essay contest for elementary students

Crazy Creatures 2024

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Elementary Contests

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

Extended Closing Date June 07, 2024

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

Archived Contests

• Grades 6-12
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Enter Today's Teacher Appreciation Giveaway!

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

Help your students take their writing to the next level. Continue Reading

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7 Annual Writing Contests for Kids

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It's not always easy to get your kids motivated to write. One way to encourage them to polish their writing skills is to have them enter a writing contest. Sometimes just the idea of recognition is enough to get those pencils to paper (or fingers to keyboard).

PBS Kids Writers Contest (Grades K-3)

This writing contest has both a regional and national component. After reading the contest guidelines —which include helpful information about how to brainstorm and outline a story—kids can submit illustrated stories to their local PBS station. Each station chooses winners which are then entered in the national contest.

TIME for Kids' TFK Kid Reporter Contest (Ages 14 and Younger)

TIME for Kids, a non-fiction weekly news magazine for classrooms, is a child-oriented version of its parent, TIME Magazine. Many of the articles are written by TFK’s Kid Reporters, a job for which the magazine opens a talent search each year in March—the TFK Kid Reporter Contest. Entrants must be under 15 years old and write a compelling news story about a school or community event.

Kids Are Authors (Scholastic)

This annual contest is unique in that it focuses on kids working collaboratively to create a piece of illustrated work in the form of a children’s book. The 21-29 page book can be fiction or non-fiction and must be created by a group of at least three students.

Not only does this writing contest help kids learn to work together, but it also teaches them about formatting manuscripts for children’s books, as submissions must be formatted according to specific guidelines. The winning book is published by Scholastic and sold at Scholastic Book Fairs across the country.

Letters About Literature (Grades 4-12)

Sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress , the annual Letters About Literature competition combines both reading and writing. Students must write an essay (in the form of a letter) describing how a certain book or author has had a profound effect on their outlook on life.

Students are grouped by age into three different levels, all of which are judged at both a state and national level. Entries are judged on the merits of composition (grammar, organization, and language skills); content (how well the theme has been addressed); and voice. National winners receive a monetary or gift card prize as well as a sizable “LAL Reading Promotion” grant in their name for their local school district.

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards (Grades 7-12)

This prestigious contest began in 1923, and winners include such notable people as Sylvia Plath , Robert Redford, Joyce Carol Oates , and Truman Capote .

Writers in seventh through twelfth grade may submit work in one or more of the following categories: Dramatic Script, Flash Fiction, Humor, Journalism, Personal Essay, Persuasive Writing , Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Short Story, and Novel Writing.

Entries are judged both regionally and nationally—the highest-level regional work is submitted for national consideration. National winners are published in anthologies and Scholastic publications.

Stone Soup Magazine (Ages 13 and Younger)

Though technically not a contest, Stone Soup magazine publishes stories (2,500 words or less) and poetry and book reviews by kids 13 and younger. Not all submissions will be published and kids are encouraged to read the Stone Soup archives to get a sense of what type of writing the editors prefer. The great thing about Stone Soup is that kids can submit work as often as they want, regardless of previous rejection or acceptance for publication.

Creative Kids Magazine (Ages 8 to 16)

Like Stone Soup, Creative Kids Magazine is not a contest but a publication written for kids by kids. Kids can submit everything from stories and songs to editorials and plays. The magazine is published quarterly and submitted work is read not only by editors but also by an advisory board comprised of students between the ages of eight and 16.

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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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WHAT WILL YOU RUN FOR? STUDENT ESSAY CONTEST

Grades 7-12.

2020 Contest Now Closed

With a chance to win prizes that will help them achieve the change they envision, the What Will You Run For? Student Essay Contest inspired students in grades 7–12 to take civics into the real world by researching and creating a plan to improve their own community.

Student Assignment & Rubric

Students will find a local issue or cause that they would like to address in their community. Then they will identify one of three roles—mayor, city council, or state legislature—they would run for to effect change. In a 2- to 3-page essay, students will tell us:

• What local cause or issue has inspired them to take action?
• Why is this local cause or issue important to them and/or their community?
• Once they win, what is a realistic goal of something they would like to achieve that will help address their cause or issue?
• Interacting with members of both local and state government and their community, how would they use their position to rally support and achieve their goal?
• to achieve that will help address their cause or issue?

Download entry form for more information.

Great Prizes!

Student grand prize.

• $1,000 Grant and Laptop

3 Winners—Grades 7–8

3 Winners—Grades 9–12

TEACHER GRAND PRIZE

• $500 Gift Card

High School Winners

(grades 9–12).

Tristen S. Montoursville, PA Recycling

Angela Z. Cypress, TX Human Trafficking

Jenna H. Wilmington, DE Public Health

Middle School Winners

(grades 7–8).

Eunia L. Little Neck, NY School Shooting Prevention

Zachary S. San Mateo, CA Affordable Housing

Liberty M. Austin, TX Education Reform

How to Enter

For all teachers & parents.

Enter online (click button below)

Entries must be submitted by March 29, 2020.

For High School Students

High school students can also submit entries on their own!

Simply go to: scholastic.com/CreateChange/9-12

Alternatively, students can also mail entries to the address at left.

Email us . --> Official Rules . Call us: 1-800-Scholastic (1-800-724-6527).

CONTEST RULES: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. All students who are residents of, and currently reside in, the U.S. and D.C., and who are currently enrolled in grades 7–12 are eligible to enter, except for those who have family members employed by Levi Strauss & Co., Generation Citizen, or Scholastic Inc. and other related companies (see the Official Rules for a complete listing). Entries accepted in English only. Entry period: 12:01 a.m. ET on 10/28/19 to 11:59 p.m. ET on 3/29/20. Visit scholastic.com /createchange/officialrules for complete Official Rules and restrictions. In the event of prize unavailability, a prize of equal or greater value will be awarded as determined by the sole discretion of Levi Strauss & Co. and Generation Citizen. No cash substitutions for prizes. Prizes are nontransferable. ARV of Prizes: Student Prize ($1,500); Teacher Prize ($500).

Explore more programs like this at scholastic.com/extracredit .

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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 directly. 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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Our 2023-24 Student Contest Calendar

Here are 10 challenges to help us celebrate our 25th anniversary — including one open to both teachers and teenagers.

By The Learning Network

Our annual Contest Calendar is probably the single most powerful thing we publish all year. Teachers tell us they plan their classes around our challenges, and tens of thousands of teenagers across the globe participate by creating narratives, profiles, opinion pieces and reviews, podcasts, videos, illustrations and photo essays.

For us, these contests are an honor and a joy to host. We love learning from young people — about what moves them and makes them mad, what intrigues and confuses and delights and defines them.

Every summer, we tinker with our offerings to keep them fresh, and we’ve made some significant changes this time around.

To start, in August, The Learning Network will celebrate its 25th anniversary, and we’re marking it by running our first-ever challenge that is open to our full audience, both teachers and teenagers. We hope together you’ll help us tell a rich story about what it’s like to be in high school in 2023.

Like educators all over, we’ve been spurred by the advent of generative artificial intelligence to make creative tweaks to our offerings. This year, we’re putting more emphasis on the parts of the composing process that are, well, human. A glance at the 10 descriptions below might show you that elements like voice, point of view, reflection, making connections and building community are more central than ever. We’ve invented new contests and updated old ones, and we’ll be emphasizing process as well as product throughout. We also have a full writing curriculum to help support this work.

If you need a little encouragement to participate, we recommend two pieces. Students might start with “ ‘I Was Enough’: How I Stopped Trying to Sound Smart and Found My Genuine Writing Voice ,” by a teenager who reflects on how our competitions helped her grow. If you are a teacher, our reader-submitted 10 Reasons to Send Student Work Out Into the World might be compelling — especially, perhaps, reason number 10.

To download a PDF version of this contest calendar, click here . Questions? Scroll to the bottom of this post to learn more, write to us at [email protected] or post a comment here.

Aug. 16-Oct. 4, 2023

What High School Is Like in 2023: A Multimedia Challenge for Teachers and Teens

What can you show or tell us that might help explain what it’s like to be an educator or a student in a secondary school right now?

We’re inviting you to contribute to a collective portrait of what it means to be in high school today, told by those living it.

All who work in any capacity in a secondary school, or are students over 13 in one, are invited to document, reflect and express themselves on any aspect, big or small, of their experience there. We want to know what’s hard, but we also want to know where and how you find meaning and joy.

As with our original Coming of Age contest — the blueprint for this effort — you can submit writing or images, audio or video. You can send us artifacts, such as photos from your camera roll, or create something new. And you can work alone or in a group, with others your age or across ages, roles and even schools. Each submission must be accompanied by a short artist’s statement.

Here are the contest rules and submission form , and here are 15 questions and a step-by-step guide that can help you brainstorm ideas.

Update, Jan. 4: Winners have been announced!

Oct. 4-Nov. 1, 2023

My Tiny Memoir: Our 100-Word Personal Narrative Contest

Can you tell a meaningful and interesting true story from your life in just 100 words? That’s the challenge we posed to teenagers last fall with our 100-Word Personal Narrative Contest, a storytelling form popularized by Modern Love’s Tiny Love Stories . The answer, we discovered, was a resounding yes, so we’re bringing it back for Year 2.

Here are this year’s rules and guidelines . For more inspiration, read the work of last year’s winners , or follow this step-by-step guide for participating .

Update, Jan. 17: Winners have been announced!

Nov. 1-Dec. 6, 2023

Teenagers as Critics: Our Review Contest

Review a book, movie, restaurant, album, theatrical production, video game, dance, TV show or art exhibition, with advice from New York Times critics to help.

This year’s rules and guidelines follow last year’s with one big change: Anything you choose to review must have debuted this year. (That means not that you watched a movie, read a book or heard an album for the first time this year, but that the work premiered in 2023.)

To see how it’s done, take a look at the work of last year’s winners and visit our related step-by-step guide for writing a review .

Update Feb. 8: Winners have been announced!

Dec. 6, 2023-Jan. 10, 2024

Thinking Made Visible: Our One-Pager Challenge

We’re once again ending the fall semester with an invitation that we hope is accessible and fun for students across the curriculum: Make a one-pager in response to any article, video, graph, photo essay or podcast published in The New York Times in 2023 (or early 2024).

Here are the rules and guidelines. Let our step-by-step guide walk you through the process, and the work of these winners inspire you.

To help you find content you will enjoy, we have also curated a collection of free links to over 75 pieces about young people published across sections of NYTimes.com this fall.

Update, March 7: Winners have been announced!

Jan. 10-Feb. 14, 2024

How to … : An Informational Writing Contest

Following the example of the long-running Tip column from The New York Times Magazine, write a short description of how to do (almost) any task in 400 words or fewer.

