pro-bono legal and consulting services, and a Dell Chromebook.

C-SPAN’s StudentCam Competition

This national contest invites all middle and high school students to create a five-to-seven-minute documentary based on an annual theme.

DECA Competitive Events

DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. DECA’s competitive events can be grouped into three broad categories: role-plays and case studies, prepared events, and online simulations. Events take place around the country and throughout the year.

International Compost Awareness Week Poster Contest

Students create a poster for International Compost Awareness Week, which takes place in May. The winner gets $500 and the chance to see their poster produced professionally.

Jane Austen Essay Contest

High school students can win up to $1,000 in scholarship money by writing an essay on a new Austen theme each year, sponsored by the Jane Austen Society of North America.

NAQT Quiz Bowl

Quiz Bowl is a fast-paced buzzer competition in which teams of four players compete to answer questions that cover academic subjects like literature and science as well as the broader world of popular culture and current events. Local middle school and high school tournaments send their winners on to regional and national championships.

National Academic League

As middle and high school student teams compete to answer questions aligned to national standards, they must also cooperate and use teamwork to tackle each quarter’s new challenge. Each school can field a team of 15 to 40, giving lots of kids a chance to participate.

National History Day (NHD)

National History Day (NHD) is an annual event for teachers and students in grades 6–12 that promotes critical thinking skills through project-based learning. Students begin their journey by presenting their projects in classrooms, schools, and districts around the world. Top entries are invited to the state/affiliate-level contests. The top two entries in every category at the state/affiliate level are then invited to the National Contest.

National Young Composers Challenge

The challenge is simple: First, students write their own composition for a small ensemble (two to six instruments) or full orchestra. Then, a panel of judges chooses the top three orchestral and top three ensemble compositions to be performed and recorded by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra at the NYCC Composium held in Orlando, Florida.

New York Times Student Writing Contests

Each month, the New York Times announces a new writing contest for middle and high school students ages 13 to 19. The topics and requirements are different each month, with something to appeal to all sorts of young authors and journalists.

PicoCTF Cybersecurity Competition

PicoCTF is a computer security game for middle and high school students. The game consists of a series of challenges centered around a unique storyline where participants must reverse-engineer, break, hack, decrypt, or do whatever it takes to solve the challenge. The challenges are all set up with the intent of being hacked, making it an excellent, legal way to get hands-on experience.

Princeton 10-Minute Play Contest

Looking for student writing contests for budding playwrights? In this competition, judged by the theater faculty of Princeton University, students submit short plays in an effort to win recognition and cash prizes of up to $500. (Note: Only open to 11th graders.)

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

The nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens (ages 13+, grades 7–12) awards scholarships and gives kids a chance to showcase their skills for some of the foremost leaders in the arts.

Slingshot Challenge

Produce a 1-minute video with a solution to a current environmental problem (think: uniting creative waste reducers on social media or rehabilitating forests affected by fire) for the chance to receive up to $10,000 in funding.

Solve for Tomorrow

The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition invites middle and high school teachers to lead a group of students in creating a STEM-centered solution that addresses a need in their communities. Teachers and students compete to win a share of $2 million for their schools. The National Winner prize is $100,000 in technology and classroom materials.

Space Settlement Design Competitions

These events emulate, as closely as possible for high school students, the experiences of working as members of aerospace design and proposal teams. Students learn cooperation, management, and communication skills. Finalists win the chance to travel to Kennedy Space Center!

Stossel in the Classroom

Stossel in the Classroom wants to know what high school and middle school students think about entrepreneurship and innovation. With $20,000 in cash prizes up for grabs, kids can enter the essay contest or the video contest . There are bonus prizes for teachers too!

United States Academic Decathlon

The United States Academic Decathlon is a 10-event scholastic competition for teams of high school students. Each high school enters a team of nine students: three honors students (3.80–4.00 GPA), three scholastic students (3.20–3.799 GPA), and three varsity students (0.00–3.199 GPA). They’ll need a wide variety of academic knowledge and skills to come out on top!

U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad

This tiered competition for high school students consists of a series of chemistry exams. Local winners move on to the national exam, whose winners participate in a study camp and international exam contest over the summer.

World of 8 Billion Video Contest

Middle and high school students create a short video—up to 60 seconds long—about human population growth that highlights one of the following global challenges: climate change, gender equality, or waste. Kids can win up to $1,200!

Future City

Future City is a project-based learning program in which students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades imagine, research, design, and build cities of the future.

The Hardest Math Problem

This contest challenges students in grades 6–8 to practice critical thinking supported by accurate computation. Both kids and their teachers are eligible for prizes.

New Moon Girls

New Moon Girls publishes contributions from girls ages 8–14. The magazine publishes four times each year, and submissions are more likely to be published if they fit an upcoming editorial theme.

Ocean Awareness Contest

Students ages 11 to 18 can learn about environmental issues through art-making and creative communication, explore their relationship to a changing world, and become advocates for positive change. Submit a piece recognizing climate change heroes, using visual arts, poetry and creative writing, film, performing arts, or multimedia. Prizes include cash awards and eligibility for special opportunities.

Promising Young Writers Program

Teachers and schools can nominate 8th grade students to compete in this contest. Nominees submit a piece of writing based on the year’s prompt. Winners receive certificates in various levels of distinction.

Ranger Rick Photo Contest

Kids 13 and under can enter any nature-themed photo they’ve taken on their own using a camera or phone camera app. Every month, winners will be selected by the judges and posted on the contest homepage in the Recent Contest Winners slideshow. Online winners will be in the running for Ranger Rick’s “Your Best Shots” Magazine Award. Magazine Award winners will be selected three times each year for publication in Ranger Rick magazine’s December–January, April, and August issues.

Rubber Band Contest

This contest challenges students in grades 5–8 to design and create a working invention/artwork that incorporates at least one rubber band. Students can compete in one of two separate divisions: Arts & Leisure or Science & Engineering. Winners receive up to $300.

Young Scientist Challenge

Students in grades 5–8 create a one-to-two-minute video describing a new, innovative solution that could solve an everyday problem. Ten finalists will be chosen for their passion for science, spirit of innovation and ingenuity, and effective communication skills.

YouthPLAYS Prospective Authors

Authors 19 and under can submit a one-act play to the New Voices competition. They’re particularly interested in plays that speak to BIPOC teens and youth.

Doodle for Google

Did you know that each year, one student in grades K–5 has a chance to see their own doodle featured on the Google search page? This annual contest gives kids the opportunity to reach millions of viewers with their design.

New Moon Girls publishes contributions from girls ages 8 to 14. The magazine publishes four times each year, and submissions are more likely to be published if they fit an upcoming editorial theme.

Kids 13 and under can enter any nature-themed photo they’ve taken on their own, using a camera or phone camera app. Every month, winners will be selected by the judges and posted on the contest homepage in the Recent Contest Winners slideshow. Online winners will be in the running for Ranger Rick’s “Your Best Shots” Magazine Award. Magazine Award winners will be selected three times each year for publication in Ranger Rick magazine’s December–January, April, and August issues.

90-Second Newbery Film Festival

The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival is an annual video contest in which young filmmakers create movies that tell the entire story of a Newbery award–winning book in about 90 seconds. Winning entries are screened at events nationwide including in New York, Chicago, and Boston.

Celebrating Art

This contest is open to K–12 students attending public schools, homeschool, and art studios. Kids and teachers can win prizes, classroom supplies, and more!

Discovery Award

The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes Discovery Award provides students in grades 4–12 a unique opportunity to research primary sources and develop outstanding projects that feature unsung heroes who can serve as role models and inspire others to create change.

EngineerGirl Writing Contest

Each year, EngineerGirl sponsors an essay contest with topics centered on the impact of engineering on the world. Students can win up to $500 in prize money. This contest is a nice bridge between ELA and STEM and great for teachers interested in incorporating an interdisciplinary project into their curriculum. It’s open to students in grades 3 and up.

Invention Convention

The Invention Convention program is a K–12 project-based learning curriculum to help students learn to think critically by identifying problems in their world. Inventors and entrepreneurs are invited to compete at prestigious annual events.

NAfME Music Competitions

The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) holds multiple music competitions each year for composers and songwriters in several categories. Students of all ages are eligible to win cash prizes.

NASA CineSpace Short Film Competition

Competitors submit a short film inspired by, and using, actual footage from NASA’s digital archives for a chance to earn cash prizes and have their film screened at the Houston Cinema Arts Festival, held each November. Although entrants must be at least 18 to enter, parents and guardians can enter submissions on behalf of their children.

NASA Langley Student Art Contest

The contest is open to all K–12 students attending public, private, parochial, and homeschool who are residents of the United States, and grades K–12 of U.S. military members stationed overseas.

National History Bowl

The National History Bowl is a buzzer-based history quiz competition for teams of up to six students ages 19 or younger. Local competitions send their winners on to compete in the national championships.

National PTA Reflections Awards

Students of all ages create and submit original works of art in the areas of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, and visual arts. Local winners move on to the regional, state, and national levels. National-level awards include an $800 prize and a trip to the National PTA Convention.

National Spelling Bee

Is the country’s next spelling champion in your own classroom? Find out by holding your own spelling bee, then sending the winner on to compete in regional competitions leading to the ultimate national competition. Students up to age 16 are eligible to participate.

PepsiCo Recycle Rally Contests

Encourage friendly competition throughout your K–12 schools or express creativity through writing and designing with a PepsiCo Recycle Rally contest.

Scope Writing Contests

Scope magazine (published by Scholastic) features a wide variety of contests to excite students in grades 4–12 about writing. Plus they can win awesome prizes!

SIBA Invention Competition

The Student Ideas for a Better America contest welcomes applications from pre-K through 12th grade. Enter any idea for a new way to demonstrate an educational concept, an idea for a new product, or an improvement for an existing product or procedure.

Students With Solutions

This project is designed for educators to engage their students in bullying prevention. Students watch a video followed by a handout review. Then they respond to the content in their own creative way through art, writing, graphics, or videos for the chance to win prizes for their school.

Telling Room Founders Prize

Students ages 6–18 can submit fiction, nonfiction, and poetry to The Telling Room . Each year, the Founders Prize is awarded to the best piece of writing to come out of a Telling Room program.

Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest

The Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest inspires creativity in youths ages 4 to 15 and helps them imagine the future of mobility. Kids can win hundreds of dollars in prize money.

Did we miss one of your favorite contests or competitions for high school, middle school, or elementary school students? Come share in our We Are Teachers HELPLINE group !

Plus, check out  the ultimate guide to college scholarships ..

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The Best Student Writing Contests for 2023-2024

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Best Essay Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 48 contests that match your search.

Climate Change Writing Competition

Write the World

Genres: Essay, Memoir, and Non-fiction

This month, dear writers, ahead of COP27, help us raise the voices of young people in this urgent fight. In a piece of personal narrative, tell the world’s leaders gathering in how climate change impacts you. How has this crisis changed your environment, your community, your sense of the future? Storytelling, after all, plays a critical role in helping us grasp the emergency through which we are all living, igniting empathy in readers and listeners—itself a precursor to action.

Additional prizes:

Runner-up: $50

📅 Deadline: October 18, 2022 (Expired)

Askew's Word on the Lake Writing Contest

Shuswap Association of Writers

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Essay, Memoir, and Short Story

Whether you’re an established or emerging writer, the Askew’s Word on the Lake Writing Contest has a place for you. Part of the Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival in Salmon Arm, BC, the contest is open to submissions in short fiction (up to 2,000 words), nonfiction (up to 2,000 words), and poetry (up to three one-page poems).

Publication

💰 Entry fee: $11

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)

International Essay Competition 2023/24

Avernus Education

Genres: Essay

Welcome to our prestigious International Essay Competition. At Avernus Education, we are thrilled to provide a platform for young minds to showcase their prowess in Medicine, Engineering, Law, Economics, Psychology, History and Politics. These varied subject categories underscore the importance of interdisciplinary study, a crucial foundation for future leaders in our increasingly interconnected world. Winners receive an exclusive Avernus Education Scholarship worth over £5000 - granting them free entrance to our exclusive summer camp at Oxford University! Outstanding Runners Up receive 5 hours worth of Credits for Avernus Education courses, conferences and tutoring services.

100% Scholarship Award to our Oxford University Summer Programme (worth £5995)

Partial scholarship

📅 Deadline: February 19, 2024 (Expired)

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100 Word Writing Contest

Tadpole Press

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult, Children's, Poetry, Romance, Short Story, Suspense, and Travel

Can you write a story using 100 words or less? Pieces will be judged on creativity, uniqueness, and how the story captures a new angle, breaks through stereotypes, and expands our beliefs about what's possible or unexpectedly delights us. In addition, we are looking for writing that is clever or unique, inspires us, and crafts a compelling and complete story. The first-place prize has doubled to $2,000 USD.

2nd: writing coach package

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024

Indignor Play House Annual Short Story Competition

Indignor House Publishing

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

Indignor House Publishing is proud to announce that our annual writing competition (INDIGNOR PLAYHOUSE Short Story Annual Competition) is officially open with expected publication in the fall of 2024. Up to 25 submissions will be accepted for inclusion in the annual anthology.

2nd: $250 | 3rd: $150

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

Lazuli Literary Group Writing Contest

Lazuli Literary Group

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Novella, and Script Writing

We are not concerned with genre distinctions. Send us the best you have; we want only for it to be thoughtful, intelligent, and beautiful. We want art that grows in complexity upon each visitation; we enjoy ornate, cerebral, and voluptuous phrases executed with thematic intent.

