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Scholastic Art & Writing Awards - Alliance for Young Artists & Writers

Art categories, a note on size limitation for all art categories.

Regional programs may limit the size of work that they accept. Check out your regions guidelines  for details.

Oversized works that earn National Medals are not guaranteed opportunities for display in the National Exhibition.

Collaborative works are not allowed in any art categories. To credit contributors on Expanded Projects and Film & Animation, follow the instructions for those categories. 

Architecture & Industrial Design

Category description.

This category also includes industrial design plans for models of structures, environments, systems, or products.

Examples (including but not limited to)

Building designs, landscape designs, interior designs, urban plans, or product designs. Can include 2D work such as hand-drawn sketches, computer-aided designs, blueprints, and floor plans, OR 3D work such as handmade or 3D-printed scale models, conceptual models, sketch models, or prototypes. 

Special Instructions

Plans may be hand-drawn or computer-generated. Models must be sturdy and able to endure shipping and exhibition. 

Entry Requirements 

You can upload up to four images of your piece. We strongly encourage you to upload a variety of images that showcase the scale and details of your work and include pictures from different angles. For 2D works, show your plans in detail. You may choose to include concept drawings, sketches, material palettes, sections, elevations, site plans and renderings in your image selection. For 3D works, include one image that shows the work from the front at a slight angle against a white or neutral colored background. For the remaining images include one detail shot, an image with a ruler for scale, and an image from the back of the work. Works that depict or stage scenes (dioramas) using prefabricated materials should be entered into the Sculpture Category. Visit our blog for tips on documenting your work.

View award-winning art

Additional Instructions

If you enter 2D work (a design as opposed to a model), select “0” for the “Depth” and “Weight” fields. 

3D Work (Height x Width x Diameter and Weight)

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Ceramics & Glass

Handcrafted objects made from ceramics or glass.

Anything made exclusively out of ceramics and/or glass belongs in this category. This includes busts, figures, abstract forms, vases, teapots, bowls, plates, cups, tiles, tableware, or other vessels. Ceramic pieces may include earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, etc. Glass pieces may include stained glass, cast glass, fused glass, blown glass, etc. 

• Unfired ceramics and oil-based clay works should not be entered.
• Ceramic or glass pieces intended to be worn for personal adornment should be entered in the Jewelry category.

You can upload up to four images of your piece. We strongly encourage you to upload a variety of images that showcase the scale and details of your work and include pictures from different angles. Include one image that shows the work from the front at a slight angle against a white or neutral colored background. For the remaining images include one detail shot, an image with a ruler for scale, and an image from the back of the work. Visit our blog for tips on documenting your work.

A pictorial narrative in deliberate sequence—with or without text—that tells a story or develops an idea using single or multiple panels. Concepts for characters should be entered in Drawing & Illustration. 

Comic strips, comic books, storyboards, webcomics, or selections from graphic novels.

Do not base characters and plots on already published comic books or published series. 

You can upload up to eight images for each Comic Art entry.  

2D Work (Height x Width)

Art created for commercial or applied purposes. This includes graphic design work that has a defined use such as advertising or communications.

Magazine layouts, book covers, greeting cards, fonts, letterhead, business cards, calendars, or signage.

Special Instructions 

Work that is based off preexisting brands is discouraged. If your work references preexisting brands, your design must represent a new, original idea or contribute added value to the source material according to our Copyright & Plagiarism guidelines . 

You can upload up to four images of your piece. We strongly encourage you to upload a variety of images that showcase the scale and details of your work and include pictures from different angles.

If you are submitting a 2D work, select “0” for the “Depth” and “Weight” fields.

Digital Art

Artwork created digitally and intended to exist in a digital space or images that are heavily collaged or manipulated to produce a new image using digital tools. This includes illustrations created digitally. 

Digital collages, CGI, VR, and digital painting.