As long as your topic is appropriate for a family newspaper, you can explain whatever you like, including tasks that Tip has already taken on. But you must find, interview and quote one expert on the subject throughout your piece.

Here are the rules and guidelines. Our step-by-step guide will walk you through the process, and our writing prompt can help you come up with an original topic.

Update, April 2: Winners have been announced!

Feb. 14-March 20, 2024

Where We Are: Photo Essays About Community

Inspired by the immersive New York Times series Where We Are , which focuses on young people and the spaces where they create community, we invite students to work alone or with others to make photo essays about the communities that interest them.

You can document any kind of offline community you like and feature people of any age. Then tell us about it by sending six to eight images with captions and a short introduction.

Feb. 28-March 27, 2024

Playing With Words: Our Vocabulary Video Contest

Produce a 15-second video about the meaning of one of our recent Words of the Day .

Here are the rules and guidelines , which are the same as last year’s except for one detail: You can work only with words published in our W.O.T.D. column between June 1, 2023, and Feb. 28, 2024.

For inspiration, take a look at the work of past winners .

March 13-May 1, 2024

Open Letters: Our New Opinion Writing Contest

Our Student Editorial Contest ran for a decade, and we received truly extraordinary work , but it’s time for a refresh. This year, we’re asking you to draw on the same skills and passions to make your case, but this time in the form of an open letter.

An open letter is a published letter of protest or appeal usually addressed to an individual, group or institution but intended for the general public. Think of the many “Dear Taylor Swift” open letters you can find online and on social media: Sure, they’re addressed to Ms. Swift, but they’re really a way for the writer to share opinions and feelings on feminism, or ticket sales, or the music industry, or … the list goes on.

As you might already know if you’ve read Martin Luther King’s famous Letter From Birmingham Jail , an open letter is a literary device. Though it seems on the surface to be intended for just one individual or group, and therefore usually reads like a personal letter (and can make readers feel they are somehow “listening in” on private thoughts), it is really a persuasive essay addressed to the public. This recent letter signed by over 1,000 tech leaders about the dangers of A.I. , this funny 2020 letter addressed to Harry and Meghan , and this video letter from young Asian-Americans to their families about Black Lives Matter are all examples of the tradition.

Now we’re inviting you to try it yourself. Write your own open letter, in 460 words or fewer, to anyone you like on any issue you care about, as long as it is also appropriate and meaningful for a general Times audience.

Here are the rules and guidelines , as well as a step-by-step guide and a related writing prompt to help you get started.

April 17-May 15, 2024

Live! Audio Stories: Our Podcast Contest

Make an original podcast of five minutes or less that informs or entertains listeners.

Here are this year’s rules and guidelines . For inspiration, listen to the work of past winners and visit the related writing unit .

June 7-Aug. 16, 2024

Updated! Voice and Choice: Our Summer Reading Contest

Updated, April 18: As we have for 14 years now, we’ll be asking you to tell us what got your attention in The Times and why. But this year, each week students can enter as they always have by submitting a short written response — or they can make a video up to 90 seconds long.

All School Year

Our Conversation Challenge for Weekly Current Events

We invite students to react to the news via our daily writing prompts , and each week, we publish a selection of their comments in a roundup for the world to read . We will also give a shout-out to new schools that join the conversation.

A Few More Details About Our Contests

Why do we run so many contests? We believe in student voice. We want young people to be active content creators, not just consumers. And we’re proud to offer places where they can create for an authentic audience of students, teachers, parents and other readers from around the world.

Here are more details:

The work students send us is always considered by our staff and other experts , including Times journalists, as well as educators from partner organizations or professional practitioners in a related field. Judging for our contests is blind. That means we see only the entries themselves, not student names or schools, when we make our decisions.

Winners get their work published on The Learning Network. Some may also be featured in a special section of the print New York Times.

Anyone who submits to our contests retains the copyright for the work, even after we publish it.

About two months after each contest closes, we’ll announce the winners, runners-up and honorable mentions. We usually celebrate dozens of students each time.

On the day each contest begins, we will add a link here, on this page, to the contest announcement so students and teachers can submit entries. All contests except Summer Reading begin and end on Wednesdays.

Students can enter as many contests as they want, but they can submit only one entry per contest. Our Summer Reading Contest, however, offers a fresh opportunity to submit each week for 10 weeks.

Students’ entries must be original and fundamentally their own. An entry must not be published elsewhere at the time of submission, including in a school newspaper, on a radio station’s website or in a literary magazine.

All of our contests are open to students around the world ages 13 to 19 who are in middle school or high school, except “What High School is Like in 2023,” which is open only to secondary students. College students cannot submit entries. However, high school students (including high school postgraduate students) who are taking one or more college classes can participate. Students attending their first year of a two-year CEGEP in Quebec can also participate. In addition, students ages 19 or under who have completed high school but are taking a gap year or are otherwise not enrolled in college can participate. Note: The children and stepchildren of New York Times employees are not eligible to enter these contests, nor are students who live in the same household as those employees.

Want to make sure you never miss a contest announcement? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter , or follow us on Twitter and Facebook .

We can’t wait to see what you’ll create this year!

Trending Post : Books Made Into Movies

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

This post may contain affiliate links.

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.

KEEP READING

Gifts for Young Writers  

Write a Novel in November

Writing Prompts for Kids

How to Make a Book Trailer

Persuasive Writing

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!

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The 18th National CLASS Essay Contest

OFFICIAL RULES

(Revised May  2021)

The contestant must be a student currently enrolled in a Mandarin Chinese program during the current school year at an elementary school, a middle school or a high school that is fully accredited by the regional Accreditation institutions like Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), or is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). 

The contestant’s teacher must be a current member of the Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools (CLASS). 

Essays must be written on the provided paper and hand written legibly. Any illegible writing will result in deducted points.  

Eligibility of Contest Entry: All entries must be student’s original independent work*. No contestant may use an essay by another contestant in previous years or resubmit an essay that was a previous submission. CLASS reserves** the right to disqualify contestants with identical essays.

It is the responsibility of the teacher to place the essay contest participants in the most appropriate category commensurate with the student’s background and training. CLASS reserves the right to disqualify a contestant who provides false background and training information.

Each CLASS member may submit up to ten essays in total. 

The length of the essay should be with the minimum of 100 characters, and the maximum of 540 characters (two writing sheets provided by the Essay Contest Committee). All punctuations should be marked in the grid of the writing sheet. 

Essay Contest results will be announced on/before January 31, 2022. Award certificates will be mailed to teachers after the results are finalized.

Each contestant must agree to compete in the assigned division and category as outlined below. Judge will evaluate the contestant’s writing in the division and category that has been registered by the teacher. 

     10. The topic for CLASS 2021 Essay Contest is:             You are going to write about life after the COVID-19 Pandemic. You may choose to write about what you want to do the most,  someone you want to visit the most, the impact the COVID-19 Pandemic had on you and your family/friends, or a story that has happened during the pandemic that you think it is worth writing about and worth sharing. Here are some suggested topics to consider including, but not limited to the following: 

疫情后我最想做的一件事

疫情后我最想见的一个人

疫情中最令我感动的一件事

疫情后我最想做的一件事 

疫情后我最想見的一個人 

疫情中最令我感動的一件事 

 11. Submission:  Please register your students by following this link . All submissions need to be in no later than Saturday, October 23, 2021.

All submissions will be online only this year. 

Copyright © 2024 CLASSK12 All Rights Reserved.

Civics Education Essay Contest

NCSC's 2022 Civics Education Essay Contest

NCSC's Civics Education Essay Contest gives 3rd-12th grade students the opportunity to understand and explain the importance and the role of the United States government. Winners receive a total of $3,000 in scholarship money.

The contest question is based on the American Bar Association's annual Law Day theme, which in 2022 is "Toward a More Perfect Union: The Constitution in Times of Change."

2022's Essay Contest question:

Which amendment to the u.s. constitution has made the biggest difference in people’s lives explain how and why..

Submit your entry using the form below. This is the preferred method of entry. However, hand-written essays may be submitted by mail to NCSC, c/o Deirdre Roesch, 300 Newport Avenue, Williamsburg, Va., 23185. If submitting my mail, please include the following on separate piece of paper: full name, school name, city, state, phone number, email (if applicable), teacher name and teacher email (if applicable).

• See contest rules and regulations .
• Download flyer to share with students.

A total of $3,000 in scholarship money will be awarded to the winners.

9th-12th grade:

• One (1) First Place: $1,000
• One (1) Second Place: $500
• One (1) Third Place: $250

6th-8th grade:

• One (1) First Place: $400
• One (1) Second Place: $200
• One (1) Third Place: $100

3rd-5th grade:

• One (1) First Place: $300
• One (1) Second Place: $150

Email Contest Manager  Deirdre Roesch with questions about the essay contest.

Contest history

Elementary school: Justice Sandra Day O'Connor believed that people should take part in their communities and government. What does it mean to be involved in your community? Can you think of ways you can help make your school or neighborhood a better place?

Middle/High School: Justice Sandra Day O'Connor stressed the importance of civic engagement. Discuss the role she believed citizens should play in shaping their communities and government. Why did she think that civic participation is so important to democracy?

Read the Media Release Read the winning essays

Elementary/Middle school: The First Amendment protects freedom of speech. What happens when people are free to say anything they want in person or online? For example, yelling "fire" in a crowded room or posting hateful words on social media. What kind of free speech situations require a judge or police officer to get involved to keep the peace? High school: In 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a high school cheerleader could not be punished in school for using curse words on social media when commenting about not making the cheer team while she was off school grounds. Do you think students should be held to the same standard when exercising their First Amendment right to freedom of speech whether they’re on or off school property? Decide if there are circumstances where students should be punished by a court of law for what they say or write to maintain civility.

Read the Press Release Read the winning essays Watch the winner's video

Question: Which Amendment to the U.S. Constitution has made the biggest difference in people’s lives? Explain how and why.

Read the press release. Read the winning entries Watch the winner's video

Question: What does the rule of law mean to you?

Read the winning entries.

Elementary/Middle school: Why is it so important that all citizens have the right to vote? High school: Is voting a right, privilege or responsibility? Why?

Read the press release. Read the winning entries.

America’s Field Trip

Contest is now closed. Another America’s Field Trip contest for the 2024-2025 school year will begin in/around September 2024. Sign up here to receive updates!

For those who entered the pilot America’s Field Trip contest, awardees will be notified in June 2024.

The Contest

What Does America Mean to You?

In 2026, the United States will mark our Semiquincentennial: the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Today’s young people are the leaders, innovators, and thinkers who will shape the next 250 years — and it’s important their voices are heard as we commemorate this historic milestone.