Publication in "AZURE: A Journal of Literary Thought"

📅 Deadline: March 24, 2024 (Expired)

Rigel 2024: $500 for Prose, Poetry, Art, or Graphic Novel

Sunspot Literary Journal

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story

Literary or genre works accepted. Winner receives $500 plus publication, while runners-up and finalists are offered publication. No restrictions on theme or category. Closes: February 29. Entry fee: $12.50. Enter as many times as you like through Submittable or Duotrope

$500 + publication

Runners-up and finalists are offered publication

💰 Entry fee: $12

📅 Deadline: February 29, 2024 (Expired)

Narratively 2023 Memoir Prize

Narratively

Genres: Essay, Humor, Memoir, and Non-fiction

Narratively is currently accepting submissions for their 2023 Memoir Prize. They are looking for revealing and emotional first-person nonfiction narratives from unique and overlooked points of view. The guest judge is New York Times bestselling memoirist Stephanie Land.

$1,000 and publication

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2023 (Expired)

African Diaspora Awards 2024

Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Up to $1000 in cash prizes for the African Diaspora Award 2024. African-themed prose and poetry wanted. Top finalists are published in Kinsman Quarterly’s magazine and the anthology, “Black Butterfly: Voices of the African Diaspora.”

Publication in anthology, "Black Butterfly: Voices of the African Diaspora" and print and digital magazine

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024

Vocal Challenges

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story

Enter themed storytelling contests to put your creativity to the test and be in with a chance of winning cash prizes and more. To submit, you'll need to sign up for a monthly fee of $9.99, or $4.99/month for 3 months.

$1,000 — $5,000

📅 Deadline: March 07, 2024 (Expired)

Share Your Story

FanStory.com Inc.

Genres: Essay and Memoir

Write about an event in your life. Everyone has a memoir. Not an autobiography. Too much concern about fact and convention. A memoir gives us the ability to write about our life with the option to create and fabricate and to make sense of a life, or part of that life.

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: September 15, 2022 (Expired)

swamp pink Prizes

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

From January 1st to January 31st, submit short stories and essays of up to 25 pages or a set of 1-3 poems. Winners in each genre will receive $2,000 and publication.

Stories of Inspiration

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

Nonfiction stories of inspiration wanted (between 500 to 2,000 words). Submissions should highlight the struggle and resilience of the human spirit, especially related to cultures of BIPOC or marginalized communities. Stories must be original, unpublished works in English. One successful entry will be awarded each month from April 2024 and will be included within Kinsman Quarterly’s online journal and digital magazine. Successful authors receive $200 USD and publication in our digital magazine. No entry fee required.

Publication in Kinsman Quarterly's online magazine

📅 Deadline: December 31, 2024

Annual Student Essay Contest

Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum

For this year’s Essay Contest, we are asking students to think about why the story of the Oklahoma City bombing is important today.

📅 Deadline: March 04, 2024 (Expired)

A Very Short Story Contest

Gotham Writers Workshop

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, and Non-fiction

Write a great short story in ten words or fewer. Submit it to our contest. Entry is free. Winner of the bet gets a free Gotham class.

Free writing class from Gotham Writers Workshop.

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024

Aurora Polaris Creative Nonfiction Award

Trio House Press

We seek un-agented full-length creative nonfiction manuscripts including memoir, essay collections, etc. 50,000 - 80,000 words.

📅 Deadline: May 15, 2024

Military Anthology: Partnerships, the Untold Story

Armed Services Arts Partnership

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Partners are an integral aspect of military life, at home and afar, during deployment and after homecoming. Partnerships drive military action and extend beyond being a battle buddy, wingman, or crew member. Some are planned while others arise entirely unexpectedly. Spouses, family, old or new friends, community, faith leaders, and medical specialists all support the military community. Despite their importance, the stories of these partnerships often go untold. This anthology aims to correct that: We will highlight the nuances, surprises, joy, sorrow, heroism, tears, healing power, and ache of partnerships. We invite you to submit the story about partnerships from your journey, so we can help tell it.

$500 Editors' Choice award

$250 for each genre category (prose, poetry, visual art)

Great American Think-Off

New York Mills Regional Cultural Center

The Great American Think-Off is an exhibition of civil disagreement between powerful ideas that connect to your life at the gut level. The Cultural Center, located in the rural farm and manufacturing town of New York Mills, sponsors this annual philosophy contest.

📅 Deadline: April 01, 2024 (Expired)

Environmental Writing 2024

The writer and activist Bill McKibben describes Environmental Writing as "the collision between people and the rest of the world." This month, peer closely at that intersection: How do humans interact with their environment? Given your inheritance of this earth, the world needs your voices now more than ever.

Best entry: $100

Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50

📅 Deadline: April 22, 2024

Creative Nonfiction Prize

Indiana Review

Genres: Essay, Fiction, and Non-fiction

Send us one creative nonfiction piece, up to 5000 words, for a chance at $1000 + publication. This year's contest will be judged by Lars Horn.

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)

Annual Contest Submissions

So To Speak

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, LGBTQ, Non-fiction, and Poetry

So To Speak is seeking submissions for poetry, fiction, and non-fiction with an intersectional feminist lens! It is no secret that the literary canon and literary journals are largely comprised of heteronormative, patriarchal, cisgender, able-bodied white men. So to Speak seeks work by writers, poets, and artists who want to challenge and change the identity of the “canonical” writer.

💰 Entry fee: $4

📅 Deadline: March 15, 2024 (Expired)

Young Sports Journalist 2024

The Young Sports Journalist Competition, 2024, seeks well-argued articles from aspiring journalists aged 14-21. Winning entries will be published online and printed in the Summer Issue of Pitch. Critiqued by our panel of accomplished judges, winners will also receive a £50 cash prize and offered work experience here at PITCH HQ. The competition runs from 7 February 2024 to 5 April 2024. And winners will be announced in May.

Publication in magazine and online

📅 Deadline: April 05, 2024 (Expired)

Journalism Competition 2024

What are the most important issues taking place close to home? Perhaps a rare bird sighting near your town? Or a band of young people in your province fighting for access to higher education? This month, immerse yourself in a newsworthy event inside the borders of your own country, and invite us there through your written reporting.

📅 Deadline: July 22, 2024

Work-In-Progress (WIP) Contest

Unleash Press

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Young Adult

We aim to assist writers in the completion of an important literary project and vision. The Unleash WIP Award offers writers support in the amount of $500 to supplement costs to aid in the completion of a book-length work of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Writers will also receive editorial feedback, coaching meetings, and an excerpt/interview feature in Unleash Lit.

Coaching, interview, and editorial support

💰 Entry fee: $35

📅 Deadline: July 15, 2024

Bacopa Literary Review Annual Writing Contest

Writers Alliance of Gainesville

Bacopa Literary Review’s 2024 contest is open from March 4 through April 4, with $200 Prize and $100 Honorable Mention in each of six categories: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Flash Fiction, Free Verse Poetry, Formal Poetry, and Visual Poetry.

📅 Deadline: April 04, 2024 (Expired)

Tusculum Review Nonfiction Chapbook Prize

The Tusculum Review

A prize of $1,000, publication of the essay in The Tusculum Review’s 20th Anniversary Issue (2024), and creation of a limited edition stand-alone chapbook with original art is awarded. Editors of The Tusculum Review and contest judge Mary Cappello will determine the winner of the 2024 prize.

📅 Deadline: June 15, 2024

Jane Austen Society of North America Essay Contest

Jane Austen Society of North America

Genres: Children's and Essay

JASNA conducts an annual student Essay Contest to foster the study and appreciation of Jane Austen's works in new generations of readers. Students world-wide are invited to compete for scholarship awards in three divisions: high school, college, and graduate school.

$1,000 scholarship

Two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s Annual General Meeting

📅 Deadline: June 02, 2022 (Expired)

National Essay Contest

U.S. Institute of Peace

This year, AFSA celebrates the 100th anniversary of the United States Foreign Service. Over the last century, our diplomats and development professionals have been involved in groundbreaking events in history – decisions on war and peace, supporting human rights and freedom, creating joint prosperity, reacting to natural disasters and pandemics and much more. As AFSA looks back on this century-long history, we invite you to join us in also looking ahead to the future. This year students are asked to explore how diplomats can continue to evolve their craft to meet the needs of an ever-changing world that brings fresh challenges and opportunities to the global community and America’s place in it.

Runner-up: $1,250

WOW! Women On Writing Quarterly Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest

WOW! Women On Writing

Genres: Non-fiction and Essay

Seeking creative nonfiction essays on any topic (1000 words or less) and in any style--from personal essay and memoir to lyric essay and hybrid, and more! The mission of this contest is to reward bravery in real-life storytelling and create an understanding of our world through thoughtful, engaging narratives. Electronic submissions via e-mail only; reprints/previously published okay; simultaneous submissions okay; multiple submissions are okay as long as they are submitted in their own individual e-mail. Open internationally.

2nd: $300 | 3rd: $200 | 7 runner-ups: $25 Amazon Gift Cards

Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award

Killer Nashville

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Short Story, and Thriller

The Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award is committed to discovering new writers, as well as superlative books by established authors and, upon discovery, sharing those writers and their works with new readers. There are a large number of both fiction and non-fiction categories you can enter.

💰 Entry fee: $79

Literary and Photographic Contest 2023-2024

Hispanic Culture Review

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Poetry

As we move forward we carry our culture wherever we go. It keeps us alive. This is why we propose the theme to be “¡Hacia delante!”. A phrase that means to move forward. This year we ask that you think about the following questions: What keeps you moving forward? What do you carry with you going into the future? How do you celebrate your successes, your dreams, and your culture?

Publication in magazine

📅 Deadline: February 07, 2024 (Expired)

NOWW 26th International Writing Contest

Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop (NOWW)

Open to all writers in four categories: poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction, and critical writing.

2nd: $100 | 3rd: $50

💰 Entry fee: $7

Brink Literary Journal Award for Hybrid Writing

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Writing, and Short Story

The Brink Literary Journal Award for Hybrid Writing will be administered to the winner of a literary contest designed to champion innovative hybrid and cross-genre work.

💰 Entry fee: $22

📅 Deadline: February 16, 2024 (Expired)

Red Hen Press Women's Prose Prize

Red Hen Press

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Short Story, Essay, Memoir, and Novel

Established in 2018, the Women’s Prose Prize is for previously unpublished, original work of prose. Novels, short story collections, memoirs, essay collections, and all other forms of prose writing are eligible for consideration. The awarded manuscript is selected through a biennial competition, held in even-numbered years, that is open to all writers who identify as women.

Publication by Red Hen Press

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2024 (Expired)

The Hudson Prize

Black Lawrence Press

Each year Black Lawrence Press will award The Hudson Prize for an unpublished collection of poems or prose. The prize is open to new, emerging, and established writers.

💰 Entry fee: $28

Discover the finest writing contests of 2024 for fiction and non-fiction authors — including short story competitions, essay writing competitions, poetry contests, and many more. Updated weekly, these contests are vetted by Reedsy to weed out the scammers and time-wasters. If you’re looking to stick to free writing contests, simply use our filters as you browse.

Why you should submit to writing contests

Submitting to poetry competitions and free writing contests in 2024 is absolutely worth your while as an aspiring author: just as your qualifications matter when you apply for a new job, a writing portfolio that boasts published works and award-winning pieces is a great way to give your writing career a boost. And not to mention the bonus of cash prizes!

That being said, we understand that taking part in writing contests can be tough for emerging writers. First, there’s the same affliction all writers face: lack of time or inspiration. Entering writing contests is a time commitment, and many people decide to forego this endeavor in order to work on their larger projects instead — like a full-length book. Second, for many writers, the chance of rejection is enough to steer them clear of writing contests. 

But we’re here to tell you that two of the great benefits of entering writing contests happen to be the same as those two reasons to avoid them.

When it comes to the time commitment: yes, you will need to expend time and effort in order to submit a quality piece of writing to competitions. That being said, having a hard deadline to meet is a great motivator for developing a solid writing routine.

Think of entering contests as a training session to become a writer who will need to meet deadlines in order to have a successful career. If there’s a contest you have your eye on, and the deadline is in one month, sit down and realistically plan how many words you’ll need to write per day in order to meet that due date — and don’t forget to also factor in the time you’ll need to edit your story!

For tips on setting up a realistic writing plan, check out this free, ten-day course: How to Build a Rock-Solid Writing Routine.

In regards to the fear of rejection, the truth is that any writer aspiring to become a published author needs to develop relatively thick skin. If one of your goals is to have a book traditionally published, you will absolutely need to learn how to deal with rejection, as traditional book deals are notoriously hard to score. If you’re an indie author, you will need to adopt the hardy determination required to slowly build up a readership.

The good news is that there’s a fairly simple trick for learning to deal with rejection: use it as a chance to explore how you might be able to improve your writing.

In an ideal world, each rejection from a publisher or contest would come with a detailed letter, offering construction feedback and pointing out specific tips for improvement. And while this is sometimes the case, it’s the exception and not the rule.

Still, you can use the writing contests you don’t win as a chance to provide yourself with this feedback. Take a look at the winning and shortlisted stories and highlight their strong suits: do they have fully realized characters, a knack for showing instead of telling, a well-developed but subtly conveyed theme, a particularly satisfying denouement?

The idea isn’t to replicate what makes those stories tick in your own writing. But most examples of excellent writing share a number of basic craft principles. Try and see if there are ways for you to translate those stories’ strong points into your own unique writing.

Finally, there are the more obvious benefits of entering writing contests: prize and publication. Not to mention the potential to build up your readership, connect with editors, and gain exposure.