• Do not enter AI-generated art. 
• Identify the software used to create the artwork in the “List Materials” section of your application (ex: Adobe Suite programs, Sketchbook, Procreate, Corel PaintShop, Clip Studio Paint, Blender, etc.). 
• Digital artwork may contain text, but entries that contain text for commercial purposes should be entered in the Design category. 
• Consider entering the Expanded Projects category if your work has a strong interactive element. 
• If you are using collaged images, refer to the Copyright & Plagiarism guide .
• Digital image uploaded must be at least 300 dpi.

You can upload one image for each Digital Art entry.

Drawing & Illustration

Art that is composed of marks made with dry materials on a 2D surface. Drawings include all renderings made by a manual or mechanical instrument on a surface and may include formal, realistic, and/or abstract imagery. Illustrations made with dry materials should be entered in this category. Illustrations made with paint should be entered in Painting and illustrations made digitally should be entered in Digital Art. Ink drawings colored with paint like watercolors should be entered in Drawing & Illustration. 

Pencil, ink, charcoal, pastel, crayon, scratchboard, marker, ink drawings colored with paint, etc. 

• Drawings copied from published photographs, the internet, or existing works should not be entered and will be disqualified. Refer to the Copyright & Plagiarism guide for more detailed information. 
• Sequential illustrations depicting an evolving story should be entered in Comic Art. 
• Illustrations made digitally should be entered in Digital Art. 
• Illustrations made with paint should be entered in Painting. 
• Illustrations that directly depict political or social commentary should be entered in the Editorial Cartoon category. 
• Animated .gif files will not be accepted for this category. An uploaded .gif file will be adjudicated as a static .gif file. 
• Do not upload .zip files for the category. Zip files will not be judged. 

You can upload one image for each Drawing or Illustration entry.

Editorial Cartoon sponsored by The Herb Block Foundation

A drawing or illustration, series of artworks, or animated film that offers commentary or criticism on current events or political topics. 

About Herb Block

This category is sponsored by The Herb Block Foundation in honor of Mr. Block’s remarkable contribution to the genre of political cartoons. Visit  herbblockfoundation.org  to learn more and see examples of his work.

Single panel drawings with captions, sequential comic art, illustrations, digitally created drawings, or animated films with a political theme or message.

• Multi-panel cartoons or other narrative illustrations that do not contain commentary or criticism of a political event or current event should be entered in Comic Art.  
• Illustrations that do not contain commentary or criticism of a political event or current event should be entered in Drawing & Illustration or Digital Art depending on the tools used.  
• Animations that do not contain commentary or criticism of a political event or current event should be entered in Film & Animation.
• For animated films, refer to the Film & Animation category for special instructions.
• List all reference images in the work sources section of your entry. Refer to the Copyright & Plagiarism guide for more detailed information

You can upload up to eight images or one .mp4 or .mov file for each Editorial Cartoon entry.

Expanded Projects

Interdisciplinary work that encompasses three different art forms: conceptual, installation, and participatory art. Expanded Projects may include the documentation of live art, installation, research-based practices, or interactive visual art. Expanded Projects do not include dance, music, theater, or spoken word poetry. 

Original work in this category will explore new genres, ideas, or experimental methods that could not be represented in other categories. The evaluation of skill may include both the way the work is documented and the conceptual background of the work in addition to the work’s construction. 

Expanded Projects that don’t fit the category description or that belong in another category will not be awarded. 

• Documentation of live art, experimental video art, installation, site-specific or research-driven processes, conceptual art, social discourse, or community projects.
• Works that are individual three-dimensional works that do not create an environment or are not built at room scale should be entered in the Sculpture category.
• Paintings and drawings that are used in tandem with another three dimensional or multi-media art form (such as light, projection, sculpture etc.) including murals should be entered into the Painting or Drawing & Illustration category.

Do not enter dance, music, theater, or spoken word poetry to the Scholastic Awards.