America’s Field Trip is a new contest that invites students across the country in grades 3–12 to be part of America’s 250th anniversary by sharing their perspectives on what America means to them — and earning the opportunity to participate in unforgettable field trip experiences at some of the nation’s most iconic historic and cultural landmarks.

Students may submit artwork, videos, or essays in response to the contest’s prompt: “What does America mean to you?”

America’s Field Trip contest is now closed. Awardees will be notified and announced in June 2024. Join our mailing list so you don’t miss the next America’s Field Trip contest for the 2024-2025 school year.

Sign Up for Updates

The Field Trips

Extraordinary Visits to Iconic National Landmarks

For the pilot America’s Field Trip contest, 25  first-place awardees from each grade level category will receive free travel and lodging for a 3-day, 2-night trip to a select historical or cultural site where they will experience one of the following:

• Tour of the Statue of Liberty in New York
• Tour and hike at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Montana
• Weekend at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado
• Unique tours at the National Archives or the Library of Congress in Washington, DC
• Special tours at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, National Museum of African American History and Culture, or the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC
• Explore America’s iconic financial capital, New York City, with private tours of Federal Reserve Bank of New York Museum and Learning Center and The Bank of New York Mellon , the country’s oldest bank
• Experience National Parks of Boston with a special visit to the USS Constitution and a sunset cruise to Spectacle Island
• Candlelight tour at Fort Point at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge
• Costumed roleplaying experience at American Village in Alabama

Second-place awardees will receive a $500 cash award. The teacher associated with the top scoring student submissions in each grade level category will receive a $1,000 cash award.

See full list of field trips

Submission Guidelines

• Elementary School (3rd to 5th Grade): Students may submit artwork, including physical or digital artwork through a high-res photo or a short essay (up to 100 words).
• Middle School (6th to 8th Grade): Students may submit artwork or a video (up to two minutes).
• High School (9th to 12th Grade): Students may submit an essay (up to 1,000 words) or a video (up to two minutes).

Judging Criteria

A diverse panel of judges consisting of current and former teachers will consider the submissions based on the following weighted criteria:

• CLARITY OF IDEA [25%]: How well does the Entrant use both their personal and academic experiences to clearly address the Question? Does the Entry effectively convey ideas, emotion, or a story visually or with words by acknowledging the past or celebrating America’s achievements and possibilities for the future? Does the response offer fresh insight and innovative thinking?
• STUDENT VOICE [50%]: Is there passion in the Entry or a point-of-view that showcases a unique perspective on the diverse range of different experiences that make America unique in an original/authentic way?
• PRESENTATION [25%]: What makes the submission content more compelling, fresh, or interesting than other Entrants’ content in their grade level category?

Want to stand out? Create something that feels special to you and has a personal touch. And remember, you don’t have to focus on our country’s past — you can talk about America’s future too. Finally, be creative and think outside the box!

Resources for Teachers

Teachers and school administrators will play an important role in engaging students and school communities in this contest and commemorating America’s 250th anniversary.

Students participating in the America’s Field Trip contest will be challenged to think critically about the nation’s journey to becoming a more perfect union, reflecting on the pivotal events and historical figures that have shaped the country.

Together with worldwide ed tech leader Discovery Education, America250 is sharing tools and resources to assist educators in bringing the America’s Field Trip contest to their classrooms. Access resources here.

In partnership with

Funding provided by The Bank of New York Mellon Foundation. Custom educational programming for students and teachers developed by Discovery Education.

What is America250?

America250 is a nonpartisan initiative working to engage every American in commemorating and celebrating the 250th anniversary of our country. It is spearheaded by the congressionally-appointed U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission and its nonprofit supporting organization, America250.org, Inc.

How can I bring America’s Field Trip into my classroom?

America250 partnered with Discovery Education, the worldwide edtech leader, to develop custom educational programming that helps students deepen their understanding of America’s 250th anniversary and encourages participation in the America’s Field Trip contest with ready-to-use resources and activities for teachers.

What should I submit?

Submission requirements differ by age group.

Elementary School ( 3rd to 5th Grade): Students are asked to submit artwork in response to the prompt or a short essay (up to 100 words). Artwork can include physical artwork like sculptures, painting, photography, etc. submitted through a high-res photo or a digital drawing.

Middle School (6th to 8th Grade): Students are asked to submit artwork or a video (up to two minutes).

High School (9th to 12th Grade): Students are asked to submit a written essay (up to 1,000 words) or a video (up to two minutes).

How will field trips be selected, and who will be chaperoning the trips?

Trips will be organized by America250 and chaperoned by the  recipient’s parent or legal guardian along with other field trip recipients. First-place awardees will get to express their preference for trips, and final locations will be determined based on age group, availability, and recipient preference.

Can students bring their families on their Field Trips?

Students are required to have one chaperone, which must be a parent or legal guardian.

Will America’s Field Trip programming continue after 2024?

Yes, this year is a pilot program that America250 hopes to grow and expand, including with more field trips and award recipients in 2025 and 2026.

Read the official contest rules here .

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The Comprehensive List of 2024 Writing Contests

• on Dec 14, 2023
• in International Writing Events
• Last update: March 13th, 2024
• at 11:45 am

Anyone who has participated in writing events before–such as NaNoWriMo –knows how effective it can be to write against the clock, and that’s where writing contests come in! These contests can be a great way to develop your skills, challenge yourself against other writers, and, above all else, win an award for your work!

Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, writing contests can be a great way to boost your skills, challenge yourself, and get your work in front of a wider audience. With so many contests to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start. That’s why we’ve put together this list of the top writing contests for 2024. Whether you’re interested in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or children’s writing, there’s sure to be a contest on this list that’s perfect for you. So what are you waiting for? Start writing and get your submissions in!

Mississippi Review Contest

Eligibility & Restrictions

The contest is open to all writers in English except current or former students or employees of The University of Southern Mississippi. Fiction and non-fiction entries should be 1000-8000 words; poetry entries should be three to five poems, totaling ten pages or less.

Mississippi Review Prize

Submit three to five poems totaling up to 10 pages, or a short story or an essay of 1,000 to 8,000 words,

Southeast Review: World’s Best Short-Short Story Contest

Send up to three short-short stories per submission. Each short-short should be no more than 500 words. Do not include personal identification information within your submissions.

Southeast Review: Gearhart Poetry Contest

Send up to three poems, no more than 10 pages total. Include no more than one poem per page. Do not include personal identification information within your submissions.

Southeast Review: Ned Stuckey-French Nonfiction Contest

Send essays up to 10 pages. Do not include personal identification information within your submissions.

Robert Watson Literary Prize

Entries must be previously unpublished. Length restrictions: no more than 7,500 words or 25 typed, double-spaced pages for fiction. Each story counts as one entry. Poetry entries can include any number of poems up to 10 pages, but they recommend 5 to 7 poems per submission.

The Letter Review Prize for Poetry

The submitted poem can be up to 70 lines. The Prize is open to anyone, from anywhere in the world. There are no style or subject restrictions: all poems welcome.

The Letter Review Prize for Short Stories

The submitted short stories can be up to 5000 words. The Prize is open to anyone, from anywhere in the world. There are no theme or genre restrictions: all entries welcome.

Gemini Magazine Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Submitted poems can be of any length, subject, or style. Each contestant can submit up to three poems.

Emma Howell Rising Poet Prize

Poets 35 years old and younger who have not previously published a book-length poetry manuscript are eligible. Poets who have previously published chapbooks are welcome to enter. Manuscripts that have been submitted in previous years may be resubmitted.

Jacobs/Jones African-American Literary Prize

Entry must be short prose by African-American writers in North Carolina. Entries may be fiction or creative non-fiction, but must be unpublished, no more than 3,000 words, and concerned with the lives and experiences of North Carolina African-Americans. Entries may be excerpts from longer works, but must be self-contained.

Immerse Education Essay Competition

The Immerse Education Essay Competition is open to entries from young people aged 12-18 interested in all subjects, from Architecture to Medicine, Creative Writing to Film Studies.

DISQUIET Prize

Anyone above 18 can enter. Only previously unpublished work in English can be submitted. Entries should be the work of a single author. For fiction: ONE short story or novel excerpt, maximum 25 (double-spaced) pages per entry. For non-fiction: ONE nonfiction piece or book excerpt, maximum 25 (double-spaced) pages per entry. For poetry: No more than SIX poems per entry, up to 10 pages total.

Fan Story 80 Word Flash Fiction Contest

A drabble is a flash fiction story that uses 80 words. That is the challenge of this contest. Write a story (on any topic) using 80 words. The title does not count towards the word count. The submitted work must be between 78 – 82 words.

The Winter Anthology Contest

Anyone can enter. Please send as much poetry or prose of which you are the sole author and that were not written earlier than 1999.

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

Essays can be no more than 1,000 words but must be a minimum of 700 words. Citations and bibliography are not included in the word count. Essays must be the original work of the student. Essays must have a minimum of five sources.

Colorado Prize for Poetry

The competition is open to anyone, except Colorado State University students, alumni, and employees. Manuscripts must be at least 48 pages but no more than 100 pages. They may be composed of any number of poems. The theme and style are both open. Manuscripts may consist of poems that have been published, but the manuscript as a whole must be unpublished.

William Matthews Poetry Prize

Submit 3 poems in a single file, any style, any subject, any length. Previously published work and translations are not eligible. Simultaneous submissions are accepted.

Desert Writers Award

The application requires a project proposal, a biographical statement, and a writing sample of no more than 10 pages. Please submit all materials in one document.

Rattle Chapbook Prize

Each poet may submit 15–30 pages of poems in English only (no translations). Individual poems may be previously published in any format, but the manuscript as a whole must be unpublished as a collection.

Driftwood Press Poem Contest

Submitters may send up to five poems in a single document for consideration. Each poem must not exceed sixty lines. Prose poetry, experimental poetry, and poetry with a visual element are all welcome. Any submissions should be written primarily in English.

Rose Post Creative Non-Fiction Contest

The competition is open to any writer who is a legal resident of North Carolina or a member of the North Carolina Writers’ Network. Simultaneous submissions are ok, but please notify them immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere. Each entry must be an original and previously unpublished manuscript of no more than 3,500 words.

Storytellers of Tomorrow Contest

All high-school-age students are invited to submit unpublished, original English-language stories of up to 2,000 words in length for the 9th Annual “Storytellers of Tomorrow” Contest. The sole criterion for earning prizes in this contest is simply overall quality, meaning that well-edited, engaging, and evocative stories have the best chance of winning over the judges.