Resources to help you win writing competitions in 2024

Every writing contest has its own set of submission rules. Whether those rules are dense or sparing, ensure that you follow them to a T. Disregarding the guidelines will not sway the judges’ opinion in your favor — and might disqualify you from the contest altogether. 

Aside from ensuring you follow the rules, here are a few resources that will help you perfect your submissions.

Free online courses

On Writing:

How to Craft a Killer Short Story

The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction

How to Write a Novel

Understanding Point of View

Developing Characters That Your Readers Will Love

Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character

Stop Procrastinating! Build a Solid Writing Routine

On Editing:

Story Editing for Authors

How to Self-Edit Like a Pro

Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites

How to Write a Short Story in 7 Steps

How to Write a Novel in 15 Steps

Literary Devices and Terms — 35+ Definitions With Examples

10 Essential Fiction Writing Tips to Improve Your Craft

How to Write Dialogue: 8 Simple Rules and Exercises

8 Character Development Exercises to Help You Nail Your Character

Bonus resources

200+ Short Story Ideas

600+ Writing Prompts to Inspire You

100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Fiction Authors

Story Title Generator

Pen Name Generator

Character Name Generator

After you submit to a writing competition in 2024

It’s exciting to send a piece of writing off to a contest. However, once the initial excitement wears off, you may be left waiting for a while. Some writing contests will contact all entrants after the judging period — whether or not they’ve won. Other writing competitions will only contact the winners. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind after you submit:

Many writing competitions don’t have time to respond to each entrant with feedback on their story. However, it never hurts to ask! Feel free to politely reach out requesting feedback — but wait until after the selection period is over.

If you’ve submitted the same work to more than one writing competition or literary magazine, remember to withdraw your submission if it ends up winning elsewhere.

After you send a submission, don’t follow it up with a rewritten or revised version. Instead, ensure that your first version is thoroughly proofread and edited. If not, wait until the next edition of the contest or submit the revised version to other writing contests.

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Essay Writing: A complete guide for students and teachers

P LANNING, PARAGRAPHING AND POLISHING: FINE-TUNING THE PERFECT ESSAY

Essay writing is an essential skill for every student. Whether writing a particular academic essay (such as persuasive, narrative, descriptive, or expository) or a timed exam essay, the key to getting good at writing is to write. Creating opportunities for our students to engage in extended writing activities will go a long way to helping them improve their skills as scribes.

But, putting the hours in alone will not be enough to attain the highest levels in essay writing. Practice must be meaningful. Once students have a broad overview of how to structure the various types of essays, they are ready to narrow in on the minor details that will enable them to fine-tune their work as a lean vehicle of their thoughts and ideas.

In this article, we will drill down to some aspects that will assist students in taking their essay writing skills up a notch. Many ideas and activities can be integrated into broader lesson plans based on essay writing. Often, though, they will work effectively in isolation – just as athletes isolate physical movements to drill that are relevant to their sport. When these movements become second nature, they can be repeated naturally in the context of the game or in our case, the writing of the essay.

THE ULTIMATE NONFICTION WRITING TEACHING RESOURCE

• 270  pages of the most effective teaching strategies
• 50+   digital tools  ready right out of the box
• 75   editable resources  for student   differentiation  
• Loads of   tricks and tips  to add to your teaching tool bag
• All explanations are reinforced with  concrete examples.
• Links to  high-quality video  tutorials
• Clear objectives  easy to match to the demands of your curriculum

Planning an essay

The Boys Scouts’ motto is famously ‘Be Prepared’. It’s a solid motto that can be applied to most aspects of life; essay writing is no different. Given the purpose of an essay is generally to present a logical and reasoned argument, investing time in organising arguments, ideas, and structure would seem to be time well spent.

Given that essays can take a wide range of forms and that we all have our own individual approaches to writing, it stands to reason that there will be no single best approach to the planning stage of essay writing. That said, there are several helpful hints and techniques we can share with our students to help them wrestle their ideas into a writable form. Let’s take a look at a few of the best of these:

BREAK THE QUESTION DOWN: UNDERSTAND YOUR ESSAY TOPIC.

Whether students are tackling an assignment that you have set for them in class or responding to an essay prompt in an exam situation, they should get into the habit of analyzing the nature of the task. To do this, they should unravel the question’s meaning or prompt. Students can practice this in class by responding to various essay titles, questions, and prompts, thereby gaining valuable experience breaking these down.

Have students work in groups to underline and dissect the keywords and phrases and discuss what exactly is being asked of them in the task. Are they being asked to discuss, describe, persuade, or explain? Understanding the exact nature of the task is crucial before going any further in the planning process, never mind the writing process .

BRAINSTORM AND MIND MAP WHAT YOU KNOW:

Once students have understood what the essay task asks them, they should consider what they know about the topic and, often, how they feel about it. When teaching essay writing, we so often emphasize that it is about expressing our opinions on things, but for our younger students what they think about something isn’t always obvious, even to themselves.

Brainstorming and mind-mapping what they know about a topic offers them an opportunity to uncover not just what they already know about a topic, but also gives them a chance to reveal to themselves what they think about the topic. This will help guide them in structuring their research and, later, the essay they will write . When writing an essay in an exam context, this may be the only ‘research’ the student can undertake before the writing, so practicing this will be even more important.

RESEARCH YOUR ESSAY

The previous step above should reveal to students the general direction their research will take. With the ubiquitousness of the internet, gone are the days of students relying on a single well-thumbed encyclopaedia from the school library as their sole authoritative source in their essay. If anything, the real problem for our students today is narrowing down their sources to a manageable number. Students should use the information from the previous step to help here. At this stage, it is important that they:

●      Ensure the research material is directly relevant to the essay task

●      Record in detail the sources of the information that they will use in their essay

●      Engage with the material personally by asking questions and challenging their own biases

●      Identify the key points that will be made in their essay

●      Group ideas, counterarguments, and opinions together

●      Identify the overarching argument they will make in their own essay.

Once these stages have been completed the student is ready to organise their points into a logical order.

WRITING YOUR ESSAY

There are a number of ways for students to organize their points in preparation for writing. They can use graphic organizers , post-it notes, or any number of available writing apps. The important thing for them to consider here is that their points should follow a logical progression. This progression of their argument will be expressed in the form of body paragraphs that will inform the structure of their finished essay.

The number of paragraphs contained in an essay will depend on a number of factors such as word limits, time limits, the complexity of the question etc. Regardless of the essay’s length, students should ensure their essay follows the Rule of Three in that every essay they write contains an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Generally speaking, essay paragraphs will focus on one main idea that is usually expressed in a topic sentence that is followed by a series of supporting sentences that bolster that main idea. The first and final sentences are of the most significance here with the first sentence of a paragraph making the point to the reader and the final sentence of the paragraph making the overall relevance to the essay’s argument crystal clear. 

Though students will most likely be familiar with the broad generic structure of essays, it is worth investing time to ensure they have a clear conception of how each part of the essay works, that is, of the exact nature of the task it performs. Let’s review:

Common Essay Structure

Introduction: Provides the reader with context for the essay. It states the broad argument that the essay will make and informs the reader of the writer’s general perspective and approach to the question.

Body Paragraphs: These are the ‘meat’ of the essay and lay out the argument stated in the introduction point by point with supporting evidence.

Conclusion: Usually, the conclusion will restate the central argument while summarising the essay’s main supporting reasons before linking everything back to the original question.

ESSAY WRITING PARAGRAPH WRITING TIPS

●      Each paragraph should focus on a single main idea

●      Paragraphs should follow a logical sequence; students should group similar ideas together to avoid incoherence

●      Paragraphs should be denoted consistently; students should choose either to indent or skip a line

●      Transition words and phrases such as alternatively , consequently , in contrast should be used to give flow and provide a bridge between paragraphs.

HOW TO EDIT AN ESSAY

Students shouldn’t expect their essays to emerge from the writing process perfectly formed. Except in exam situations and the like, thorough editing is an essential aspect in the writing process. 

Often, students struggle with this aspect of the process the most. After spending hours of effort on planning, research, and writing the first draft, students can be reluctant to go back over the same terrain they have so recently travelled. It is important at this point to give them some helpful guidelines to help them to know what to look out for. The following tips will provide just such help: 

One Piece at a Time: There is a lot to look out for in the editing process and often students overlook aspects as they try to juggle too many balls during the process. One effective strategy to combat this is for students to perform a number of rounds of editing with each focusing on a different aspect. For example, the first round could focus on content, the second round on looking out for word repetition (use a thesaurus to help here), with the third attending to spelling and grammar.

Sum It Up: When reviewing the paragraphs they have written, a good starting point is for students to read each paragraph and attempt to sum up its main point in a single line. If this is not possible, their readers will most likely have difficulty following their train of thought too and the paragraph needs to be overhauled.

Let It Breathe: When possible, encourage students to allow some time for their essay to ‘breathe’ before returning to it for editing purposes. This may require some skilful time management on the part of the student, for example, a student rush-writing the night before the deadline does not lend itself to effective editing. Fresh eyes are one of the sharpest tools in the writer’s toolbox.

Read It Aloud: This time-tested editing method is a great way for students to identify mistakes and typos in their work. We tend to read things more slowly when reading aloud giving us the time to spot errors. Also, when we read silently our minds can often fill in the gaps or gloss over the mistakes that will become apparent when we read out loud.

Phone a Friend: Peer editing is another great way to identify errors that our brains may miss when reading our own work. Encourage students to partner up for a little ‘you scratch my back, I scratch yours’.

Use Tech Tools: We need to ensure our students have the mental tools to edit their own work and for this they will need a good grasp of English grammar and punctuation. However, there are also a wealth of tech tools such as spellcheck and grammar checks that can offer a great once-over option to catch anything students may have missed in earlier editing rounds.

Putting the Jewels on Display: While some struggle to edit, others struggle to let go. There comes a point when it is time for students to release their work to the reader. They must learn to relinquish control after the creation is complete. This will be much easier to achieve if the student feels that they have done everything in their control to ensure their essay is representative of the best of their abilities and if they have followed the advice here, they should be confident they have done so.

WRITING CHECKLISTS FOR ALL TEXT TYPES

ESSAY WRITING video tutorials

2024 Civics Essay Contest Rules

Contest rules and regulations.

The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) Civics Education Essay Contest is open to students in grades 3-12. Students must reside in the United States and be enrolled in either a public, private or home school program. Students must also have the permission of a parent, guardian or teacher over the age of 18 years of age in order to enter the contest.

Each student must answer the essay question in their own words. Plagiarism is unacceptable and is cause for contest disqualification. Elementary (grades 3-5) school students should draft essays not to exceed 100 words. Middle (grades 6-8) and High (grades 9-12) school students should draft essays not to exceed 250 words. Essays longer than the stated lengths per grade level categories will be disqualified.

All essays must be submitted by midnight ET on March 22, 2024 . There is no fee to enter. 2023 winners are not eligible to apply. Students must use the electronic portal provided by NCSC to submit their essay. For special accommodations, please email Molly Justice .

All portions of the online entry form must be completed. Failure to submit required information or any false statements or misrepresentations made by the student, shall constitute a violation of the official contest rules and lead to disqualification.

Submitted essays are judged by NCSC staff, members of the court community and friends of the organization. Judging is based on the student’s ability to answer the essay question clearly and concisely, understanding of the topic, creativity and originality of thought pertaining to the topic, as well as grammar, spelling and style. Students agree to be bound by the official contest rules and decisions of the judges.

Students who submit an essay to the contest grant NCSC and its partners, including the news media, the right to use their names, photographs, statements, quotes and testimonials for advertising, publicity and promotional purposes without notification or further compensation. This includes, but is not limited to, NCSC’s social media accounts, as well as print or electronic publications. NCSC maintains the right to reproduce, reprint, distribute, perform, display or exhibit the project for advertising, publicity and promotional purposes on its website, at conferences or other venues.

Click HERE to Submit your essay.

85 Writing Contests in February 2024 — No entry fees

Erica Verrillo

Curiosity Never Killed the Writer

D espite being nasty, brutish, and short, February always hosts reams of writing contests. This February there are more than seven dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes this month range from $100,000 to publication. None charge entry fees.

Some of these contests have age and geographical restrictions, so read the instructions carefully.

If you want to get a jump on next month’s contests go to Free Contests . Most of these contests are offered annually, so even if the deadline has passed, you can prepare for next year.

The Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award . Genre : Short story of no more than 8,000 words that shows the near future (no more than about 50–60 years out) of manned space exploration. Prize : Publication as the featured story on the Baen Books main website paid at the normal paying rates for professional story submissions. Deadline : February 1, 2024.

$1000 for 1000 Words Creative Writing Contest is sponsored by the Leyla Beban Young Authors Foundation. Restrictions : Students enrolled in grades 6–12. Genre : Short fiction of exactly 1000 words. Prize : Two $1,000 scholarship prizes will be awarded, one for grades 6–8 and one for grades 9–12. Seven $100 cash prizes will also be awarded for winning entries, one per grade level. Deadline: February 1, 2024.

Paterson Prize for Books for Young People . Genre : Most outstanding book for young people published in previous year. There is a $1000 award in each category: Pre-K — Grade 3; Grades 4–6; Grades 7–12. Prize : $1000. Deadline : February 1, 2024.

St. Gallen Symposium Global Essay Competition . Restrictions : Writers must be enrolled in a graduate or postgraduate programme (master level or higher) in any field of study at a regular university, and be born in 1993 or later. Genre : Essay on on the best or worst legacy from previous generations. Length: 2,100 words. Prize : CHF20,000, split between three winners; they’ll also cover travel, accommodation, and admission to the symposium in Switzerland. Deadline : February 1, 2024.