Entry Requirements

• You must upload 1-8 files that clearly present the work: .pdf, .jpg, .png, .mp3, or .mp4.
• One of these files must be a PDF of a written statement that summarizes and contextualizes the work. This statement must not include your name or biographical information because it will be viewed by the judges.
• The file size limit for each upload is 350 MB. If you are having trouble uploading a video file, please visit  Frequently Asked Questions .
• Acknowledge contributors in the work sources section of your entry. 

Articles of clothing or fashion accessories other than jewelry (which should be entered in the Jewelry category). 

Sketches, tech packs, fully realized articles and outfits, jackets, dresses, shirts, gowns, scarves, hats, bags, belts, shoes, etc. as well as experimental designs, wearable art, and work made from found materials. 

• Garments not intended to be worn on the body should be submitted to the Sculpture category.
• When using found materials, be mindful of copyrighted materials, like logos, that might appear in your work. Review our Copyright & Plagiarism Guidelines for more information.

You can upload up to four images of your design. Visit our blog for tips on documenting your work .

If you enter a 2D work (a design as opposed to a model), select “0” for the “Depth” and “Weight” fields. 

Film & Animation

A sequence of moving images viewed with a monitor, television, or projector.

Documentary films, narrative films, commercials, experimental videos, as well as hand-drawn, computer-generated, or stop-motion animations, etc.

• In your application, identify equipment and software used in the “List Materials” section. 
• Since works are judged without knowledge of the student’s gender, age, or hometown, do not include any credits in your film. 

Copyrighted Music

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers strongly encourages the use of original or public domain music. You cannot use copyrighted music in your work without the permission of the original artist.   

Teens who obtain copyrights to music must obtain documentation from the artist and reference it in the work sources section of your entry.  

If you use non-original music in your work, you must cite your source. 

Even if you have permission to use a piece of music or the music is in the public domain, the film or animation that you enter to the Scholastic Awards must represent a new, original work.  

If your work transforms some sort of source material, then it may be considered original. We define transformative work as a new work that adds value, substantially changes, comments on, or gives a new expression or meaning to the source. 

View our Copyright & Plagiarism guidelines for more information. 

• Your film must be in one of the following formats: .mp4 or .mov. 
• You must enter the film synopsis in the Work Summary textbox. 
• Your entry must be five minutes or shorter. The file size limit is 350 MB. Entries that are longer than 5 minutes will not be judged in their entirety.

Time-based Work (Minutes:Seconds)

Art objects worn for personal adornment.

Bracelets, rings, brooches, earrings, cufflinks, necklaces, etc.

Please list all materials when entering your work. Materials may be handmade or purchased and include metal, semi-precious stones, plastic, beading, glass, found objects, etc. If you are using purchased materials, please indicate that in your materials (ex: “bead from craft store” vs “handmade clay bead”).

You can upload up to four images of your jewelry. Showcase the scale and details of your work and include pictures from different angles. Include one image that shows the work from the front at a slight angle against a white or neutral colored background. For the remaining images include one detail shot, an image with a ruler for scale, and an image from the back of the work. Visit our blog for tips on documenting your work.

Mixed Media

Wall-based artwork made from more than one medium, with a 3D or readymade element. This includes works made with physical and digital materials, found objects applied to 2D surfaces, and non-traditional found materials. 

Collage, assemblage, cut paper, handmade paper, batik, fiber-based art, etc. 

• Works that are three-dimensional and not meant to be mounted on a wall should be entered in the Sculpture category.
• Combinations of painting and drawing applied only to one surface should be entered into either the Painting or Drawing categories. 
• Mixed media pieces meant to be viewed in the round should be entered in the Sculpture category. 

Each entry requires four images of your Mixed Media piece. Showcase the scale and details of your work and include pictures from different angles. Include one image that shows the work from the front at a slight angle against a white or neutral colored background. For the remaining images include one detail shot, an image with a ruler for scale, and an image from the side of the work. Visit our blog for tips on documenting your work.

If your mixed media entry does not have a 3D element, select “0” for the “Depth” and “Weight” fields. 