Driftwood Press Short Story Contest

The entry should be between 1,000-5,000 words. The work must not have been previously published. Submit works written in English only, no translations.

Bethesda Essay Contest

Essays must be limited to 500 words or less about a topic of the writer’s choosing. Only one entry per person. Your essay must be your original work. Any essays containing material that is obscene or objectionable will be disqualified. Previously published essays are not eligible for Adult Submissions. Residents of Washington, D.C. and the select counties of Maryland (Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard and Frederick) and Virginia (Arlington, Fairfax, Alexandria) are eligible. High School entries must be residents or attend a school in Montgomery County, MD or Washington, D.C.

The Cooper Prize | Norwich Writers

Write a ghost short story (2000 words max) with a strong male character. Word Limit: 2000 words. It can be set in any time – present day, the past, or even a sci-fi ghost story set in the future.

NYC Midnight: The Short Story Challenge

There are four rounds of competition. In each round, writers are placed randomly in groups and are assigned a genre, subject, and character assignment. Writers have to write an original story based on the assignment within a given time limit. The word limit decreases in each round, from 2,500 words in the 1st Round to 1,250 words in the 4th Round

Law Day Contest

This contest is only open to students who live in Oklahoma. Entries are limited to one per student in each contest.

Fan Story My Faith Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Share a poem that is about your faith or how faith has impacted your life. Any type of poem accepted.

The Bournemouth Writing Prize

Anyone above 16 can enter. Short Story length: Up to 3000 words maximum. It can be about any topic and in any style. Poetry length: Up to 42 lines. They are looking for poetry that is fresh and unexpected.

This Sentence Starts The Story

Anyone can enter. Write a story that starts with this sentence: The house was empty. You have the option to put it in quotes (for dialogue) and to change the punctuation at the end for proper grammar.

Retreat West First Chapter Competition

Submit your first chapter only. International entries are welcome but first chapters must be written in English and can be up to 3,000 words (no minimum word count) and on any theme and subject (except children’s fiction).

Room 204 Writer Development Scheme

Please submit up to three examples of your creative writing. Your submission should total no more than 3,000 words – this is 3,000 words for all three examples, not 3,000 words each.

Ó Bhéal Five Words International Poetry Competition

Poems cannot exceed 50 lines in length (including line breaks), and must include all five words listed for the week. A modicum of poetic license is acceptable, as long as the original spelling is intact. Poems should be newly written, during this 7-day period. There is no limit to volume of entries. Entrants should be at least 18 years of age at the date of submission.

Fan Story Take A Photo Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a poem about a photo you’ve taken.

Oxford Flash Fiction Prize

All entries must be formatted as a single-spaced word document or PDF. Font: Arial, 12pt. This is to standardise entries so that all stories are treated equally. Only entries that are under the 1000-word limit (not including the title) will be accepted.

Magma Poetry Competition

The competition is open to anyone, including non-UK residents, except Magma Poetry Board members and their families. Poems may be on any subject, and must be in English and your own original work. They must not have been published, self-published or accepted for publication in print or online, broadcast, or have won or been placed in another competition at any time.

Pulp Fictional

All stories to be written in English. Stories must be your own work and not have been published, in any way, online or in print, or won any other competitions. Anyone over the age of 18 can enter. You can enter as many times as you want but must pay each time.

Parracombe Prize 2024

To enter this contest, simply submit a short story of no more than 2,023 words. Entries must be in English, your own original work, and must not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere.

The Kent and Sussex Poetry Society Open Competition

The competition is for anyone aged 16 and over, from anywhere in the world. Poems must be in English, your original work, on any subject, in any style, no longer than 40 lines. Poems should have neither been published elsewhere (including self-published) by 16th April 2024.

Fish Publishing Short Memoir Prize

The entries can’t have been previously published. Maximum number of words is 4,000 in English.

Lancashire Authors’ Association Open Competition

Anyone 16 or above can enter. The story must be exactly 100 words. Entries must be original, unpublished work which is not currently submitted for publication or entered into any other competition or award.

The BookLife Prize

Both unpublished or self-published books in the English language are eligible for the BookLife Prize. Entries must contain 40,000 to 100,000 words.

Clash of the Query Letters

One page—maximum 500 words. Only original, unpublished, unrepresented work may be submitted. Word documents & PDFs are accepted. The winning submissions will be published on the Chopping Blog. All entrants will be notified of winners and shortlist by email.

Arts & Letters Prize

Send only one submission per genre at any one time. In other words, submitting a short story and an essay at the same time is fine, but please wait to hear from them before submitting another story. All submissions must be typed and all prose double-spaced.

Norm Strung Youth Writing Awards

Students may enter one piece of writing between 500 and 1,000 words in length, typed, and double spaced. Each entry must be original work of the entrant, and have an out door theme.

Joe Gouveia Outermost Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Send up to 5 of your best unpublished poems, any style or subject matter, no more than 7 pages in total.

The Danuta Gleed Literary Award

All entries must be Canadian-authored titles published in English between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023 and available through bookstores and libraries. Only first collections of short fiction are eligible. Co-authored or multi-authored collections are not eligible. Posthumously published works are not eligible.

The Fiction Desk

Submitted stories should be between 1,000 and 10,000 words in length; please do not send anything longer or shorter than this. Most of the stories published are between about 2,000 and 7,000 words.

River of Words Competition

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. Poems should not exceed 32 lines in length (written) or 3 minutes (signed). For ASL poetry, please include a brief written summary of the poem’s content.

Cambridge Autumn Festival Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. The word limit is 1500 words.The theme for this year’s competition is “The Dilemma” .

Teignmouth Poetry Festival Open Poetry Competition

Poems may be on any subject, must be the original work of the entrant, unpublished and not accepted for publication in any medium. They must not have been awarded a prize in any other competition. Poems should be in English and not exceed 40 lines of text, no minimum. Titles, epigraphs, dedications and blank lines are not included in the line count.

The British Haiku Society Poetry competition

Anyone can enter. Submissions must be in English, unpublished and not concurrently entered for any other competition, and remain unpublished until the results are declared. Submissions should not appear in any print or online publication, social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), or forums as the competition is anonymous. There is no limit on the number of submissions per competitor.

The Tampa Review Prize for Poetry

Entrants should submit a collection of poems. Manuscripts must be previously unpublished. Some or all of the poems in the collection may have appeared in periodicals, chapbooks, or anthologies, but these must be identified. Manuscripts must be at least 48 typed pages. The preferred length is between 60 and 100 pages.

Cheshire Prize for Literature

The writer must have been born, live or have lived, study or have studied, work or have worked, in Cheshire. Entry must be an original and previously unpublished. You must have your parent’s or guardian’s consent to enter the competition if you are under the age of 18.

Fiction Factory Flash Fiction Competition

The max length of the story shouldn’t be more than 1,000 words, sent as a Word document. All types of stories are welcome (excluding Children’s and Young Adult Fiction).

Ethos Literacy Annual Short Short Story Contest

The story cannot be longer than 100 words. Write on one of these topics: bicycles, eclipse, fire, suitcase.

National High School Poetry Contest

Entrants must be a high school student or a home-schooled student in grades nine through twelve. Students from anywhere in the United States may enter. Poems may be in rhyme, free verse, Haiku or other accepted poetry forms and of any length, up to a maximum of 40 lines. No entry may have been previously published.

EngineerGirl Essay Contest

Elementary school student stories must be no more than 800 words. Middle school student essays must be no more than 1,000 words. High school student essays must be no more than 1,200 words. You must also include a reference list of 8 resources. Each resource should be listed using the APA citation style.

St. Gallen Symposium Esay Competition

Essay (max. 2,100 words, excl. abstract, bibliography, and footnotes). Individual work expected, no group work allowed. The essay must be written exclusively for this contest. The idea must be the author’s own.

Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award

Write a 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.

Winter Flash Fiction Writing Battle

1000 Word limit (not including title page). Name or address cannot be written anywhere. All stories are separated into their respective genres and each compete in a single-elimination tournament specific to its genre.

Border Crossing Contest

For flash fiction genre: Up to 1000 words per flash fiction submission. Microfiction up to 400 words apiece is also accepted. Submit no more than two flashes or micros, up to 1000 words total, in one single document. For poetry genre: Submit 3-5 poems in one document up to 10 pages.

Bath Flash Fiction Award

Anyone above 16 can enter. Entries can be on any theme or subject but must be original and written in English. They must also be for adult or young adult readers. Non-fiction and fiction written for children under 13 years are not eligible. Max length is 300 words. Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast or won a prize.

Fan Story 20 Syllable Poem Contest

Write a poem that has exactly 20 syllables in any format.

NFPW Communications Contest for High School Students

All 2024 contest entries must have been published, e-published, broadcast, or issued between February 1, 2023, and January 31, 2024. Entries must be produced by a current high school student or a recently graduated student who produced the work in their senior year after February 1, 2023. Entries must have been professionally published/produced or published/produced by a school or professional publication in a recognized medium for the category such as a school, local or national newspaper, a website, a school, local or national television production and the like.

NFPW Communications Contest for Professionals

The NFPW Communications contest is open to anyone regardless of gender, professional status or location. College students do not have to be 18 to enter any of the categories in the Collegiate Division. High school students may enter the professional contest if they are acting in a professional capacity.

The Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize

The work you submit must be unpublished, and must not have been accepted for future publication or self-published. In addition, anyone who has previously had a full-length novel accepted for publication is not eligible to enter. Entrants must be resident in the UK or Ireland.

Fan Story 3-6-9 Poem Contest

Anyone can enter. The poem should have three stanzas. The subject can be anything.

Hachette Children’s Novel Award

Living in the North of England at the time of entering and planning to remain there for at least another 12 months. Over the age of 18. A debut author of middle-grade and early teen fiction. Please submit your initial 3000-6000 words and synopsis.

Northern Writers’ Awards for Poetry

Living in the North of England at the time of entering and planning to remain there for at least another 12 months. Over the age of 18. Working on a full-length collection of poetry.

Northern Debut Awards: Poetry

Living in the North of England at the time of entering and planning to remain there for at least another 12 months. Over the age of 18. A debut poet: you may have published a pamphlet and had individual poems in magazines and anthologies but you should not yet have published a full collection.

Northumbria University Student and Alumni Award

Living in the North of England at the time of entering and planning to remain there for at least another 12 months. Over the age of 18. A final-year undergraduate; current postgraduate student or alumni who has graduated from an undergraduate or postgraduate programme at Northumbria University within the last ten years.

Young Northern Writers’ Awards

This award is open to young writers aged 11-18 in the North of England. Young writers can submit creative work in any form including prose, poetry, scriptwriting, blogging, songwriting and rap. This award is made possible through New Writing North’s partnership with their lead partner Northumbria University.