Paterson Poetry Prize . Genre : Poetry book published in 2021. Prize : $1000. Deadline : February 1, 2024.

Gannon University Poetry Contest . Restrictions : Entrants must be a US high school student or a home-schooled student in grades nine through twelve. Genre : Poetry. Each student may enter 1 or 2 poems; each poem may be no longer than 50 lines. Prize : First Place: $100.00 Second Place: $75.00 Third Place: $50.00. Deadline: February 1, 2024.

Narrative Magazine High School Contest . Restrictions : Open to high school students aged 15–18. Genre : Poetry on theme. Prize : Up to $500. Deadline : February 1, 2024.

Wednesday Club Junior Poetry Prize . Restrictions : High School Students in Grades 9 through 12 in the St. Louis Area. Genre : Poetry. Two individual poems. Prizes : $200, $150, $100, $80, $50, and up to five $25 honorable mentions TEACHER AWARDS: $200, $150, $100. (Applies to teachers of first three student winners.) Deadline: February 1, 2024.

Wednesday Club Poetry Prize . Restrictions : Adults over 18; living within a 50-mile radius of St. Louis. Genre : Poetry. Two individual poems. Prizes : $500, $300, $150. Deadline: February 1, 2024.

The Write Track . Genre : Full-length historical romance. Prize : $1,000 and a publishing contract with Dragonblade Publishing. Deadline: February 1, 2024.

United States/Japan Creative Artists Residencies . This is a 3–5 month residency in Japan. Grant : $24,000. Deadline : February 1, 2024.

North Carolina Student Poetry Contest . Restrictions : Open to student poets from 3rd grade to university undergraduates attending schools in North Carolina. Genres : Unpublished poems (submit one poem). Prizes : 1st Place winners will receive a $60 check, an NCPS award certificate, and a free copy of Pinesong. 2nd Place winners receive $40, an NCPS award certificate, and a free copy of Pinesong. 3rd Place winners receive $25, an NCPS award certificate, and a free copy of Pinesong. Deadline : February 2, 2024.

The University of Chester Flash (Youth) . Restrictions : Open to Scottish students aged 16–19 who are studying in the UK. Genre : flash fiction of up to 360 words. Prize : Up to £100. Deadline : February 2, 2024.

Bath Flash Fiction Award . Genre : Flash fiction, 300 words max. Prize : £1000 prize for the winner, £300 second and £100 third. Two commendations £30 each. Deadline : February 4, 2024.

The Golden Triangle Golden Haiku poetry contest . Genre : Haiku on theme “Transforming Paths.” Prize : Up to $500. Deadline : February 4, 2024.

Max Afford Playwrights’ Award . Restrictions : Open to Australian playwrights aged 18–40. Genre : Full-length plays. Prize : A$15,000. Deadline : February 4, 2024.

Furious Fiction . Genre : Flash fiction. “On the first Friday of every month, a new set of story prompts will be revealed. You will have 55 hours to submit your best 500-word (or fewer) story.” Prize : $500AUD. Deadline : February 4, 2024. Opens February 2 .

Stop the Hate: Youth Speak Out Essay Contest Grades 6–12 . Stop the Hate® is designed to create an appreciation and understanding among people of differing religions, races, cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. Genre : Essay, 500 words. Restrictions : Northeast Ohio 6–12th Graders. Prize : $20,000 scholarship. Deadline : Grade 6–10: February 8, 2024.

Walter Rumsey Marvin Grant . Restrictions : Open to authors under 30 years of age who have not had a book published. Applicant must have been born in Ohio or have lived in Ohio for a minimum of five years. Genre : Short fiction and creative non-fiction. Prize : $1,000. Deadline : February 10, 2024.

Aniko Press Summer Flash Fiction Competition . Genre : Flash fiction (100 words max) on theme: Wave. Prize : Publication on their website and social media, a copy of Pulitzer Prize-winning Stay True by Hua Hsu plus a copy of the latest issue of Aniko Magazine. Deadline : February 11, 2024.

Writers’ & Artists’ Short Story Competition . Genre : Short story. All entries must be original unpublished prose of 2,000 words or fewer. Prize : A place on one of Arvon’s residential writing courses and publication. Deadline : February 12, 2024.

The Tomorrow Prize & The Green Feather Award . Restrictions : Open to Los Angeles County high school students. Genre : Science fiction, and environmentally focused sci-fi story. Prize : Tomorrow Prize: $250, $150, and $100 USD. Green Feather Award: $250.00 & online publication by the Nature Nexus Institute. Deadline : February 13, 2024.

Charles Crupi Memorial Poetry Contest . Restrictions : Open to high school students in Michigan. Genre : Poetry. Prize : 1st place — $250 and publication in The Albion Review, 2nd place — $150 and publication in The Albion Review; 3rd place — $100 and publication in The Albion Review. Deadline : February 14, 2024.

Tree2mydoor Valentines Day Poetry competition . Restrictions : Open to UK citizens. Genre : Witty or soppy, romantic or silly Valentines Day poems. Prize : £100 worth of Tree2mydoor gift vouchers. Deadline : February 14, 2024.

James Welch Prize for Indigenous Poets . Restrictions : The prize is open to new, emerging, and established poets who are community-recognized members of tribal nations within the United States and its trust territories (including American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Chamorros, and American Samoans). Only poets who have not published more than one book-length collection are eligible; however, previous publication is not a requirement. Eligible contestants must be community-recognized members of their tribal nation. Formal tribal enrollment is not the only way of acknowledging belonging, and this prize aims to recognize all Native writers who are in community. Previous first place winners of this prize are not eligible, but previous finalists are welcome to submit work. Prize : $1000. Deadline : February 15, 2024.

Stop the Hate: Youth Speak Out Essay Contest Grades 6–12 . Stop the Hate® is designed to create an appreciation and understanding among people of differing religions, races, cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. Genre : Essay, 500 words. Restrictions : Northeast Ohio 6–12th Graders. Prize : $20,000 scholarship. Deadline : February 15, 2024. Grades 11–12:

Harold Morton Landon Translation Award . Genre : Poetry collection translated from any language into English and published in the previous calendar year. Prize : $1,000. Deadline : February 15, 2024.

Governor General’s Literary Awards . Restrictions : Books must have been written or translated by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. They do not need to be residing in Canada. Genre : The Governor General’s Literary Awards are given annually to the best English-language and the best French-language book in each of the seven categories of Fiction, Literary Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Young People’s Literature (Text), Young People’s Literature (Illustrated Books) and Translation (from French to English). Prize : $25,000. Deadline : February 15, 2024.

Ambroggio Prize . Restrictions : Poet must be a U.S. Citizen; Resident of the United States for the ten-year period prior to the submission deadline, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Legal Permanent Status (LPS), or any subsequent categories designated by the U.S. authorities as conferring similar enhanced status upon non-citizens living in the United States. Genre : Book-length poetry manuscript originally written in Spanish and with an English translation. Prize : $1000 and publication. Deadline : February 15, 2024.

Hub City Press . Restrictions : Open to writers of all levels who have lived in South Carolina for at least one year prior to submission of their manuscript. Genre : Novel. Prize : $1,500 and book publication, including marketing and tour support from Hub City Press and the series partners, as well as placement in all South Carolina state libraries and readings/events with presenting sponsors. Deadline : February 15, 2024.

Hodson Trust–John Carter Brown Library Fellowship . Genre : Nonfiction (includes creative nonfiction). A book-in-process relating to the literature, history, culture, or art of the Americas before 1830. Award : $20,000. Deadline : February 15, 2024.

CAAPP Book Prize . Restrictions : Open to writers of African descent. Genre : First or second book by a writer of African descent and is open to the full range of writers embodying African and African diasporic experience. The book can be of any genre that is, or intersects with, poetry, including poetry, hybrid work, speculative prose, and/or translation. Prize : $3000 and publication. Deadline : February 15, 2024.

Haiku Society of America Merit Book Awards for Excellence in Published Haiku, Translation, and Criticism . Genre : Published book. Books must have been published in 2022 and must clearly contain a printed 2022 copyright. A member, author, or publisher may submit or nominate more than one title. At least 50 percent of the book must be haiku, senryu, or haibun, or prose about these subjects (books mostly of tanka, for example, are not eligible). Prize : $500. Deadline : February 15, 2024.

Vermont Studio Center — Full Fellowship Awards . The Vermont Studio Center offers 54 fellowships; open to anyone in the world. Deadline : February 15, 2024. (There is now a $25 application fee)

Paul-Victor Winters Memorial Creative Writing Contest . Restrictions : Open to NJ high school students in private or public schools, grades 9–12. Genre : Flash Fiction and Poetry. Prize : $500 top prize. Deadline : February 15, 2024.

Hefner Heitz Kansas Book Award in Poetry (Kansas Book Award) . Restrictions : Author must establish a connection to Kansas by birth, education, employment, residence or other significant claim. Genre : Novel or collection of short stories. The nominee’s book must have a publication date of 2021, 2022, or 2023. Prize : $1,000. Deadline : February 15, 2024.

53-Word Story Contest . Genre : 53-word story. Prize : Publication in Prime Number Magazine and a free book from Press 53. Deadline : February 15, 2024.

Andres Montoya Poetry Prize . Restrictions : Open to Latino authors who are residents of the US. Genre : First book of poetry published by a Latino author. Prize : $1,000 and publication by the University of Notre Dame Press. Deadline : February 16, 2024. Biennial prize .

Iris N. Spencer Undergraduate Poetry Award . Restrictions : Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre : Poetry composed in the traditional modes of meter, rhyme and received forms. Prize : First prize $1,500, and a runner-up prize $500. Deadline : February 16, 2024.

Villanelle Award . Restrictions : Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre : Villanelle. Prize : $1,000. Deadline : February 16, 2024.

Sonnet Award . Restrictions : Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre : Sonnet. Prize : $1,000. Deadline : February 16, 2024.

Myong Cha Son Haiku Award . Restrictions : Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre : Haiku. Prize : First prize $1,500, and a runner-up prize $500. Deadline : February 16, 2024.

Rhina P. Espaillat Poetry Award . Restrictions : Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre : Original poems written in Spanish and translations of English poems to Spanish. Prize : $1000. Deadline : February 16, 2024.

Jeanne Córdova Prize for Lesbian/Queer Nonfiction . Restrictions : Open to a writer committed to nonfiction work that captures the depth and complexity of lesbian/queer life, culture, and/or history. The winner of the prize will have published at least one book and show promise in continuing to produce groundbreaking and challenging work. Prize : $2,500. Deadline : February 16, 2024.

The Denneny Award for Editorial Excellence . Restrictions : The award will go to an editor whose commitment to the publication of LGBTQ+ writers and literature contributes significantly to the advancement of the LGBTQ+ community. Candidates can work in any genre, be at any publication, and be at any stage of their career. For 35 years as an editor at Macmillan, St. Martin’s Press, and Crown Publishing, Michael Denneny championed LGBTQ writers and stories as one of the first openly gay editors working at major publishing houses. The Denneny Award for Editorial Excellence is the only editorial award that not only recognizes the support provided by editors to the literary community, but also the importance of editors in the advancement of a social movement. Prize : The winner will receive a cash prize of $2,500. Deadline : February 16, 2024. [ On a personal note, Michael Denneny was my editor at St. Martin’s, I’m sad to hear he has passed away .]

The Pat Holt Prize for Critical Arts Writing . Restrictions : The award will go an LGBTQ arts critic or literary reviewer committed to examining queer works of art and culture, as Holt ground-breakingly did for 16 years. This award is made possible by Lesbians for Good, a fund of the Horizons Foundation. Prize : $4,000. Deadline : February 16, 2024.

Dr. Jim Duggins Outstanding LGBTQ Mid-Career Novelist Prize . Restrictions : Open to LGBTQ mid-career novelists who have published at least three novels. or two novels and substantial additional literary work (including poems, stories, or essays). Genre : Published book. Prize : $5000. Deadline : February 16, 2024.

Randall Kenan Prize for Black LGBTQ Fiction . Restrictions : Open to a Black LGBTQ writer whose fiction explores themes of Black LGBTQ life, culture, and/or history. To be eligible, the winner of the prize must have published at least one book and show promise in continuing to produce groundbreaking work. Prize : $3,000. Deadline : February 16, 2024.

Judith A. Markowitz Award for Emerging LGBTQ Writers . Restrictions : The nominee must self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer. The nominee must have written and published at least one but no more than two books of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Genre : Fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Prize : $1000. Deadline : February 16, 2024.

Andres Montoya Poetry Prize . Restrictions : Open to Latino authors who are residents of the US. Genre : First book of poetry published by a Latino author. Prize : $1,000 and publication by the University of Notre Dame Press. Deadline : February 16, 2024.

Scotiabank Giller Prize . Restrictions : Open to books published in Canada in English. Books must be published in Canada in English between October 1, 2023, and February 28, 2024 to be eligible for the 2023 Prize. Must be nominated by publisher. Genre : Fiction. Full-length novel or collection of short stories published in English, either originally, or in translation. Prize : $100,000 to the winner and $10,000 to each of the finalists. Deadline : February 16, 2024.

Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize . Genre : Adventure writing novel. Prize : £10,000. Deadline : February 16, 2024.

Luminarts Creative Writing Fellowship . The Creative Writing Fellowship awards two $7,500 grant Fellowships for excellence in creative writing in the categories of prose and poetry, in fiction and nonfiction. Applicants submit a two-page written piece (either a stand-alone piece or an excerpt of a larger piece such as a novel or short story). Open to writers between the ages of 18 and 30 years old at the time of application; be enrolled in, or have graduated from, a degree program; and live within 150 miles of the Union League Club of Chicago. Genre : Poetry or prose, fiction and nonfiction. Prize : $7,500. Deadline : February 16, 2024.