Art created by applying wet materials to a 2D surface. This includes illustrations made with any type of paint. If you use more than two non-paint materials or if you create a collage, your work should be entered in Mixed Media. 

Oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, tempera, ink, encaustic, fresco, spray paint, etc. applied on canvas, canvas board, paper, or any flat surface. 

• Paintings copied from published photographs, the internet, or existing works should not be entered and will be disqualified. For more detailed information, check out the Copyright & Plagiarism guide . 

You can upload one image for each Painting entry.

Photography

Images captured by either an analog or digital camera.

Black and white photographs, color photographs, digital or analog photographs, photograms, other experimental photography, etc.

• Do not enter AI-generated art.
• Images where the photograph is physically cut-up and woven by the student should be entered in the Mixed Media category.
• Identify the type of photographic techniques used in the “List Materials” section of your entry.
• Editing software (Adobe Suite programs, Procreate, Corel PaintShop, Clip Studio Paint, etc.) is acceptable to use for minor touch-ups and image correction in a manner that replicates traditional darkroom techniques (cropping, dodging, burning, adjusting brightness, contrast, color balance, etc.). Heavily edited works should be entered in Digital Art. 
• Works that are digitally collaged, cloned, layered, merged, distorted, or heavily manipulated with computer software must be entered in the Digital Art category. 

Entering multiple similar images from the same series of photographs is highly discouraged.

You can upload one image for each Photography entry. Participants may enter up to 16 individual photo entries. 

Printmaking

Work made by transferring ink from one prepared surface (plate, screen, etc.) onto paper or another flat surface.

Woodcut/linocut, monotype, intaglio, lithography, etching, silkscreen printing, collagraph, Styrofoam printmaking, etc.

Identify the printmaking technique used in the “List Materials” section of your entry.

Entry Requirement 

For each Printmaking entry, you can upload one image. 

Three-dimensional art objects created by carving, casting, or other shaping techniques that  can  have interactive qualities.

Modeled, carved, cast, constructed, or assembled objects, including artist books. Materials may include but are not limited to clay, cardboard, metal, acrylic, wood, glass, stone, marble, textiles, plastics, and found objects. 

• Large-scale installation art should be entered into the Expanded Projects category.
• Anything made  exclusively  out of ceramics and/or glass belongs in the Ceramics & Glass category.

Each entry requires four images of your Sculpture. Showcase the scale and details of your work and include pictures from different angles. Include one image that shows the work from the front at a slight angle against a white or neutral colored background. For the remaining images include one detail shot, an image with a ruler for scale, and an image from the back of the work. Visit our blog for tips on documenting your work.

Art Portfolio

(For Graduating Seniors Only)

A series of 6 distinct works that communicate a single cohesive idea or visual investigation. If you have a strong work that is not part of a themed collection, please enter those works individually. Works can come from one category or any combination of multiple categories.

Graduating seniors may submit up to two Art Portfolios, but may not submit the same work in both portfolios.

• Each work within the Art Portfolio is subject to the same upload rules as its equivalent in individual categories. For example, a Sculpture work as part of a portfolio requires four images, while a Photography work requires one image. 
• Work included in a portfolio may also be entered in an category (i.e., Drawing & Illustration, Mixed Media, etc.). Seniors may re-enter artworks that were awarded or entered into the Scholastic Awards in a previous year as part of their Art Portfolio. 
• Do not include any identifying information, such as your name, in the title of your portfolio or the works included in the entries. 
• You must provide an Artist Statement and Personal Statement —these are two separate statements. Do not copy and paste the same statement for both! 

Artist Statement:  Write about your art! This required statement should provide insight into your creative process: How did you curate the works in your portfolio? 

Consider questions like: 

• What do you want viewers to understand about your collection of works? 
• What are the key ideas, issues, struggles, or goals within the portfolio? 
• Did you make deliberate decisions about materials, processes, etc.? 

Your artist statement should be at least 100 words must not exceed 500 words. The statement will be visible to jurors. Do not use self-identifying information in the statement. 

Personal Statement:  Write about you! Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. 