Matthew Hale Award

This award is for a young person aged 11-18 based in the North of England. Entrants must be 18 years or under on 12 February 2024 when the awards close. Young writers can submit creative work in any form including prose, poetry, scriptwriting, blogging, songwriting and rap.

Writers’ & Artists’ Short Story Competition

Submit a short story (for adults) of no more than 2,000 words on the theme of ‘risk’.

IndieReader Discovery Awards

Only books that have been either self-published or published by an independent publisher and have an ISBN or ASN can enter.

Next Generation Indie Book Awards

The 2024 Next Generation Indie Book Awards is open to all indie book authors and publishers including independent publishers (small, medium or otherwise), university presses, self-published authors, e-book authors, seasoned authors and even first time authors in the U.S., Canada or internationally who have a book, a manuscript, or a galley proof written in English and published in 2022, 2023 or 2024 or with a 2022, 2023 or 2024 copyright date.

Adventures in Fiction Spotlight First Novel Award

Current and previous apprentices are not eligible. Novelists commercially published (in English) are not eligible. Self published writers are eligible.

Achievement Awards in Writing

The contest accepts submissions in any genre, as long as they are original, unpublished, and written in English. The submissions must be based on a specific theme developed by the Achievement Awards Advisory Committee. The contest is open to schools in the United States, US territories, Canada, and American Schools Abroad that are US accredited. The submissions are only accepted from teachers; students may not self-nominate

Promising Young Writers Program

Ambroggio prize.

U.S. Citizen. Poets are not eligible to apply if they have studied with the judge in full-time accredited courses within the last three years. Works translated into Spanish from another language are ineligible.

Morton and McCarthy Prizes

This contest is open to any short fiction writer of English. Employees and board members of Sarabande Books, Inc. are not eligible. Works that have previously appeared in magazines or in anthologies may be included. Translations and previously published collections are not eligible. Length: between 150-250 pages.

Anchorage Annual Statewide Creative Writing Contest

The contest is open to Alaska residents. College students who maintain Alaska residency may enter. All judges, editorial or administrative employees of Anchorage Daily News, faculty or administrative employees of the University of Alaska and board members of the Alaska Center for the Book, and their immediate family are ineligible. Work published previously in any copyrighted newspaper, magazine, book or other medium is ineligible. Writing for school publications may be entered. Entries must be original. Contestants may enter one work of fiction (not to exceed 5,000 words), one work of non- fiction (not to exceed 5,000 words), and up to three poems. A contestant may enter all categories in his or her age group.

Writing Press: Sci-fi & Fantasy Contest

You must be at least 18 years old. There are no location restrictions, but you must comply with your local laws regarding online competitions and prize money. Word Count: 500 – 1,500.

Harold Morton Landon Translation Award

U.S. Citizens. Only books published in the United States during 2023 are eligible for the 2024 prize. Books must be published in a standard edition (48 pages or more). Collaborations by up to two translators are eligible.

Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards

Contestants must be current high school seniors at a public high school in the United States graduating Spring of 2024; 21 years of age and under; plan to enroll in an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or approved vocational-technical school Fall 2024.

3 Minute Drama Competition

The length of any entry into any category should not exceed three minutes in performance, and you are advised to time the entry’s performance before submitting. The maximum word count for a story entry is 500 words.

Short Prose Competition

Original, unpublished fiction or nonfiction up to 2,500 words in the English language. Writers who have had no more than one book published (traditionally or self-published) in any genre or language and who are not currently under contract for a second book. Writers not published in book format are also eligible. Writers must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada.

Fan Story Nonet Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. It has to be a nonet, but it can be on any subject and rhyming is optional.

The Christopher Tower Poetry Competition

Entrants must be at least 16 years of age, and under 19 years of age, on 23 February 2024. Entrants must be in full or part-time education at a school, college or other educational institution in the United Kingdom. Students enrolled on higher education courses are not eligible to enter the competition. Entries for the Tower Poetry Prize 2023 must be on the designated theme. Entries must be written in English, and be no more than 48 lines in length.

The Elmbridge Literary Competition

Short stories must be in English, previously unpublished and a maximum length of 1000 words (8-13 years) or 1500 words (14+). Poems must be in English, previously unpublished and a maximum length of 30 lines typed, using a standard, legible font, double-spaced on single sides of A4 paper.

Fan story Horror Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. The contest accepts entries in the genre of horror or thriller

Fan Story Share A Story In A Poem Contest

Anyone can enter. In this contest you are challenged to write a poem that tells a story and also rhymes.

Fish Publishing Flash Fiction Prize

Maximum number of words is 300. The title is not included in the word limit. The winning stories must be available for the Fish Anthology, and therefore must not have been published previously. Fish holds publishing rights for one year after publication, after which publishing rights revert to the author

Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest

Entrants must be Canadian (citizen or resident). Submissions must be unpublished, nor can they have been accepted for publication elsewhere. Submissions are accepted online only.

The Annual Lancaster Writing Award

The word limit for criticism and fiction is 1500 words. The limit for poems is 25 lines. The limit for screenplays is 8 pages. Essays you have written at school are eligible for entry. To enter you must be in year 12 or 13.

Red Hen Press Women’s Prose Prize

25,000 word minimum, 80,000 word maximum. Entries will be accepted via Submittable only. The award is open to all women writers with the following exceptions: Authors who have had a full-length work published by Red Hen Press, or a full-length work currently under consideration by Red Hen Press, employees, interns, or contractors of Red Hen Press, and relatives of employees or members of the executive board of directors.

WOW! Women on Writing Creative non-fiction Essay Contest

All women can enter. Entries should be creative non-fiction in English. Maximum words: 750. Minimum words: 250.

Fiction Factory First Chapter + Synopsis Competition

Send a maximum of 5,000 words of your First Chapter only. (If your opening chapter is longer, send the entire chapter but clearly mark the 5,000 word point). In the same document, send a one page synopsis (not included in the word-count).

Blue Mesa Review Writing Contest

This competition is open to original English language works in the genres of Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction. The submission must be an unpublished work. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable.

Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition

The international competition is open to all – both published and unpublished authors from all over the world – and is for short stories of up to 3,500 words. The story cannot have been previously published anywhere, or shortlisted for this competition.

Flash 500 Short Stories Competition

Stories should range between 1,000 and 3,000 words, with strong characters, a well-crafted plot and realistic dialogue (where used).

Southword Poetry Prize

They welcome submissions of up to four poems . If your work has been selected from an unsolicited submission and published in Southword before, they will ask that you please don’t submit for one year before submitting again.

The Canterbury Tales Writing Competition

The competition is 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. The maximum word count is 500 words. There is no minimum word count.

The Isobel Lodge Award

The Scottish Arts Club Short Story Competition is open to all writers worldwide, published and unpublished. You do not have to be Scottish to enter the competition. Word limit: 2,000 words (not including the title)

The Debut Dagger Award

The international competition, open to anyone in the world writing in English, is for the opening of a crime novel (max. 3,000 words) and synopsis (max. 1,500 words). The crime novel – of any subgenre; including but not limited to thriller, noir, cosy mystery, suspense, police procedural; spy story and crossover of any kind – should be suitable for adults or young adults. Entries are eligible from writers who have never had a contract for a full-length novel of any kind and who don’t have an agent when the competition closes at the end of February. Entrants may not have self-published their entry, and must not have self-published any novel over 20,000 words in the five years preceding the deadline.

The Plaza Prizes: Poetry

Poems can be in any style or form, but must be in English, and written for adults. Maximum 60 lines. Enter the correct version of your work. If you make a mistake, entry fees will not be refunded.

The Exeter Writers Short Story Competition

You can submit as many individual stories as you wish, each as a separate entry. All entries must be accompanied by an entrance fee, which is paid via the PayPal button on the entry form. Simultaneous submissions are not allowed. Stories must have neither been previously published nor won a prize in any other competition.

BSFS Poetry Contest

Entries should address the themes of science fiction/fantasy/horror/science. Limit: 3 poems/person, maximum 60 lines each.

Blue Mesa Awards: Poetry

Submissions must be unpublished. They accept submissions of up to 3 poems

Blue Mesa Awards: Fiction

Blue Mesa Review accepts previously unpublished work in Fiction (up to 6,000 words).

Blue Mesa Awards: Non Fiction

Blue Mesa Review accepts previously unpublished work in Nonfiction of up to 6,000 words.

The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize

Applicants must be aged 18 or above at the time of entry. All entries must be written in English. Submissions must be standalone and cannot be extracts from a larger piece. A maximum of 2,500 words per entry.

Fan Story: Faith Flash Contest

Anyone can enter. Write exactly 300 words. Title does not count in word count. Fiction or non-fiction welcomed.

Fan Story 2-4-2 Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a 2-4-2 syllable poem. The subject can be anything.

Ada Cambridge Biographical Prose Prize

This prize is open to all writers over 18 years of age who live in Victoria. Each writer can submit a single biographical story between 1000 and 3000 words in length.

Ada Cambridge Poetry Prize

This prize is open to all poets over 18 years of age who live in Victoria. Each poet can submit up to two poems with a maximum length of 30 lines each.

Ada Cambridge Short Story Prize

This prize is open to writers between 14 and 18 years of age who live, work or study in the western suburbs of Melbourne. Each writer can submit a single story that is no more than 1000 words in length.

True Story Contest

Anyone can enter. Share a true story from your life. Write a story that shares a moment, an object, a feeling, etc. This does not have to be a profound memory, but should allow readers insight into your feelings, observations and/or thoughts. Use at least 100 words. No poetry.

Full Bleed Fifth Issue Poetry Contest

Send no more than five poems in a single PDF or Word file. Each poem should appear on its own page.

Full Bleed Fifth Issue Essay Contest

In addition to feature-length essays of up to 7000 words, Full Bleed publishes shorter, recurring columns of approximately 1000 to 2000 words.

Full Bleed Fifth Issue Fiction Contest

Full Bleed typically publishes one to two pieces of short fiction in each issue. Given the dearth of journals that consider long-form fiction, thry will consider submissions up to 7000 words in length, though their tendency has been to select stories under 3000 words.

James Jones First Novel Fellowship

Entrants must have never published a novel, are U.S. citizens or permanent residents of America with Green Cards, and may have published any other type of work including non-fiction articles and short stories. A two-page (maximum) outline or synopsis of the entire novel and the first 50 pages of the novel-in-progress are to be submitted. A specific format for the outline or synopsis is not required.

Lazuli Literary Group Writing Contest

Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays, philosophical ruminations, experimental pieces, stage plays, fragments, and excerpts are all acceptable. You may submit multiple pieces as long as each is accompanied by a separate entry fee. One poetry submission may include up to 5 unrelated (or related) poems. Page limit for any type of submission: 150 pages.

The Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest

Entrants must be Canadian (citizen or resident). Submissions must be unpublished, nor can they be accepted for publication elsewhere. Submissions are accepted online only.

Oklahoma Poem Contest

Only Oklahoma residents are eligible to enter. Poems will be judged in 4 categories: K-4th, 5th-8th, 9th-12th, and Adult. The maximum length for poems is 30 lines. Poems can be rhymed or unrhymed. One poem per person.

Minds Shine Bright’s Annual Competition

Each entry must be original, unpublished fiction or poetry written by the submitting author and included the theme of Light and Shadow in some way. No brand references are allowed. The word limit for each entry is 2500 words.

Dream One Quest Poetry Contest

Poetry Contest entries may be written on any subject, theme, style, or form. All poems must be 30 lines or fewer and either neatly handwritten or typed, using single or double-line spacing.

Dream One Quest Writing Contest

Writing Contest entries may be written on a maximum of (5) pages, either neatly handwritten or typed, with single or double line spacing, on any subject or theme.

Rubery Book Award

Your entry must either be self published or published by an independent press. Authors and publishers can enter books.

The Fish Poetry Prize 2024

Anyone can enter. Poem length is restricted to 60 lines. The title is not included in the word limit, and it must be in English. The winning poem must be available for the Fish Anthology and, therefore, must not have been published previously. Fish will hold publishing rights for one year only after publication.

The Plaza Prizes: Prose Poetry

All entries are judged anonymously. Entries will be disqualified if they are over the 50 line limit, and there will be no refund. Entries must be entirely your own work.

Jack L. Chalker Young Writers’ Contest

Submissions shall be no more than 2,500 words in length. Contestants shall be no younger than 14 and no older than 18 years of age as of May 29 in the contest year and shall reside or attend school in Maryland.

Gemini Magazine Short Story Contest

Anyone can enter. Any length, any subject, any style

Nature and Place Poetry Competition

Poems must have a title and must be no more than 40 lines, excluding the title, and be typed in black ink on one side of A4. Poems must be the original work of the entrant and must not have been published, self-published or published online or broadcast. Poems are judged anonymously so the poet’s name, address, etc., MUST NOT appear on the poem.

Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Length limit: 250 lines maximum. Authors from all countries eligible except Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions). The poem you submit should be in English.

The Claymore Award

The contest is limited to only the first 50 double-spaced pages of unpublished English-language manuscripts containing elements of thriller, mystery, crime, or suspense NOT currently under contract.

The American Foreign Service Association’s National High School Essay Contest

Students whose parents are not in the Foreign Service are eligible to participate if they are in grades nine through twelve in any of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories, or if they are U.S. citizens/lawful permanent residents attending high school overseas.

Fan Story Non-Fiction Writing Contest

Recommended length is 5,000 words or less. This contest is open to all members. Past contest winners can join the contest. One entry per person. New entries to the site only. If you already posted a work on FanStory.com that work is not eligible for the contest.

Minute Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The Minute Poem is a poem that follows the “8,4,4,4” syllable count structure. It must have 12 lines total and 60 syllables.

Fan story 100 Word Flash Fiction

Anyone can enter. The entry should be exactly 100 words.

Two Line Poem Contest

Anyone can enter. Write an essence poem. The poem should be of two lines with six syllables per line, each containing an internal rhyme and an ending rhyme.

Ver Poets Open Competition

Anyone 16 and above can enter. Poems should not have been published, or accepted for publication, in print or online. They should not have won prizes in other competitions, be simultaneously entered for other competitions or be translations of other poets’ work. Poems must be your own original work and may be on any theme. Length: no longer than 30 lines.

Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prize

Electronic submissions only. Do not include any preambles, or bios within your submitted manuscript. Manuscripts must have a table of contents. Manuscripts must be typed in a no less than 12-point font, paginated, and 48 – 84 pages in length (single spaced).

Free Verse Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. No restrictions.

Tadpole Press: 100-Word Writing Contest

Word Limit: 100 words or less per entry. Writers: All ages. All genders. All nationalities. All writers welcome. Genre: Any genre. Theme: Creativity.

The Peseroff Prize Poetry Contest

Poems should be previously unpublished. All entries will be considered for publication. They accept simultaneous submissions, but please notify Breakwater if submission is accepted elsewhere.

Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest

This contest is international and open to people of all ages. Residents of the following countries are not eligible to enter: Syria, Iran, North Korea, Crimea, Russia, or Belarus (due to US government restrictions).

World Historian Student Essay Competition

Only students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs can apply. Past winners may not compete in the same category again. The entry should be approximately 1,000 words.

5-7-5 Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The entry should be a 5-7-5 poem that follows the structure of a Haiku but without any limitation to the topic.

James Laughlin Award

The award is given to honor a second book of poetry forthcoming in the next calendar year. The award is open to any poet who meets one of the eligibility criteria on the date of the application deadline, such as being a U.S. citizen, a resident of the U.S. for the ten-year period prior to the deadline, or having a certain immigration status. The award is open to books under contract with a U.S. publisher and scheduled to be published between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025. The books must be at least 48 pages long and written in English.

Four Line Poem Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a four line poem that has a specific syllable count. The subject can be anything.

Fan story 15 Syllable Poem

Anyone can enter. Write a poem with exactly 15 syllables.

Fan Story Flash Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. Entry should be exactly 150 words.

Write The World Poetry & Spoken Word Competition

Script pipeline tv writing contest.

Cover page should include the title, but remove any contact information (name, email address, etc.). Logline and genre on the title page as well is preferred. Co-writers are allowed. List each writer’s name when registering your script. Script should be an original pilot. We will not be accepting spec scripts of existing shows.

The Bridport Novel Prize

Entries should not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere, in print or online, by a mainstream or an independent publisher. Non-fiction and fiction for children are not eligible. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and by submitting you are confirming the work is your own. Any evidence to the contrary will result in disqualification. Co-authored work is not eligible.

The Bridport Short Story Prize

5,000 words max. No minimum. Title not included in the word count. You can submit multiple entries to the competition as long as each entry is paid for individually and includes a separate entry form.

The Bridport Poetry Prize

42 lines max. No minimum. Title not included in the line count. Dedications not included in the line count. Lines between text stanzas not counted. You can submit multiple entries to the competition as long as each entry is paid for individually and includes a separate entry form.

The Bridport Flash Fiction Prize

250 words max. No minimum. Title not included in the word count. You can submit multiple entries to the competition as long as each entry is paid for individually and includes a separate entry form.

The Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing

Fiction manuscripts must be complete. Nonfiction submissions must consist of either a complete manuscript, or a sample of at least 25,000 words and a detailed proposal that includes a synopsis and an annotated table of contents. All submissions must be in English—translations are welcome. Candidates must be first-generation residents of their country. “First-generation” can refer either to people born in another country who relocated, or to residents of a country whose parents were born elsewhere.

Writers’ Digest Annual Writing Competition

Online Entry forms must have the word/line/page count listed where requested. Count refers to all words making up the story (no matter the number of letters in the word). Do not count the title or contact information in the word count.

Fan Story Write A Script Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a script of any size (can be a small script) for any medium on any topic.

Fan Story Faith Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The theme of this poetry contest is “faith”.

Ocean Awareness Contest

Students ages 11-18 from around the world are invited to participate. They must provide the contact information for an Adult Sponsor: a teacher, parent, guardian, mentor, or other supporting adult. Entries submitted previously to the Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest will not be considered in the 2024 Contest. The use of AI-generators, like ChatGPT or DALL-E, is considered plagiarism.

Narrative Magazine: Narrative Prize

Submissions are accepted only through the electronic submission system. Submissions through postal services or email aren’t accepted. All manuscripts should be in 12-point type, with at least one-inch margins, and sequentially numbered pages. Fiction and nonfiction should be double-spaced. Poetry should be single-spaced.

Living Springs Publishers Baby Boomer Plus Contest

Submitted stories must: Be between 900 and 5000 words, written in the English language, wholly the original work of the entrant, written solely by the entrant, and the author must own all rights to the story.

Non Fiction Chapbook Prize

Each manuscript should consist of a single essay in a standard 12-point font. Submitted essays may be novelette-length, up to 17,000 words (55 manuscript pages).

Tanka Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. For this contest you are challenged to write a Tanka poem, which follows a specific syllable count.

Fan Story 3 Line Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The poem has to have a syllable count of either 5-7-5 or 5-7-7. It shouldn’t rhyme. But the poem must address a loved one.

CYGNUS Book Awards for Science Fiction | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence.

The Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. Ebteries must be original and unpublished. Each entry must consist of a single sentence. The entry shouldn’t go beyond 50 or 60 words.

Chanticleer: The Journey Awards

Winning writers north street book prize.

Anyone can enter except those from Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea, Russia, and Belarus (due to US government restrictions). Length limit: 200,000 words maximum in English. You may submit a collection of short stories or essays as a single entry.

Student Book Scholars Contest

Each entry must incorporate the theme of Anti-Bullying. One book entry per team. Each book must be between 20 and 30 pages. The cover, dedication and back pages do not count towards this number.

Fan Story Love Poem Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. But it must clearly be a love poem.

Fan Story ABC Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a one-stanza, five-line poem.

Polar Expressions National Poetry and Short-Story Contest

All work must be original and will be checked for plagiarism. Entries should not have been previously published. You may enter one poem and/or one short story only! Poems must be 48 lines or less.Contest is open to Canada residents only.

Chanticleer: The Goethe Awards

Ozma book awards for fantasy fiction | sword & sorcery fiction | chanticleer book reviews, anthology magazine short story competition.

To enter, submit an original, unpublished short story, written in English with a maximum of 1,500 words. There is no limit to the number of entries you can submit. Each submission will require a separate entry form and is subject to a separate entry fee.

Sydney Hammond Memorial Short Story Writing Competition

Anyone can enter. Theme: Detour. Length: maximum 1,000 words. Stories can be a fictional tale or a tale inspired by a true story.

Fan Story Cinquain Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Entries must adhere to the contest’s syllable specifications. Share a cinquain poem. The format for this type of poem is simple. Each line has a specific number of syllables.

Rhyming Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a poem that has a rhyme scheme. How it rhymes is up to you.

Gemini Magazine Flash Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. Maximum length: 1,000 word. Any subject, any style

Chanticleer: The Chatelaine Awards

Chanticleer: the gertrude warner awards, adventures in fiction new voices competition.

The competition is open to aspiring novelists in all genres, regardless of location. (Adventures in Fiction has a broad national and international client base.) Novelists commercially published (in English) are not eligible. Current and previous apprentices are not eligible.