J. Michael Samuel Prize for Emerging Writers Over 50 . Restrictions : Open to unpublished LGBTQ writers over 50 working in any genre. Genre : All genres. Prize : $5000. Deadline : February 16, 2043.

Jacob Zilber Prize for Short Fiction . Restrictions : Open to BIPOC writers. Genre : Short fiction. Prize : $1,500 top prize. Deadline : Deadline : February 17, 2024.

Gaithersburg Book Festival Poetry Contest . Restrictions: Open to high school students (grades 9–12) from across the Washington Metropolitan Area (Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC). Genre : Poetry. Prize : First, 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive $250, $100 and $50 gift certificates. Deadline : February 22, 2024.

The Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award supports the work of a promising early-career nonfiction writer on a story that uncovers truths about the human condition. Genres: Nonfiction journalism works in progress with “strong, character-driven narratives with detailed scene writing and lyrical description.” Restrictions : The award will not fund proposals to report on armed conflicts where journalists are already imperiled, nor projects that are mainly investigatory. Prize : $6,000 upon announcement of the winning proposal; $3,000 upon evidence of substantial progress (usually a first draft); and $3,500 upon completion and acceptance by the Award committee.. Deadline : February 22, 2024.

Wiley-Silver Prize in Civil War History . Genre : First book or monograph in Civil War history published in the previous year. Books or monographs published by scholarly or popular presses are eligible. Prize : $2,000. Deadline : February 23, 2024.

Christopher Tower Poetry Competition . Restrictions : Open to UK students between 16–18 years of age. Genre : Poetry, one poem, maximum 48 lines. Theme is ‘Mirror.’ Prize : £5,000. Deadline : February 23, 2024.

Young Authors Sacred Essay Contest . Restrictions : Open to US students aged 13–18. Genre : Essay discussing the power of love to strengthen communities and transform lives. Explore themes such as compassion, mutual aid, tenderness, justice, reconciliation, and healing. Prize : $100 and publication. Deadline : February 23, 2024.

Harper’s Bazaar short-story competition . Restrictions : Open to UK residents or nationals, aged 18 or over. Genre : Original, unpublished short story, written in English on the subject of ‘The experiment’ up to 2,000 words. Prize : Two-night stay at Chewton Glen in Hampshire (UK). Deadline : February 25, 2024.

Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards . Restrictions : Open to authors who either are citizens or permanent residents of Western Australia. Genre : Book published during the preceding calendar year in a variety of genres. Prize : Up to A$60,000. Deadline : February 26, 2024.

Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize . Genre : Fiction. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. No self-published works. Prize : $60,000 will be awarded to a novel or short-story collection published between October 1, 2023 and February 28, 2024 . Prizes of $5,000 will be awarded to each of the finalists. Deadline : February 27, 2024.

Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Non-Fiction . Genre : Literary non-fiction. Restrictions : Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. Prize : $60,000 will be awarded to a literary nonfiction book published between October 1, 2023 and February 26, 2024. Deadline : February 27, 2024.

Writers’ Trust Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers . Restrictions : Open to Canadian LGBTQ+ writers. Genre : Debut book published between October 1, 2023 and February 26, 2024. Prize : $10,000. Deadline : February 27, 2024.

Victor Howes Prize in Poetry . Restrictions : Undergraduate English majors currently enrolled at a New England college (2-year or 4-year). Genre : Poetry. Prize : $1000. Deadline : February 28, 2024.

Diana Woods Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction . Genre : Essay, maximum 5,000 words. Prize : $250 top prize. Deadline : February 28, 2024.

The Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation & Multi-Lingual Texts . Genre : Literary translations and multi-lingual texts. Prize : $200. Deadline : February 28, 2024.

Beatrice Medicine Award for Scholarship in American Indian Studies . Genre : Essay or monograph about Native American studies published in previous calendar year. Prize : $250. Deadline : February 28, 2024.

Electa Quinney Award for Published American Indian Stories . Genre : Story. “This award seeks to highlight the work of story creators who continue the tradition of teaching through narratives often crossing the boundaries of genres, formats and disciplines. To celebrate the dissemination of stories into spaces where they can be shared all published stories qualify including small press and fine arts printing.” Prize : $250. Deadline : February 28, 2024.

Toronto Star Short Story Contest . Restrictions: Open to Ontario residents 16 years of age or older. Genre : Short story. Prize : 1st prize — $5000; 2nd prize — $2000, 3rd prize — $1000. Deadline : February 28, 2024.

The Orwell Society Dystopian Fiction Prize . Restrictions : Open to current students (both BA and MA) at British universities. Genre : Dystopian narratives of 3,000 words. Prize : £750. Deadline : February 29, 2024.

Black Caucus of the American Library Association Self-Published E-Book Literary Award . Restrictions : Open to African-Americans. Genre : Self-Published E-Book in fiction and poetry written by African-Americans that depict the “cultural, historical, or sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora.” Prize : $2,500. Deadline : February 29, 2024.

The Kelpies Prize (Scotland) . Restrictions : Open to Scottish authors. Genre : Children’s fiction and nonfiction, picture books. Prize : £1,000, a publishing contract, a writing retreat, and a year of mentoring by an editorial team. Deadline : February 29, 2024.

2024 Sijo Competition . Genre : A Sijo poem. Prize : Adult division: First ($1,000), Second ($750), Third ($500); Pre-college division: First ($500), Second ($400), Third ($300) Deadline : February 29, 2024.

Sejong Cultural Society Essay Competition . Restrictions : Open to writers ages 19–30. Also see youth and children’s divisions . Genre : Essay responding to Topic: “I’m Waiting for You” by Kim Bo-young. Prizes : $1000, $750, $500, $50 for honorable mention, plus possible publication. Deadline : February 29, 2024.

Honest Holiday Haiku Contest . Genre : Haiku. “In the spirit of Scrooge, Santa, and everything in between, we invite you to write your most honest holiday haiku. Use this space to vent about the itchy socks your great aunt insists on gifting you each year or wax poetic about a Valentine’s Day mishap.” Prize : Free Gotham class. Deadline : February 29, 2024.

Sejong Cultural Society Sijo Competition . Restrictions : Open to writers ages 19–30. Also see youth division . Genre : Sijo. Prizes : Adult: $1000, $750, $500, $50 for honorable mention, plus possible publication. Pre-college division: First ($500), Second ($400), Third ($300) Deadline : February 29, 2024.

The Canterbury Tales Writing Competition . Restrictions : Open to all students of school age including not only those in schools and college communities, but also students who are home educated and in any other young people’s community organisations. Genre : Poetry and fiction: See prompts . Prize : £300 top prize. Deadline : February 29, 2024.

Imagine Little Tokyo . Little Tokyo Historical Society (LTHS) seeks fictional short stories in Japanese or English for its “Imagine Little Tokyo” writing contest. The setting of the story should be in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, CA– either past, present or future. Prize : $1000. Deadline : February 29, 2024.

The Momentum Grant for Early-Career Translators . “The grant is intended to facilitate the completion of a substantial sample of a book-length work of prose translation suitable for submission to English-language publishers, and will be awarded to an individual translator who has not yet received a book-length contract for translation work. We particularly welcome submissions from translators from historically underrepresented cultures and backgrounds.” Grant : $3,000. Deadline : February 29, 2024.

Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize . Restrictions : Open to US writers only. Genre : Full-length manuscript of creative nonfiction by a writer not yet established in the genre. Prize : $12,000 and publication. Deadline : February 29, 2024. Opens February 1 .

Rattle Ekphrastic Challenge . Genre : Poem inspired by artwork. (See site for image.) Prize : $100. Deadline : February 29, 2024. This is a monthly contest .

Substack runs a monthly short story competition. Their mission is to “revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful.” Genre : Short story. Length: 6000- 10,000 words. Prize : $100 plus 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline : February 29, 2024. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre : Micro fiction. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag. See themes . Prize : Free Gotham class. Deadline : February 29, 2024.

Like this article? For more articles about the publishing world, useful tips on how to get an agent, agents who are looking for clients, how to market and promote your work, building your online platform, how to get reviews, self-publishing, as well as publishers accepting manuscripts directly from writers (no agent required) visit Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity .

Written by Erica Verrillo

Helping writers get published and bolstering their flagging spirits at http://publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/

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Essay Writing Contests: Organizing and Judging for Middle School Students

Nov 24, 2023 | Education , Family

Essay writing contests are a fantastic way for middle school students to hone their writing skills and express their creativity. These contests can challenge students to think critically and articulate their thoughts coherently, fostering a love for writing at an early age. For educators and organizers, the challenge lies in creating a contest that is both encouraging and fair, helping young writers develop their skills in a supportive environment.

While some students might be tempted to seek an essay writing service to write me a paper , essay contests offer a more enriching experience. They provide an opportunity for students to engage in creative and analytical thinking, develop their writing style, and gain confidence in their abilities.

Organizing the Contest

Planning and preparation.

Theme Selection : It’s crucial to select a theme that resonates with middle schoolers, sparking their imagination and creativity. The theme should be broad enough to allow various interpretations yet specific enough to provide some direction.

Inclusivity in Themes : Consider themes that cater to a wide range of interests and backgrounds, ensuring every participant feels included and excited to write.

Rules and Guidelines : Rules should be clear but not overly restrictive. Balance between providing enough structure for quality submissions and allowing creative freedom is key. Accessibility of these guidelines is crucial. Consider multiple platforms for dissemination.

Promotion and Participation

School Involvement : Actively engage with school administrators and teachers. This could include informational sessions in classrooms, distributing flyers, and digital announcements via school platforms.

Incorporating into Curriculum : Teachers can weave the essay contest into their teaching plans, perhaps aligning it with relevant topics being covered in class.

Diverse Participation : Reach out to various student groups and clubs to ensure broad participation. Encourage students from different backgrounds to bring their unique perspectives.

Preparatory Workshops : Organize workshops focusing on essay writing skills, idea generation, and research methods to help students prepare.

Judging the Essays

Setting criteria.

Comprehensive Criteria : Along with creativity and structure, include criteria like relevance to the theme, use of language, and persuasive power of the argument. This helps students understand different facets of good writing.

Transparency in Judging Process : Communicate the judging process to participants to ensure transparency and build trust in the contest’s integrity.

Diverse Judging Panel

Expert Inclusion : Include experts in children’s literature or education to bring a professional perspective to the judging process.

Student Judges : Involve older students as junior judges to provide a peer perspective, which can be particularly encouraging for participants.

Feedback and Evaluation

Constructive Feedback : Detailed feedback helps students understand not just what needs improvement but also what they did well.

Individualized Attention : Try to ensure feedback is personalized, reflecting an understanding of each student’s writing style and effort.

Promoting Learning and Growth

Skill-Building Sessions : Prior to the contest, conduct workshops focused on enhancing writing skills, research methods, and creative thinking. This provides all participants with a level playing field and equips them with essential writing tools.

Guest Speakers : Invite authors, educators, or journalists to share insights and tips on effective writing, storytelling, and research techniques.

Post-Contest Workshops : After the contest, offer workshops based on the common areas of improvement noticed in the submissions. This can be an ongoing educational initiative to continuously nurture writing skills.

Leveraging Technology

Online Forums : Create online platforms where students can discuss their ideas, seek peer reviews, and share resources. This fosters a collaborative and interactive learning environment.

Utilizing Writing Software : Introduce students to writing software and online tools that can aid in drafting, editing, and refining their essays. This helps them become more self-sufficient and technologically adept writers.

Online Readings and Discussions : Host virtual events where students can present their essays and participate in discussions. This not only showcases their work but also builds public speaking and presentation skills.

Engaging the Community

Involving parents and guardians.

Workshops for Parents : Conduct sessions for parents on how they can assist their children in the writing process without taking over their work.

Regular Updates : Keep parents informed about contest progress and their children’s involvement, fostering a sense of community investment.

Community Events

Showcase Events : Along with reading events, consider exhibitions or publications (like a booklet or a school magazine) featuring the best essays.

Celebrating All Participants : Acknowledge every participant’s effort, not just the winners, to foster a positive and encouraging atmosphere.

Collaboration with Local Organizations

Partnerships for Resources : Collaborate with organizations for resources like writing guides, access to libraries, and expert talks.

Broader Community Involvement : Engage the broader community in the contest, perhaps through public readings or local media coverage, to celebrate young talent.

Essay writing contests for middle school students are more than just a competition. They are a platform for growth, learning, and self-expression. By organizing these contests thoughtfully and judging them fairly, educators and organizers can make a significant impact on the development of young writers. Remember, the goal is to nurture a generation of thinkers, creators, and communicators who are confident in their ability to express themselves through the written word and do not rely on the best paper writing service platforms.

Such contests equip students with vital skills that will serve them well throughout their academic journey and beyond, laying the foundation for effective communication and creative expression.

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Regions Riding Forward® Scholarship Contest

Their Story. Your Voice.

Your voice is your own. But it's also been impacted by others. Who, we wonder, has inspired you? Let us know by entering the Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest. 

You could win an $8,000 college scholarship

For the opportunity to win an $8,000 scholarship, submit a video or written essay about an individual you know personally (who lives in your community) who has inspired you and helped you build the confidence you need to achieve your goals.

The details

The 2024 Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest consists of four (4) separate Quarterly Contests - one for each calendar quarter of 2024. Regions is awarding four $8,000 scholarships through each Quarterly Contest.

Each Quarterly Contest has its own separate entry period, as provided in the chart below.