• What is a significant accomplishment or joyful experience that has shaped your life?
• What is a significant challenge, setback, or failure that you experienced? How did you respond to it? How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? 
• Tell us about how you developed a firmly held belief and how it has changed over time.
• Have you ever had a long-cherished or accepted belief challenged? How did you respond? How did the challenge affect your beliefs? 

Your personal statement should be at least 100 words and must not exceed 500 words. This statement will be viewed by the scholarship committee if your work receives a Gold Key and goes on to be considered for a national portfolio scholarship award .

Writing Categories

Instructions for all writing categories.

• Entries should be primarily in English. You may include some words or phrases in other languages. Keep in mind that not all judges speak a second language, so you may want to consider including a translation.
• No identifying information, including the writer’s name, should appear anywhere on the manuscript, including areas such as a header or title page. 
• For real people in non-fiction works, use fictional names. You do not need to change the name of public or historical figures. 
• No illustrations, photographs, or graphics are permitted in the body of the work. 
• Hyperlinks are not allowed.
• Sources must be cited. We do not require a specific citation format. It may help to view examples of past award-winning works in the Online Gallery . 
• Collaborative works are not allowed in any categories. 

Critical Essay

Writing intended to inform or convince a reader about a specific idea or topic, such as art or media reviews, persuasive essays, opinion essays, etc. 

Sources must be cited. Use the Footnotes/Citations text box to list your sources when entering your work. We do not require a specific citation format. Use the citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) that best supports your work. 

View award-winning writing

500–3,000 words

Dramatic Script

Work that uses dialogue, action, and stage direction to tell a story, including scripts for television, film, or stage.

• Excerpts can be entered but should be clearly labeled as excerpts. 
• If your full script is more than 3,000 words, you may provide a 250-word summary. This counts towards your entry’s maximum word count (3,000 words). Include your summary in the top of the “My Work” section of your entry. In the same text box, include the excerpt of your script. Together, your summary and excerpt must be 3,000 words or less.

500–3,000 words. If your full script is more than 3,000 words, you may provide a 250-word summary.

Flash Fiction

This is for your shortest fictional work. Works of Flash Fiction are intentionally brief, but still tell a full story. This should not be an excerpt of a longer work. Longer works may be better suited for the Short Story or Novel Writing categories. 

• Please note word length for Flash Fiction compared to Short Story.
• Depending on the genre of your short fiction, it may fit better in another category, such as Humor or Science Fiction & Fantasy. Please make sure you review all categories to determine which category you feel best describes your work. 

Maximum 1,000 words

Writing that uses comedic forms such as jokes, satire, farce, irony, parody, absurdity, comedic anecdote, etc. 

All work in which humor is the key element should be entered in this category. 

Writing that informs and educates about newsworthy topics or current events, characterized by a presentation of facts or description of events.

Writing intended for publication in newspapers, magazines, or online media and characterized by a presentation of facts or description of events. 

• Sources must be cited. Use the Work Sources field to list your sources when entering your work. This will not count towards your word count. We do not require a specific citation format. Use the citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) that best supports your work.
• Hyperlinks are discouraged, as all judges cannot access hyperlinks.
• If your piece has been published in an online publication or school newspaper, please include the link in the Sources section of your entry.

Novel Writing

An excerpt from a long-form prose narrative. Provide an excerpt no longer than 3,000 words.

• Novel entries should be excerpted from completed manuscripts. The excerpt should be a complete chapter or section from a chapter. Use a sample that showcases your writing and story setup. 
• Please include a brief (about 250 words) synopsis of your novel. The synopsis is meant to provide readers with an understanding of the full scope, themes, arc, and plot of your novel. Think about what would appear on the back cover of your book, but with spoilers!
• Your synopsis counts towards your entry’s maximum word limit (3,000 words). Include your summary in the top of the “My Work” section of your entry. In the same text box, include the excerpt of your novel. Together, your summary and excerpt must be 3,000 words or less.
• Adaptations of or sequels to existing published works are not accepted. 