Chanticleer Cozy and Not-So-Cozy Mystery Book Awards

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence,.

Chanticleer Historical Fiction Pre-1750s Writing Contest

Chanticleer: the laramie awards, hearten book awards for uplifting non-fiction works | chanticleer book reviews.

Books must be 40,000 plus words.Books may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published books must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence.

Chanticleer: The Dante Rossetti Awards

Chanticleer: the clue book awards, chanticleer: the little peeps awards.

Early Readers and Picture Books may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence.

Miller Williams Poetry Prize

Anyone can enter. Length: Manuscripts must be between sixty and ninety pages. The manuscript must be previously unpublished. Individual poems may have been published in chapbooks, journals, and anthologies. Work in translation is not accepted.

Anthology Flash Fiction Competition

To enter, submit an original, unpublished flash fiction piece, written in English with a maximum of 250 words. There is no limit to the number of entries you can submit. Each submission will require a separate entry form and be subject to a separate entry fee.

Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest

Length limit: 250 lines maximum per poem. No restriction on age of author. Authors from all countries eligible except Syria, Iran, North Korea, Crimea, Russia, and Belarus (due to US government restrictions). Final judge: Michal ‘MJ’ Jones, assisted by Briana Grogan and Dare Williams.

The Raven Short Story Contest

This contest is for previously unpublished short fiction between 250 and 2500 words in length. Multiple entries are welcomed. Total entries limited to 200.

Non-Fiction Investigative and Journalistic Works | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Works may be published on the web or in print or may be non-published. E-pubs accepted. Word Documents and PDFs are accepted. International entries are accepted but they must be written in the English language.

Business, Technology, and Enterprise Non-Fiction Guides and How-To Book Awards | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Books may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published books must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence, please.

Global Thriller Book Awards for High Stakes Thrillers | Chanticleer International Book Awards

Paranormal writing competition | chanticleer book reviews, i & i book awards for non-fiction guides and how-to | chanticleer international book awards, anthology poetry competition.

Submit an original, unpublished poem, written in English with a maximum of 40 lines. There is no limit to the number of entries you can submit. There is no age limit. All poems are judged anonymously and therefore the poet’s name must not appear on the poem itself. Name and contact details should be on the entry form only.

CIBA Fiction Series Book Awards | Chanticleer Book Reviews

20c wartime historical fiction | chanticleer book reviews, satirical & allegorical fiction book awards | chanticleer book reviews, contemporary & literary novel writing contest | chanticleer book reviews, the prime number magazine 53-word story contest.

Your story must be 53 words—no more, no less—titles are not included in the word count. Stories not meeting this rule will be disqualified. Send only stories; poetry with line breaks will not be considered. Hyphenated words count as one word. One submission per person. There are no age restrictions.

New Guard Fiction Contest

Anyone above 18 can enter. Up to three poems per entry. Submit up to 5,000 words: anything from flash fiction to the long stories. Please submit previously unpublished work only. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, provided they’re notified upon publication elsewhere.

Cranked Anvil Short Story Competition

Your story/stories can be any theme or genre, but must be a maximum of 1,500 words (not including the title).

Shooter Literary Magazine: Shooter Flash Competition

Stories up to 1,000 words long on any theme/genre are welcomed . Stories must be no longer than 1,000 words excluding title. Stories may be submitted at any time as submissions are open on a rolling basis. Stories can be previously published or unpublished, and writers may submit multiple stories for consideration.

There are a variety of writing contests to choose from, so you’ll surely find one that’s a good fit for your skills and interests. Whether you’re a fiction writer, a nonfiction writer, or a poet, there’s a contest right here for you. And if you’re participating in any of them this year, then best of luck to you!

Amazing Writing Retreats to Attend in 2024

The 2024 International Book Fairs Calendar

Best Writing Residencies in 2024 for Emerging Writers

The Best Writing Conferences and Workshops to Attend in 2024

Sondra Hardy

I am a self-published author and was wondering if there are any genres for Africa American novels? I wrote one that is a historical romance fiction.

Please Advise & Thank You, Sondra Hardy

Hi Sondra Hardy,

Thank you for reaching out and congratulations on being a self-published author! 🙂

While our list doesn’t have any contests for African-American novels, the Jacobs/Jones African-American Literary Prize is for African-American writers in North Carolina writing short prose: https://www.ncwriters.org/programs/competitions/jacobs-jones-african-american-literary-prize/

You can also check out the following contests: – The Hurston/Wright Legacy Award: https://www.hurstonwright.org/awards/legacy-awards – The Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence: https://ernestjgainesaward.org – Phillis Wheatley Book Awards Eligibility

Hope this helps 🙂

Jad Abou Ibrahim

I hope this message finds you in good health.

I am an aspiring (first-time) author who is about to polish up a Children’s Chapter book. The manuscript is at least 13,600 words and without illustrations.

Which competition would you recommend I enlist in so I can submit my manuscript?

Thank you in advance for your precious time.

Best regards, Jad Abou Ibrahim

Hello Jad Abou Ibrahim,

Thank you for reaching out! As a first-time author with a Children’s Chapter book, you have several exciting options for submitting your manuscript to writing contests. Check out the following contest:

The Bath Children’s Novel Award: https://bathnovelaward.co.uk/childrens-novel-award/

Best of luck with your manuscript, and may your writing journey be filled with creativity and success! 📚✨

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Best Essay Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 54 contests that match your search.

International Voices in Creative Nonfiction Competition

Vine Leaves Press

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

Small presses have potential for significant impact, and at Vine Leaves Press, we take this responsibility quite seriously. It is our responsibility to give marginalized groups the opportunity to establish literary legacies that feel rich and vast. Why? To sustain hope for the world to become a more loving, tolerable, and open space. It always begins with art. That is why we have launched this writing competition.

Additional prizes:

Book publication

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: July 01, 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

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

💰 Entry fee: $12

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)

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Environmental Writing 2024

Write the World

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

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 (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)

Irene Adler Prize

Lucas Ackroyd

Genres: Essay, Non-fiction, and Travel

I’ve traveled the world from Sweden to South Africa, from the Golden Globes to the Olympic women’s hockey finals. I’ve photographed a mother polar bear and her cubs and profiled stars like ABBA, Jennifer Garner and Katarina Witt. And I couldn’t have done it without women. I’ve been very fortunate, and it’s time for me to give back. With the Irene Adler Prize, I’m awarding a $1,000 scholarship to a woman pursuing a degree in journalism, creative writing, or literature at a recognized post-secondary institution.

2x honorable mentions: $250

📅 Deadline: May 30, 2024

Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest

Ayn Rand Institute

Atlas Shrugged is a mystery story, not about the murder of a man’s body, but about the murder—and rebirth—of man’s spirit. We seek exceptional essays of up to 1600 words that analyze its themes and ideas. High school to graduate students worldwide are invited to participate.

📅 Deadline: June 14, 2024

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

📅 Deadline: June 15, 2024

Personal Essay Competition 2024

Genres: Essay and Memoir

We want to hear about an experience in your life, rife with characters and description and conflict and scene… but we also want to hear how you make sense of this experience, how it sits with you, and why it has surfaced as writing. Open a window into your life and invite your readers to enter.

📅 Deadline: June 24, 2024

The Fountain Essay Contest

Fountain Magazine

“Home” holds a special place in our lives. Our earliest memories form inside its walls; we utter our first words and take our first steps there. Does everyone feel the same about home? Is it where you were born or where you earn your bread? Is home a physical place? In a world that moves faster than ever and is confined to small screens, how do perceptions about "home" change? Where is home for people who are forced to leave their homes? Where is your home?

📅 Deadline: June 30, 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)

Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize

Gotham Writers Workshop

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

The Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize is a writing competition sponsored by the stage and radio series Selected Shorts. Selected Shorts is recorded for Public Radio and heard nationally on both the radio and its weekly podcast. This years entries will be judged by Carmen Maria Machado (In the Dream House, Her Body and Other Parties).

$1000 + free 10 week course with Gotham Writers

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

Bacopa Literary Review Annual Writing Contest

Writers Alliance of Gainesville

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

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: May 02, 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)

A Very Short Story Contest

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

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)

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)

The Letter Review Prize for Books

The Letter Review

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

The Letter Review Prize for Books is open to writers from anywhere in the world. Seeking most unpublished (we accept some self/indie published) novels, novellas, story collections, nonfiction, poetry etc. 20 entries are longlisted.

$1000 USD shared by 3 winners

Climate Change Writing Competition

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.

Runner-up: $50

📅 Deadline: October 18, 2022 (Expired)

World Historian Student Essay Competition

World History Association

The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international competition open to students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs. Membership in the World History Association is not a requirement for submission. Past winners may not compete in the same category again.

📅 Deadline: May 01, 2024 (Expired)

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.

Publication

💰 Entry fee: $22

📅 Deadline: February 16, 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

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2023 (Expired)

Berggruen Prize Essay Competition

Berggruen Institute

The Berggruen Prize Essay Competition, in the amount of $25,000 USD for the English and Chinese language category respectively, is given annually to stimulate new thinking and innovative concepts while embracing cross-cultural perspectives across fields, disciplines, and geographies. Inspired by the pivotal role essays have played in shaping thought and inquiry, we are inviting essays that follow in the tradition of renowned thinkers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Michel de Montaigne, and Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Publication in Noema Magazine

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.

Anthology Travel Writing Competition 2024

Anthology Magazine

The Anthology Travel Writing Competition is open to original and previously unpublished travel articles in the English language by writers of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. We are looking for an engaging article that will capture the reader’s attention, conveying a strong sense of the destination and the local culture. Max 1000 words.

💰 Entry fee: $16

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2024

Solar Flare

Sunspot Literary Journal

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

Sunspot Lit is looking for one work, including a novel or novella excerpt, that provides a flare of creative energy. Literary or genre accepted. Enter through Submittable or Duotrope. Learn more: https://sunspotlit.com/contests

💰 Entry fee: $10

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

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

📅 Deadline: February 29, 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)

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)

High School Academic Research Competition

Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal

The High School Academic Research Competition is where talented students from around the world compete to publish high-quality research on any topic. SARC challenges students to sharpen their critical thinking skills, immerse themselves in the research process, and hone their writing skills for success.

Indigo Research Intensive Summer Program

📅 Deadline: April 17, 2024 (Expired)

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)

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

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: March 07, 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

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

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

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

Reedsy's guide to novel writing

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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Mini-Guide to Competitions for Elementary Students

In this resource, we have gathered the most important information about the top competitions for elementary age students to make it easy to understand which programs may be most interesting for your child’s own goals and interests. The listings on our online database includes more detailed information, and are regularly updated with new information and deadlines.