The entry deadline for each Quarterly Contest is 11:59:59 PM Central Time on the applicable Quarterly Contest period end date (set forth in the chart above).

No purchase or banking relationship required.

Regions believes in supporting the students whose passion and actions every day will continue to make stories worth sharing. That’s why we have awarded over $1 million in total scholarships to high school and college students.

How to enter, 1. complete an online quarterly contest application.

Enter the Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest by completing a Quarterly Contest application.  The second Quarterly Contest runs from April 1, 2024 through June 30, 2024. Complete and save all requested information. 

2. Prepare your Written Essay or Video Essay

For each Quarterly Contest, the topic of your Written Essay or Video Essay (your “Essay Topic”) must be an individual you know personally, who lives in your community. Your Written Essay or Video Essay must address how the individual you have selected as your Essay Topic has inspired you and helped you build the confidence you need to achieve your goals.

Written Essay and Video Essay submissions must meet all of the requirements described in the contest Official Rules. Your Written Essay or Video Essay must be (i) in English, (ii) your own original work, created solely by you (and without the use of any means of artificial intelligence (“AI”)), and (iii) the exclusive property of you alone.

Written Essays must be 500 words or less. You can write your Written Essay directly in the application, or you can copy and paste it into the appropriate area in the application form.

Video Essay submissions must be directly uploaded to the contest application site. Video Essays must be no more than 3 minutes in length and no larger than 1 GB. Only the following file formats are accepted: MP4, MPG, MOV, AVI, and WMV. Video Essays must not contain music of any kind nor display any illegal, explicit, or inappropriate material, and Video Essays must not be password protected or require a log-in/sign-in to view. You must upload your Video Essay to the application, and you may not submit your Video Essay in DVD or other physical form. (Video Essays submitted via mail will not be reviewed or returned.)

Tips to Record Quality Videos on a Smartphone:

• Don’t shoot vertical video. Computer monitors have landscape-oriented displays, so shoot your video horizontally.
• Use a tripod. Even small movements can make a big difference when editing.
• Don’t use zoom. If you need to get a close shot of the subject, move closer as zooming can cause pixilation.
• Use natural lighting. Smartphone lighting can wash out your video.

3. Review and submit your Quarterly Contest application

Review your information on your Quarterly Application (and check the spelling of a Written Essay) and submit your entry by 11:59:59 p.m. Central Time on the applicable Quarterly Contest period end date. The second Quarterly Contest period end date is June 30, 2024.

4. Await notification

Winning entries are selected by an independent panel of judges who are not affiliated with Regions. If your entry is selected as a Quarterly Contest winner, you will need to respond to ISTS with the required information.

Eligibility

For purposes of this contest:

• The “Eligible States” are defined as the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
• An “accredited college” is defined as a nonprofit, two- or four-year college or university located within one of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia.

To be eligible to enter this contest and to win an award in a Quarterly Contest, at the time of entry, you must:

• Be a legal U.S. resident of one of the Eligible States.
• Be age 16 or older.
• Have at least one (1) year (or at least 18 semester hours) remaining before college graduation.
• If you are not yet in college, begin your freshman year of college no later than the start of the 2025 – 2026 college academic school year.
• As of your most recent school enrollment period, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 in school (and if no GPA is provided at school, be in “good standing” or the equivalent thereof in school).

View Official Rules

NO PURCHASE OR BANKING RELATIONSHIP REQUIRED. PURCHASE OR BANKING RELATIONSHIP WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. The 2024 Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest (the “Contest”) consists of four (4) separate quarterly contests (each a “Quarterly Contest”): (1) the “Q-1 Contest;” (2) the “Q-2 Contest;” (3) the “Q-3 Contest;” and (4) the “Q-4 Contest.” The Q-1 Contest begins on 02/01/24 and ends on 03/31/24; the Q-2 Contest begins on 04/01/24 and ends on 06/30/24; the Q-3 Contest begins on 07/01/24 and ends on 09/30/24; and the Q-4 Contest begins on 10/01/24 and ends on 12/31/24. (For each Quarterly Contest, entries must be submitted and received by 11:59:59 PM CT on the applicable Quarterly Contest period end date.) To enter and participate in a particular Quarterly Contest, at the time of entry, you must: (a) be a legal U.S. resident of one of the Eligible States; (b) be 16 years of age or older; (c) have at least one (1) year (or at least 18 semester hours) remaining before college graduation; (d) (if you are not yet in college) begin your freshman year of college no later than the start of the 2025 – 2026 college academic school year; and (e) as of your most recent school enrollment period, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 in school (and if no grade point average is provided at school, be in “good standing” or the equivalent thereof in school). (For purposes of Contest, the “Eligible States” are defined as the states of AL, AR, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MS, MO, NC, SC, TN and TX.) Visit regions.com/ridingforward for complete Contest details, including eligibility and Written Essay and Video Essay requirements and Official Rules. (Limit one (1) entry per person, per Quarterly Contest.) For each Quarterly Contest, eligible entries will be grouped according to form of entry (Written Essay or Video Essay) and judged by a panel of independent, qualified judges. A total of four (4) Quarterly Contest Prizes will be awarded in each Quarterly Contest, consisting of two (2) Quarterly Contest Prizes for the Written Essay Entry Group and two (2) Quarterly Contest Prizes for the Video Essay Entry Group. Each Quarterly Contest Prize consists of a check in the amount of $8,000 made out to winner’s designated accredited college. (Limit one (1) Quarterly Contest Prize per person; a contestant is permitted to win only one (1) Quarterly Contest Prize through the Contest.) Sponsor: Regions Bank, 1900 Fifth Ave. N., Birmingham, AL 35203.

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2023 Winners

High school:.

• Amyrrean Acoff
• Leon Aldridge
• Kharis Andrews
• Colton Collier
• Indya Griffin
• Christopher Hak
• Aquil Hayes
• Jayden Haynes
• McKenna Jodoin
• Paris Kelly
• Liza Latimer
• Dylan Lodle
• Anna Mammarelli
• Karrington Manley
• Marcellus Odum
• Gautami Palthepu
• Melody Small
• Lauryn Tanner
• Joshua Wilson
• Mohamed Ali
• Kayla Bellamy
• Lauren Boxx
• Alexandria Brown
• Samuel Brown
• Thurston Brown
• Conner Daehler
• Tsehai de Souza
• Anjel Echols
• Samarion Flowers
• Trinity Griffin
• Kristina Hilton
• Ryan Jensen
• Miracle Jones
• Shaniece McGhee
• Chelby Melvin
• Lamiya Ousley
• Kiera Phillips
• Gabrielle Pippins
• Ethan Snead
• Sydney Springs
• Kirsten Tilford
• Tamira Weeks
• Justin Williams

2022 Winners

• Paul Aucremann
• William Booker
• Robyn Cunningham
• Kani'ya Davis
• Oluwatomi Dugbo
• Lillian Goins
• Parker Hall
• Collin Hatfield
• Gabrielle Izu
• Kylie Lauderdale
• Jacob Milan
• Jackson Mitchell
• Carmen Moore
• Madison Morgan
• Kaden Oquelí-White
• Kaylin Parks
• Brian Perryman
• De'Marco Riggins
• Brianna Roundtree
• Sydney Russell
• Carlie Spore
• Morgan Standifer
• Ionia Thomas
• Ramaya Thomas
• Jaylen Toran
• Amani Veals
• Taylor Williams
• Alana Wilson
• Taryn Wilson
• Aryaunna Armstrong
• Hannah Blackwell
• T'Aneka Bowers
• Naomi Bradley
• Arianna Cannon
• Taylor Cline
• Catherine Cummings
• Margaret Fitzgerald
• Chloe Franklin
• Camryn Gaines
• Thomas Greer
• Kayla Helleson
• Veronica Holmes
• Logan Kurtz
• Samuel Lambert
• Jaylon Muchison
• Teresa Odom
• Andrew Payne
• Carey Price
• Emily SantiAnna
• Curtis Smith
• Jered Smith
• Mariah Standifer
• Maura Taylor
• Anna Wilkes

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• FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2024

Guiteras student wins Elks Essay contest

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The Bristol Elks Lodge recently announced that Maxwell Magilton, a student at Guiteras Elementary School, was selected as the 5th grade winner of the 2023-2024 Grand Lodge Americanism Essay Contest for the Town of Bristol. For the contest, Maxwell had to submit an essay of 300 words or less about this year's theme: “What the Bill of Rights Means to Me”. The Grand Lodge Americanism Essay Contest gives students in grades 5-8 the opportunity to thoughtfully evaluate and express their views on the selected annual theme. The contest starts with the local lodges selecting a winner for each eligible grade level in their town. These town winners then compete for the opportunity to advance to the district, state, and national levels. The contest ends in July with the national winner for each grade level being named at the Grand Lodge Session, which is held in Austin, Texas. The author who is selected as the first-place winner for the national contest will receive a $1,000 monetary award for their efforts. Similarly, the author selected for second-place will be awarded $500, and third-place will receive $250.

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25 Best Writing Competitions for High School Students – 2024

April 12, 2024

Over the past several years, the number of college applicants has been steadily rising. [i] As college admissions become more competitive, there are many steps a student can take to achieve high school success and become an outstanding candidate for college admissions: earning high SAT scores, securing strong letters of recommendation , and participating in various competitions will all boost your admissions prospects. [ii] In particular, writing competitions for high school students are a popular way to win scholarships and prize money, receive feedback on writing, build a portfolio of public work, and add to college application credentials!

Below, we’ve selected twenty-five writing competitions for high school students and sorted them by three general topics: 1) language, literature and arts, 2) STEM, environment and sustainability, and 3) politics, history and philosophy. It’s never too soon to begin thinking about your future college prospects, and even if you are a freshman, many of these writing competitions for high schoolers will be open to you! [iii]

Writing Competitions for High School Students in Language, Literature, and Arts

1) adroit prizes for poetry and prose.

This prestigious creative writing award offers high school students the opportunity to showcase their work in Adroit Journal . Judges are acclaimed writers in their respective genres.

• Eligibility: All high school students (including international students) are eligible to apply. Poetry contestants may submit up to five poems. Prose contestants may submit up to three pieces of fiction or nonfiction writing (for a combined total of 3,500 words – excerpts accepted).
• Prize: Winners will receive $200 and their writing will be published in Adroit Journal . All submitted entries will be considered for publication!
• Deadline: May 1st (specific deadline may vary by year).

2)  Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest

This unique essay competition allows writers the chance to explore and respond to Ayn Rand’s fascinating and polemic 1957 novel Atlas Shrugged . Specific essay topics are posted every three months; prizes are granted seasonally with a grand prize winner announced every year.

• Prize: Annual grand prize is $25,000.
• Deadline: Deadlines occur every season, for each seasonal prompt.
• Eligibility: Essays must be written in English and be 800-1,600 words in length.

Writing Competitions for High School Students (Continued)

3)  the bennington young writers awards.

Through Bennington College, this high school writing competition offers three prizes in three different genre categories: poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Winners and finalists who decide to attend Bennington College will ultimately receive a substantial scholarship prize.

• Eligibility: U.S. and international students in grades 9 through 12 may apply.
• Prize: First place winners receive $1,000; second place wins $500; third place winners receive $250. YWA winners who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington receive a $15,000 scholarship per year (for a total of $60,000). YWA finalists who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington will receive a $10,000 scholarship per year (for a total of $40,000).
• Deadline: The competition runs annually from September 1st to November 1st.

4)  Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) Student Essay Contest

Do you love Jane Austen? If so, this is the high school writing competition for you! With the JASNA Student Essay Contest, high school students have the opportunity to write a six to eight-page essay about Jane Austen’s works, focused on a specific, designated topic for the competition year.

• Eligibility: Any high school student (homeschooled students also eligible) enrolled during the contest year may submit an essay.
• Prize: First place winner receives a $1,000 scholarship and two nights’ lodging for the upcoming annual JASNA meeting. Second place wins a $500 scholarship and third place wins a $250 scholarship. All winners will additionally receive a year membership in JASNA, the online publication of their article, and a set of Norton Critical Editions of Jane Austen’s novels.
• Deadline: Submission accepted from February-June 1st (specific dates may vary by year).

5)  The Kennedy Center VSA Playwright Discovery Program

Young aspiring writers with disabilities are encouraged to apply to this unique program. Students are asked to submit a ten-minute play script that explores any topic, including the student’s own disability experience.

• Eligibility: U.S. and international high school students with disabilities ages 14-19 may apply.
• Prize: Multiple winners will receive exclusive access to professional development and networking opportunities at The Kennedy Center.
• Deadline: January (specific deadline date may vary by year).

6)  Leonard M. Milburg ’53 High School Poetry Prize

Through Princeton’s Lewis Center for the Arts, this prestigious writing competition for high school students recognizes outstanding poetry writing and is judged by creative writing faculty at Princeton University.

• Eligibility: U.S. or international students in the eleventh grade may apply. Applicants may submit up to three poems.
• Prize: First place wins $1,500; second place wins $750; third place wins $500.
• Deadline: November (specific deadline date may vary by year).

7)  Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

Nancy Thorp was a student at Hollins University who showed great promise as a poet. After her death, her family established this scholarship to support budding young poets.

• Eligibility: Female high school sophomores and juniors are eligible to apply. Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
• Prize: First place wins $350 and publication in Cargoes literary magazine, along with a $5,000 renewable scholarship (up to $20,000 over four years) if the student enrolls in Hollins University, and free tuition and housing for Hollins University’s summer creative writing program (grades 9-12). Second place wins publication in Cargoes, along with a $1,000 renewable scholarship ($4,000 over four years) if the student enrolls at Hollins and $500 to apply toward Hollins’ summer creative writing program.
• Deadline: October (specific deadline date may vary by year).

8)  National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Awards in Writing

Students may be nominated by their English teachers to win this prestigious writing award. Winners “exhibit the power to inform and move an audience through language” and prompts and genres may vary by competition year.

• Prize: A certificate will be awarded to students who are judged to have exceptional writing skills. Student names will be displayed on the NCTE website.
• Eligibility: U.S. high school sophomores and juniors are eligible for nomination.
• Deadline: February (specific dates may vary by year). Contest prompts released in August.

9)  National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

At Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, numerous opportunities for scholarships and awards await those who submit writing in various genres: literary criticism, drama, poetry, and fiction. In all, there are 28 generic categories of art and writing to choose from!

• Eligibility: Teens in grades 7-12 (ages 13 and up) may apply.
• Prize: Various types of recognition and scholarships (up to $12,500) are offered for these award winners.
• Deadline: Scholastic Awards opens for entries in September; deadlines range from December to January.

10)  National Society of High School Scholars Creative Writing Scholarship

In this creative writing competition for high schoolers, students have the opportunity to submit a piece poetry or fiction (or both – one in each category!) for the opportunity to be published on the NSHSS website and win a monetary prize.

• Eligibility: Rising high school students graduating in 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027 may apply.
• Prize: There will be three $2,000 awards for the fiction category and three $2,000 awards for the poetry category.
• Deadline: Submissions Accepted from May to October (specific dates may vary by year).

11)  National Writing Award: The Humanities and a Freer Tomorrow

This writing competition allows high school students the chance to be nominated by a teacher for a piece of writing in response to Ruth J. Simmons’ “Facing History to Find a Better Future.” Specific prompt topics may vary by year.

• Eligibility: Nominating teachers can submit work from 11th and 12th graders in one category (fiction, poetry, prose, or essay).
• Prize: One top prize of $1,000. Four additional prizes of $500 each. Winners will have the opportunity to have their work published by NCTE.
• Deadline: Applications are open September to October (specific dates may vary by year).

12)  New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award

Although this prestigious award isn’t exclusively for high schoolers (anyone younger than 35 may submit a work of fiction), if you’ve written a collection of short stories or even a novel, you should certainly consider applying!

• Eligibility: Any writer below the age of 35 may submit a novel or collection of short stories to participate in this competition.
• Prize: $10,000 award.
• Deadline: September (specific date may vary by year).

13)  Princeton University Ten-Minute Play Contest

This writing competition for high school students awards three annual top prizes for the best ten-minute play. Play submissions are judged each year by an acclaimed guest playwright.

• Eligibility: U.S. or international students in the eleventh grade may apply. Students may submit one play entry; entries must be ten pages or less. Plays must be written in English.
• Prize: First place prize is $500; second place is $250; third place is $100.
• Deadline: Varies by year. However, students are recommended to submit before the deadline date – the submission portal will close when a maximum of 250 applicants have applied.

14)  YouthPLAYS New Voices One-Act Competition for Young Playwrights

In this exciting writing competition, students have the chance to submit an original play script for a play of around 10-40 minutes in length. An excellent competition choice for any student considering a future in the theatre!

• Eligibility: Prospective authors ages 19 and under may submit a script for consideration in the competition. See specific writing guidelines here .
• Prize: First prize wins $250 and publication with YouthPLAYS; second prize wins $100.
• Deadline: Submissions run from January 1st to May 1st.

STEM, Environment, and Sustainability High School Writing Competitions

15)  engineergirl essay contest.

This wonderful essay contest invites students to explore topics related to engineering and science. Each year a new, specific prompt will be chosen for young writers who wish to compete.

• Eligibility: High school students are eligible to apply. Previous winners and close family members of employees of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine are not eligible.
• Prize: First place winners receive $1,000; second place receives $750; third place receives $500.
• Deadline: Competition opens in September and submissions are due February 1st of the following year. Winners are announced in the summer.

16)  Ocean Awareness Contest

The Ocean Awareness Contest is an opportunity for students to create written and artistic projects that explore sustainability, environmentalism, and positive change. High school freshmen (up to age 14) may apply to the Junior Division. Students ages 15-18 may enter the Senior Division.

• Eligibility: Students ages 11-18 may apply (international students included).
• Prize: Monetary prizes ranging from $100-$1000 will be awarded each year. Additionally, $500 will be awarded to ten students who identify as Black, Indigenous, or Latino via the We All Rise Prize program.
• Deadline: June 10, 2024 (specific deadline may vary by year).

17)  Rachel Carson Intergenerational Sense of Wonder / Sense of Wild Contest

If you are interested in issues of sustainability, environment, biology and the natural world, this is one of the high school writing competitions that is just for you! Essay prompts explore the natural world and our place within it and may include poetry, essays, and photography.

• Eligibility: Students must pair with an adult from a different generation (e.g. parent, grandparent or teacher – contestants need not be related). Entries must be submitted as a team.
• Prize: Winners will receive a certificate from RCLA; their first names, ages, and entry titles will be posted on the RCLA website.
• Deadline: November 16th, 2024 (specific deadline may vary by year).

18)  River of Words Competition

This writing competition for high school students is another top choice for those thinking of pursuing majors or careers in biology, environment, and sustainability; this specific contest hopes to promote positive education in sustainability by “promoting environmental literacy through the arts and cultural exchange.”

• Eligibility: Any U.S. or international student from kindergarten through 12th grade may apply.
• Prize: Winners will be published in the River of Words
• Deadline: January (specific deadline may vary by year).

Writing Competitions for High School Students in Politics, History and Philosophy

19)  american foreign service association essay contest.

With this writing competition for high school students, entrants may submit essays ranging from 1,000-1,500 words about diplomacy, history, and international politics (specific prompts vary by year).

• Eligibility: Students in grades nine through twelve may apply. Students whose parents are in the Foreign Service Association are not eligible.
• Prize: The first-place winner will receive $2,500, an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the winner and the winner’s parents, and an all-expense paid voyage via Semester at Sea. The second-place winner receives $1,250 and full tuition for a summer session at the National Student Leadership Conference’s International Diplomacy program.
• Deadline: Early spring (specific deadline may vary by year).

20)  Bill of Rights Institute We the Students Essay Contest

In this writing competition for high school students, civic-minded U.S. high schoolers may explore the principles and virtues of the Bill of Rights Institute. Interested applicants should review the specific submission guidelines .

• Eligibility: Any high school student aged 13 to 19 may apply.
• Prize: Prizes range from $1,500 to $10,000.
• Deadline: Submissions for 2024 due May 19th (specific deadline may vary by year).

21)  JFK Presidential Library and Museum Profile in Courage Essay Contest

For students interested in history and political science, this competition offers the chance to write about U.S. elected officials who have demonstrated political courage.

• Eligibility: U.S. high school students from grades 9-12 may apply.
• Prize: First prize is $10,000; second prize receives $3,000; five finalists receive $1,000 each; ten semifinalists receive $100 each; eight students receive honorable mention.
• Deadline: Submissions accepted from September to January (specific deadline may vary by year).
• Sample Essays: 2000-2023 Contest Winner Essays

22)  John Locke Institute Essay Competition

This essay competition is for students who would like to write about and cultivate “independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis and persuasive style” from one of seven intellectual categories: philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology or law.

• Eligibility: Students from any country may submit an essay.
• Prize: $2,000 for each subject category winner toward a John Locke Institute program; winning essays will be published on the Institute’s website.
• Deadline: Registration must be completed by May 31st, 2024; essay submission due June 30th, 2024 (specific deadline may vary by year).

23)  Society of Professional Journalists and the Journalism Education Association Essay Contest

This exciting writing competition for high schoolers allows students to explore topics related to journalism, democracy and media literacy. Specific prompts will be provided for contestants each year.

• Eligibility: All U.S. students from grades 9-12 may submit original writing to participate in this contest.
• Prize: First-place winners will receive $1,000; second place is awarded $500; third place receives $300.
• Deadline: February (specific deadline may vary by year).

24)  Veterans of Foreign Wars Voice of Democracy Youth Scholarship Essay

This audio essay allows high school students the opportunity to “express themselves in regards to a democratic and patriot-themed recorded essay.” One winner will be granted a $35,000 scholarship to be paid toward their university, college, or vocational school of choice. Smaller prizes range from $1,000-$21,000, and the first-place winner in each VFW state wins $1,000.

• Prize: College scholarships range from $1,000-$35,000
• Eligibility: U.S. students in grades 9-12 may submit a 3-5-minute audio essay.
• Deadline: October 31st
• Sample Written Essay: 2023-2024 Prize-winning essay by Sophia Lin

25)  World Historian Student Essay Competition

The World Historian Student Essay Competition recognizes young scholars who explore world historical events and how they relate to the student scholar personally. Ultimately the student writer must describe “the experience of being changed by a better understanding of world history.”

• Eligibility: Internationally, students ages K-12 may submit an entry. See specific prompt and submission guidelines for writing instructions.
• Prize: $500

Writing Competitions for High School Students – Sources

[i] Institute for Education Sciences: National Center for Education Statistics. “Number of applications for admission from first-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students were received by postsecondary institutions in the fall.” https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/TrendGenerator/app/answer/10/101

[ii] Jaschik, Scott. “Record Applications, Record Rejections.” Inside Higher Ed . 3 April 2022. https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2022/04/04/most-competitive-colleges-get-more-competitive

[iii] Wood, Sarah. “College Applications are on the Rise: What to Know.” U.S. News & World Report. 21 June 2022. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/college-applications-are-on-the-rise-what-to-know

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Please join us in celebrating our scholarship and writing prize recipients on Sunday, April 21st!

Please join us on sunday, april 21st in the alumni room of the pyle center from 4:00-5:30pm to celebrate this year’s scholarship and writing prize recipients as well as the recipients of the early career alumni awards..

Watch the full list of winners here

Click here for the full program 

The prizewinners are as follows…

**WRITING PRIZES**

The john mcmynn williams senior thesis award, presented by: kristina huang.

This award is given to one student for a senior thesis chapter that demonstrates exceptional writing and analytical skills.

Recipient: Holly Puza Thesis: “Is that how free feels?”: Aesthetic Knowledge in the Neo-Slave Narrative Instructor: Professor Kristina Huang

The William F. Vilas Prizes

Presented by: mario ortiz-robles and megan bailon.

These prizes were established by Anna M. Vilas in 1912 and are awarded each year for the two best expository essays written by undergraduates in an upper- level English course.

Recipient: Ria Dhingra Essay: “Naturalizing” Gender Disparity in the Victorian Era: A Literary Analysis of Female Characterization in Wuthering Heights and Mill on the Floss Instructor: Professor Mario Ortiz-Robles

Recipient : Sophie Boes Essay: “Bad Woman” or “Loving Mother Goddess”?: Myth-(Re)making and the Figure of La Llorona in Ana Castillo’s So Far from God Instructor: Dr. Megan Bailon

McMynn Williams Creative Media Prize

Presented by: sarah ensor.

This prize recognizes the outstanding use of creative media to express ideas in unique ways, to re-imagine the work of English studies in English classes, and to take advantage of the affordances of emerging media. Projects winning this award demonstrate an understanding of how creative media allow for novel modes of expression, communication, and persuasion.

Recipient : Alice Van Haaften Project: Roots of Another Kind Instructor: Professor Sarah Ensor

James T. Lewis Prizes

Presented by: jackie chalghin.

These prizes were established in 1968 and awarded annually for the two best essays written by first-year students in an English Department course.

Recipient: Lucy Hildebrand Essay: Grass Lawns in American and Alternative Solutions Instructor: Jackie Chalghin

Recipient: Jade Park Essay: Ko-ma-to-rae Stationary Store Instructor: Aurora Shimshak

Standish Henning Shakespeare Prize

Presented by: joseph bowling.

This prize was established by Professor Andrew Weiner in recognition of his teacher and colleague Professor Standish Henning. The prize is awarded for the best essay written by an undergraduate in one of the English Department’s upper- level Shakespeare courses.

Recipient : Noelle Candler Essay: Journeys End in Lovers Meeting: the Compulsory Heterosexuality of Comedy from Twelfth Night to Love Island UK Instructor: Dr. Joseph Bowling

McMynn Williams Data Analysis Prize

Presented by: emily hall.

This prize is awarded for an outstanding written project based on the collection and analysis of original data in an upper-level English major course.

Recipient : Gwen Liston Essay: Queer Intersections in Writing Tutor Practice Instructor: Dr. Emily Hall

Mary Ellen Williams Golby Writing Prize

This prize is awarded for the best essay or project by a female English major that focuses on social justice, antiracism, or anti-ableism. The essay or project must be from a UW-Madison English course.

Recipient : Katalina Lee Essay: Eden Instructor: Professor Sami Shalk

ESL Undergraduate Writing Awards

These awards are for outstanding academic essay writing done by students who are L2, or second language, undergraduate writers. These writers have shown a high level of skill in their argumentation, logic, and use of voice, as well as excellent citation and analysis skills.

Recipient : Hiroaki Taniyama Presented by: Karen Best

Recipient : Abigail Wu Presented by: Shauna Crowther

Recipient : Xingrun Lu Presented by: Stephen Timm

Recipient : Ralista Wong Presented by: Jenny Wilson-Farley

**SCHOLARSHIPS & AWARDS**

The helen c. white award, presented by: ingrid diran.