The listings in this guide focus on the top annual competitions for elementary age students that are typically offered every year. There are hundreds of more competitions that may be one-off programs, or custom designed competitions from companies, government agencies, or universities.

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Plant the moon & plant mars challenge: spring 2023.

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US Academic Bee

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Wonder League Robotics Competition

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American Computer Science League

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US Academic Bowl

National humanities bee.

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Jason Learning Recycling Video & Poster Contest

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Americanism Elementary School Poster Contest

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NEED Youth Awards Program for Energy Achievement

Categories: Energy, Environment, STEM

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Student Essay Contest

The Virginia School Boards Association is holding its 2024 personal essay/speaking contest where the winners had an opportunity to present before an audience of more than 200 school board members and administrators at the 2024 VSBA Conference on Education held at the Hilton Richmond Hotel & Spa at Short Pump on July 23, 2024.

This is the fourth year the Virginia School Boards Association will hold this contest. We hope that this contest will bring out the very best in students’ writing and speaking efforts and will allow our attendees to witness examples of bright, thoughtful, and accomplished students around the state. This year’s topic is Kind Hearts, Strong Schools.

The deadline to enter has passed.

Thank you to WellNet Healthcare for sponsoring this year’s contest. The first place winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship. Submissions are open to all Virginia public high school students (grades 9-12) as a great opportunity to share their unique voices as well as compete for funds to further their education.

For questions, please contact [email protected].

The 2023 VSBA Student Essay Contest Winners are Isabella Meadows and Alice Thompson  

VSBA Member Site

This secure site has been established for VSBA school board members, superintendents and school board clerks. The information will be changed/added periodically as well as the userid and password. Questions related to this site should be forwarded to Mikaela Coffey at [email protected].

Bowler students winners in AILA essay contest

• Valley Life
• May 21, 2024
• No Comments

By NICK YAMASHITA

The Progress

A trio of young students from Grant Bowler Elementary in Logandale were awarded as winners in a nationally-sponsored essay contest during the school’s fifth grade advancement ceremony on Monday morning, May 20.

“This is a great honor for Moapa Valley as the top entries every year are from here,” National Immigration Council contest representative Nathalie Gottschalk said.

Gottschalk, who resides in Overton, said that the contest is open to all fifth-grade students from throughout the state and nation.

The “Celebrate America Creative Writing Contest” is first run by regional chapters of the National Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) at the local and state levels. The winners of the event then move on to the national level. “The essay contest is to help students focus on the importance of immigration and how the US is a welcoming nation,” Gottschalk said.

Each year, the local teachers provide encourage their students to write entries for the contest. Last year, the national winner was from Moapa Valley. Lillie Villezcas wrote a poem entitled “3” which spoke about how she was a third-generation American immigrant and the importance of number three to her.

“It was amazing how our little town had a student represent Nevada and win the national competition,” Gottschalk said. “This little town needs to be proud of her and the rest of the students who do so well every year.”

The theme of the contest was to write a response to one of two possible questions: 1) “Why I am glad America is a nation of immigrants?” or 2) “What does it mean to be a welcoming nation?”

The 2023-2024 school year contest winners were announced last week and were awarded their certificates and stipends on Monday. This year’s local winners were picked by the Moapa Valley Educational Foundation.

The following were the results of the local contest: 1st – “Dear Ol’ Statue of Liberty” by Sloane Lee; 2nd – “I am Glad Immigrants are Here” by Charlotte Nelson; and 3rd – “Before We Immigrated” by Savannah Rider.

These three winning essays then competed at the state level. “Before We Immigrated” by Savannah Rider won first place. “Dear Ol’ Statue of Liberty” by Sloane Lee took second place. The third place state winner was a tie between “I am Glad Immigrants are Here” by Charlotte Nelson and another essay entitled “What does it mean to be a Welcoming Nation” by Tavion Taylor from West Prep Elementary of Las Vegas.

Rider will be representing the state of Nevada on the national level. Results will be announced in early June.

The winner will win a paid trip to the national awards ceremony in Chicago, Illinois on June 14 with two guests. There they will present their winning entry to the AILA convention in person. “The teachers and schools are really good at encouraging students to seek out their own ancestral immigration lineage to this country and the patriotism is incredible,” Gottschalk said. “We really appreciate the support this contest gets from the community.”

For last year’s winning poem or more information about the contest, visit www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org .

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Steenrod 2nd-Grader Wins $500 for SMART-529 Account in Essay Contest

Since she was 3 years old Eliana Pentino has dreamed of being a veterinarian. On Monday, her essay on those dreams won her an award that will help her achieve them.

Pentino, a second-grader at Steenrod Elementary, was named a winner in the West Virginia SMART529 “When I Grow Up” essay contest, sponsored by the West Virginia Treasury Department. As a winner, Pentino received $500 toward her SMART529 account. She also is eligible for a sweepstakes among all the state’s essay winners for another $4,500 in that account.

“I didn’t expect (to win),” Pentino said. “I thought my brother was actually going to win because he had this amazing (essay), too. But I ended up winning and it was a dream come true.”

Pentino wrote about her hopes of becoming a veterinarian in the style of the “Junie B. Jones” series of books, injecting some humor into the mix. She has wanted to be a veterinarian ever since she helped her dog Orzo get over a sore paw.

“I saw my dog limping on time, and I said to my mom, ‘Why is Orzo limping?'” Pentino said. “And she said, ‘I don’t know.’ So I took a paper towel and I started wrapping it around his paw and put a bandaid on it. It just kind of made me want to be a vet.”

Steenrod Principal Michelle Dietrich said Pentino was the third SMART529 essay winner in the last four years from Steenrod. This year, Dietrich made it a point for the entire school to participate in the essay contest. And it wasn’t just essays that were part of the fun, especially in the younger grades.

“In kindergarten first and second, they had some different people come in, they had parents come in and talk about their jobs,” she said. “They had a career week around school to spark some of the kids’ thoughts into maybe something they didn’t even know they were interested in when they grew up.”

Dietrich said the school also gets $500, and she lets the grade of the winning student choose how it’s spent. The second graders have talked about getting a class pet, but other ideas include new playground equipment.

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State Historical Society announces winners of essay contest

Article Body

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  May 17, 2024

CONTACT:  Kevin Larsen, Media Coordinator, 605-773-6000, kevin.larsen@state.sd.us

PIERRE, S.D. – Three South Dakota fourth graders have been named winners of the South Dakota State Historical Society Historical Preservation Office’s annual Fourth Grade Student Essay Contest.

The “This Place Matters” Fourth Grade Student Essay Contest is a writing competition coordinated by the Historic Preservation Office as a component of their annual South Dakota Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month celebrated each May. Students are asked to write an essay about any South Dakota location that is at least 50 years old and explain why it is a favorite place and why it should be preserved. This year, there were a record 232 essays submitted from 28 different schools across the state.

Judges from the Historical Preservation Office read and ranked all the essays based on quality of writing, content and theme, and originality. The essay contest winners are as follows: 

• First place: “If Barn Walls Could Talk,” by Paisley Carter, Jolley Elementary School in Vermillion .
• Second place: “The Bait Shop,” by Sydnee Stevens, Gettysburg Elementary School.
• Third place: “212 Forest City Bridge,” by Chiles Heien from Gettysburg Elementary School.

These essays can be read at https://history.sd.gov/preservation/archhpmonth.aspx .

About the South Dakota State Historical Society

The South Dakota State Historical Society is a division of the Department of Education. The State Historical Society, an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is headquartered in Pierre. The center houses the society’s museum, archives, and the historic preservation, publishing and administrative/development departments. For questions or memberships, call (605) 773-3458 or visit history.sd.gov for more information. The society also has an archaeology office in Rapid City; call (605) 394-1936 for more information.

Blessings and prayers: Staten Island Catholic schools celebrate graduating 8th-graders at annual Mass

M ay 22—STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — In pairs, eighth grade Staten Island students walked down the aisle of Our Lady Star of the Sea Church and placed a flower in a vase at the base of the altar — each symbolizing a Staten Island Catholic school.

The procession kicked off an annual Mass for graduating eighth-graders among all 14 of Staten Island's Catholic elementary schools on Wednesday morning. More than 500 students, faculty, principals and other school leaders filled the Huguenot church to receive blessings and pray for the future of students as they prepare to go to high school in the fall.

"We're joined together to celebrate the end of their Catholic school elementary school experience," said Sr. Mary Grace Walsh, superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of New York. "It just for me shows the culmination of what we do in all of our Catholic schools. The students were so well-behaved, so prayerful, so hopeful for their futures. So it was great to be here today."

The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Peter J. Byrne, along with Msgr. William Belford, pastor of St. Teresa Church, and the Rev. Joy Mampilly, pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea, in addition to invited pastors from across the borough. Jann Amato, regional superintendent of Staten Island schools, and Borough President Vito Fossella were also in attendance to celebrate faith and friendship.

Students at the Mass served as lectors, gift bearers and altar servers. At the end of the service, the students received communion, marking the end of the ceremony.

"I can't help but feel gratitude. Gratitude for our loving God who has given us the gift of each of you. Gratitude for our faith and grace to grow as people of compassionate service. Gratitude to your parents and families who love and support you, to your pastors, school administrators and teachers who have given you the gift of a Catholic education," said Amato.

She pointed to the work of the eighth-grade teachers who have played an "especially important role" in preparing students for high school.

"They sat with you and listened to your hopes and your fears about high school. They've been a part of the amazing events and trips and experiences during your eighth grade year. They have certainly prepared you to be academically prepared and successful. But I think most importantly, they have shown grace and they have compassion," said Amato.

All eighth-grade teachers were invited by Amato to receive flowers from a student for their support throughout their elementary career, followed by a blessing from Byrne.

At the conclusion of the Mass, two students received the 2024 Diane Hesterhagen Memorial Award, formerly known as the Catholic Identity Award, in honor of Hesterhagen, who was a longtime educator, principal and director who died last month. The students were tasked to answer the question "What will your faith look like as a freshman in high school?" in both essay and art form. The winner of the essay content was Kayla Bilella, an eighth-grader at the Academy of St. Dorothy. The winner of the art contest was Izabella Guh, an eighth-grader at Sacred Heart School.

Fossella thanked the educators, principals and other school staff for devoting their life's work to teaching children, showing love, and helping to prepare them for high school and beyond.

"The one thing that will never ever change is the love that Jesus Christ has for you, and in the good times you've had, know that Jesus is there for you," said Fossella. "It's my honor to be here. I wish you the very best at graduation."

The tradition first started in 2007 in celebration of the Archdiocese of New York's 200th anniversary. The Mass has been held each year since.

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(c)2024 Staten Island Advance, N.Y. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.