This award is presented to senior women majoring in the Humanities who exemplify the sterling character of Helen C. White, a great teacher and scholar in the Department of English at the University of Wisconsin, on the basis of academic standing and a deep interest in the life of the community. Donor Ineva Baldwin felt that recipients should have demonstrated their interest in sharing their humanistic culture with their families and community.

Recipient: Ria Dhingra Recipient: Holly Puza

The Dorothy Classen Urish Scholarship

Presented by: elaine cannell.

This scholarship was established by Jack Urish, a former English major at UW- Madison, in honor of his mother Dorothy, who was an English teacher in Stoughton, WI. The donor wishes to offer financial support toward the academic success of a senior English major.

Recipient: Kimberly Huete Galeano

Helen Black Bennett Memorial Scholarship

Presented by: amadi ozier.

This award was established by the donor, Penelope G. Sticha, in honor of her mother, Helen, in 1994.

Recipient: Emily Asmann

Felice Levin Michaels Scholarship

Presented by: david zimmerman.

This award was established by the donor to provide scholarships to undergraduate students in the Department of English.

Recipient: Noah Kohn-Dumbuya

English Undergraduate Scholarships

Presented by: amy quan barry.

This scholarship provides financial assistance to deserving undergraduate English majors. Thanks to the generosity of Thomas Johnson ‘73 and Barbara Johnson, the English Department has provided scholarships to students through this fund since 2014.

Recipient: Han Raschka Recipient: Karissa Richardson

Mary Brabyn Wackman Scholarships

Presented by: elaine cannell and johs rasmussen.

These scholarships were established by Charline M. Wackman, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin in 1961, in honor of her mother, Mary Brabyn Wackman. Awards are based on academic merit and given to English majors who are Wisconsin residents specializing in literature.

Recipient: Noelle Candler Recipient : Ellie Clark Recipient: Molly Harris Recipient: Angela Olen Recipient: Holly Puza Recipient: Jaden Schultz Recipient: Alice Van Haaften

McMynn Williams First-Generation College Student Scholarship

The McMynn Williams First-Generation College Student Scholarship recognizes the strength, commitment, and perspective of First-Generation English majors. This scholarship is awarded on the basis of academic merit and an appreciation of the contributions First-Generation students make in the classroom, the department, the university, and the wider community.

Recipient: Haley Laufenberg

Lila Hicks Furber Scholarship

This award was established in 1995 by Lila Hicks Furber, who graduated with a degree in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1926. After graduation, Lila became a teacher.

Vivian Mowry English Scholarships

Presented by: ron kuka, francesca bua.

These scholarships are funded through a trust established in 1963 by Vivian Mowry, a 1910 graduate of the University of Wisconsin. Awards are made to English majors on the basis of scholastic proficiency and active participation in campus activities.

Recipient : Natalie Bercutt Recipient : Ria Dhingra Recipient : Xylina Graf Recipient: Katalina Lee Recipient: Gwen Liston Recipient : Lauren Pickel

Jeffrey Allen Steele Memorial Scholarship

Presented by: amy gaeta.

This award was established by Jocelyn Riley in 2018 to honor the memory of her husband Jeffrey Allen Steele, a professor in the Department of English, who loved

teaching and focused his research and passion on American Literature, particularly on the author and groundbreaking women’s rights advocate Margaret Fuller. The scholarship assists accomplished undergraduate students who are enrolled in the Department of English, with a preference for those studying American literature.

Recipient: Zara Ammar

Cyrena Pondrom Scholarship

Presented by: mary trotter, johs rasmussen.

This award was established by Julie Bogle who graduated from UW-Madison in 1985 with a BA, majoring in both English and History. While an undergrad, she was a student of Prof. Cyrena Pondrom, who taught modern English literature. Julie was fortunate enough to work with Prof. Pondrom on an independent study project focused on Virginia Woolf. It was a transformative experience. Being exposed to someone as brilliant and insightful as Prof. Pondrom was both intimidating and deeply enriching, truly a life-changing experience. After working in publishing for several years, Julie went on to attend UW Law School, graduating in 1999. Fifth of six children, Julie could afford to attend UW Madison as an undergrad only because she was given the Mary Brabyn Wackman Scholarship.

She is happy to have the ability, through the UW Foundation, to provide a similar opportunity to young English majors today, and to honor the woman who had such a deep influence on her future.

Recipient: Sophie Boes

Recipient : Josie Spata

**Early Career Alumni Awards**

The Early Career Alumni Award recognizes UW-Madison English alumni who have demonstrated exceptional success in their chosen field within the first ten years after obtaining their degree. This can be demonstrated in several ways. Examples include, but are not limited to, professional achievements, contributions to society, service, or support of the University of Wisconsin.

The honorees demonstrate the value that their English education has had on their lives and the rewarding paths that an English major may take initially upon graduation.

Phoebe Kiekhofer, BA English Literature + Gender and Women’s Studies, 2017

Phoebe is a bilingual literacy researcher at the University of Virginia. Phoebe supports projects that emphasize science-based literacy instruction and assessment for multilingual learners. This work includes the revision of the Virginia Literacy Screeners in English and Spanish to include holistic information on students’ decoding abilities and language proficiencies. Through the inclusion of the Spanish screener, the project also aims to equitably assess Spanish-speaking bilingual students and provide valuable information on their language development to best inform literacy instruction. Phoebe also supports elementary literacy curriculum review in conjunction with the

Virginia Literacy Act, which focuses on improving literacy outcomes for students in Virginia by ensuring that instruction is aligned to science-based reading research.

Phoebe received her Master of Science in Education from Johns Hopkins University in 2022, and her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2017. During graduate school, Phoebe worked as an elementary school teacher in a bilingual English-Spanish community in Washington, D.C. Phoebe’s work emphasized evidence-based reading instruction and recovery from pandemic school closures. Phoebe’s graduate education also emphasized qualitative and quantitative work with student literacy data to design and monitor data-based literacy intervention. Prior to attending graduate school, Phoebe served with Reading Partners of DC to provide in-school literacy intervention. While obtaining her undergraduate degree at UW-Madison, Phoebe interned with the Literacy Network, where she facilitated the English adult literacy tutoring program. Phoebe also interned with the Wisconsin Humanities Council, where she assisted with publicizing statewide humanities projects and grant programs.

Phoebe is most passionate about literacy and using her career to establish reading as a Civil Right for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. She is most inspired by all learners with whom she has had the privilege of working.

Outside of her career, Phoebe is a marathon runner, an avid biker, leader of a book club, a mixed-mobility and public transit advocate, and a cat mom.

Gerald Porter Jr., JBA English; Journalism and Mass Communications 2018

Gerald Porter Jr. is an Account Supervisor at The Bliss Group, where he focuses on executive positioning, narrative development, thought leadership content, and media relations for clients such as Korn Ferry and Stanley Black & Decker across the firm’s professional and financial services practices. His previous PR experience includes supporting crisis communications, media relations, and executive positioning for leading financial services and consumer goods brands.

Prior to his PR career, Gerald spent five years reporting at global news outlets. He previously spent three years at Bloomberg News, where he covered consumer packaged goods companies, retailers, the U.S. economy, the Food and Drug Administration, and the White House. In 2020 and 2021, respectively, he was recognized by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW) and the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) for his coverage of Black businesses and corporate accountability. He began his professional career working at the Chicago Tribune and The Wall Street Journal after a year of studying at the University of Westminster in London.

A Chicago native and Powers-Knapp scholar, Gerald earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He also was a reporter and associate campus news editor for the Badger Herald during his time at UW-Madison.

Cory Sprinkel, BA English, Certificates in Educational Policy Studies and LGBT Studies, 2017

Cory Sprinkel grew up in central Wisconsin and graduated from UW-Madison in 2017 with a degree in English. He currently works as the Community Engaged Scholarship Specialist with the Morgridge Center for Public Service at UW-Madison. His role focuses on elevating support for and understanding of community-engaged scholarship by consulting with researchers and instructors who engage community in their teaching and research. He understands his work as deeply connected to the Wisconsin Idea and is passionate about the public purposes and potential of higher education.

Cory received his Master’s in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the University of Connecticut, focusing on how community-engaged pedagogies influence student development. He is the co-author of a recently published book, Preparing students to engage in equitable community partnerships (2023) – a guide for college instructors designing community-engaged courses. Cory is also a lead organizer with the Madison-based nonprofit organization, LGBT Books to Prisoners.

With Gratitude

The Department of English wishes to recognize and thank the benefactors of the scholarships and awards we have granted today. Your generosity is sincerely appreciated. Private gifts of all sizes provide us with resources for meaningful enhancements to our program and support of our outstanding students. For more information on making a gift or including the Department in your estate plans, please contact:

Bob Hemauer, Director of Development University of Wisconsin Foundation 1848 University Avenue

Madison, WI 53708-8860 [email protected]

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Winners of national penmanship contest crowned as handwriting is 'having a moment'

It’s regarded, hands down, as the Super Bowl of penmanship tournaments.

The Zaner-Bloser National Handwriting Contest, now in its 33rd year, crowned its 2024 grand champions on Monday, rewarding nine students from six states for their picture-perfect letters.

Ten-year old Zita Miller of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, took top honors in the fifth grade category. Her winning submission was one of the contest’s 80,000 entries.

“I like handwriting because it’s like art, drawing swirls and vines and curls,” Miller said, adding that she enjoys penning original mystery stories by hand.

Namuun Baasanbold, from Carmel, Indiana, was named grand champion in the first grade category, and said she likes to give handwritten “love notes” to family and friends.

“Writing by hand makes me feel special,” she said.

The contest celebrates a centuries-old practice, but the victories come as handwriting is experiencing a kind of renaissance in the U.S. In January, California became the 22nd state to require cursive to be taught in schools — a significant jump from 2016, when just 12 states mandated it.

At the same time, various studies published over the past decade have detailed how writing with pencil and paper can benefit memory, cognitive development, reading comprehension and fine motor skills.

“Handwriting is definitely having a moment,” said Sharon Quirk-Silva, a member of the California state Assembly who sponsored the bill. She said she heard from people from all over the country who penned “beautifully handwritten notes” of support for the new law.

“We live in a very polarized nation. So many issues are contentious. But with this handwriting bill, we had full bipartisan support and goodwill. The importance of handwriting is something people seem to agree on,” she said.

Quirk-Silva said she backed the bill, in large part, because of her own experience — before becoming a lawmaker, she taught elementary school for 25 years.

“For years, technology has been taking over the curriculum in schools, with many kids being dormant in front of the screen, using two or three screens a day. Now, there’s a feeling of, ‘Let’s get pens and pencils back in kids’ hands,’” she said.

Although the California law mandates that first through sixth graders in the state receive cursive instruction, Quirk-Silva said she believes that writing by hand — in print or cursive — is an important language arts tool.

“It’s a way of slowing down a little bit, taking your thoughts from your brain to your hand and physically doing the writing,” she said.

Sophia Vinci-Booher, an assistant professor of psychology and human development at Vanderbilt University, said her research found that writing by hand enabled preschool students to form connections in the brain that likely support early letter recognition.

For that study , published in 2016, 20 children were asked to practice certain letters by writing them over and over, and practice others by pressing a button.

“Then we asked the children to go into an MRI scanner and look at those letters they’d been practicing,” Vinci-Booher explained. Her team analyzed the children’s brain activity to assess the functional connectivity between different areas of their brains.

“We found that the connection was stronger with letters they wrote by hand than those they tapped,” she said.

The research underscores the importance of the physical act of forming symbols, Vinci-Booher added.

“Writing by hand is a good thing for kids because it supports early reading development and it engages the fine motor system, which is developmentally important,” she said.

A 2021 study measured people’s brain activity during a memory task, this time finding that University of Tokyo students exhibited stronger activity and better recall after they had written information down on paper than when they did on a smartphone or even with a stylus on a tablet. The researchers suggested that the physical act of writing on paper provides the brain more details that trigger memory, and concluded that using paper notebooks can help students retain information in part because of their “tangible permanence.”

A similar study published in January compared the brain activity of students at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology who took notes by hand to the activity of those who typed their notes. The findings suggested that the students who wrote by hand had higher levels of electrical activity across a wide range of brain regions responsible for sensory processing and memory.

The results come as little surprise to many educators.

“I’ve seen firsthand that the kids learn more when they write by hand,” said Geeta Kadakia, who teaches second through fifth grade at the DAV Montessori School in Houston. “The lightbulb goes off through those achievements in handwriting, and handwriting leads to achievements in other areas, even math. When students make their numbers more neatly, their math scores improve.”

Laura Gajderowicz taught elementary school for 33 years in Indiana before retiring in 2022. She said she worried as she watched handwriting take a back seat to technology in U.S. classrooms in the early 2000s.

“Writing by hand does so much to help with the development of a student’s eye-hand coordination,” Gajderowicz said, adding: “I’m not against technology — I just think there’s a place at the table for both technology and handwriting when it comes to learning.”

This year, Gajderowicz served as a regional judge in the Zaner-Bloser contest.

“I was pleasantly surprised to see how many entries we had, especially from children in the upper grades,” she said.

Gajderowicz selected winners using criteria that analyzed the mechanics and precision of the letters students wrote, including their shapes, sizes, slant and spacing.

Contestants were asked to write the sentence, “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog,” because it includes the entire alphabet, as well as a sentence explaining why handwriting makes them a better reader and writer.

Baasanbold said she was “over the moon” to find out she won: “I screamed and celebrated with friends at a restaurant with pizza and an appetizer and a sundae for dessert,” she said.

Her prizes include a trophy and $500 — plus bragging rights.

“I like to use my handwriting to impress people,” she said.

Mary Pflum is a national field producer for NBC News, based in New York.