An excerpt up to 3,000 words, including  a 250-word summary of the entire novel. 

Personal Essay & Memoir

A non-fiction work based on opinion, experience, and/or emotion that explores a topic or event of importance to the author. 

• Depending on the tone of your piece, it may fit better in another category, such as Humor. Please make sure you review all categories to determine which category you feel best describes your work.
• If you are writing about real people in your everyday life, please use your best judgment about disclosing identifying information (ex: name, address, age, birthday). If you receive an award, your piece may be published.

Writing in verse. May include but is not limited to prose poetry, free verse, formal poetry, song lyrics, and spoken word. 

Each entry consists of 1 poem. If you have more than one poem they should be entered separately as individual poetry pieces. If you have a longer form poem with sections, that should be entered as one piece. 

3–100 lines

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Writing in speculative fiction genres like science fiction, fantasy, horror, dystopian fiction, or alternate histories. This writing uses supernatural, magical, futuristic, scientific, or technological themes as key elements of the narrative. These may include short stories or prose focused on world building, mythology, etc. 

• All works in which science fiction/fantasy is the key element should be entered in this category.
• Do not base characters or plots on already published works (books, movies, comics, etc.).
• Works that are novel length should be entered in Novel Writing. 

Short Story

A fictional narrative that is written in prose.

Depending on the genre of your short story, it may fit better in another category, such as Humor or Science Fiction & Fantasy. Please make sure you review all categories to determine which category you feel best describes your work.

1,000–3,000 words

Writing Portfolio

A series of 6 distinct works that demonstrate versatility as a writer, diversity in writing techniques and styles, and a developed, cohesive voice. The works can come from one category or any combination of multiple categories. 

Graduating seniors may enter up to two Writing Portfolios, but may not enter the same work in both portfolios.

• The word count for each piece submitted in a writing portfolio should adhere to the length limits listed in each individual category.
• Work included in a portfolio may also be entered in an individual category (i.e., Short Story, Critical Essay, etc.). 
• Seniors may re-enter writing that was entered to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in a previous year as part of their writing portfolio. 
• Do not include any identifying information, such as your name, in the title of your portfolio or the works included in the entry. 
• You must provide a Writer Statement and a Personal Statement —these are two separate statements. Do not copy and paste the same statement for both! 

Writer Statement:  Write about your creative process! How did you select the works in your portfolio? Why do these works in particular belong together?

Consider questions like:

• What do you want readers to understand about your collection of works? 
• Did you make deliberate decisions about voice, literary devices, etc.? 

Your Writer Statement should be at least 100 words and must not exceed 500 words. The statement will be visible to jurors. Do not use self-identifying information in the statement. 

Personal Statement:  Write about you! Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.  

• What is a significant challenge, setback, or failure that you experienced? How did you respond to it? How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
• Have you ever had a long-cherished or accepted belief challenged? How did you respond? How did the challenge affect your beliefs?

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Our 2024-25 Student Contest Calendar

Ten challenges that invite teenagers to engage, experiment, reflect and create — via writing, photography, audio, video and more.

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 around the globe participate by creating narratives, reviews, videos, opinion pieces, podcasts, illustrations, photo essays and more.

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.

This year, we are bringing back some recent and longtime favorites, as well as introducing a few new challenges.

To begin, we have two options this fall in response to the U.S. election, though students around the globe are welcome. In September, we open with a series of special forums that invite teenagers to have thoughtful conversations about their civic and political identities, values and beliefs. Then, if they choose, they can work alone or with others to make something in response — whether in writing, video, audio or visual art.

In the spring, we’re offering “My List,” a twist on our long-running review contest. This time, students can choose any collection of three to five works of art or culture to group in some way and then tell us why we should — or shouldn’t — check them out.

We’ll be posting the full rules and guidelines for each contest here when it opens. but for now you can look at the related resources we’ve provided, as well as last year’s rules, which will largely remain the same for our returning contests. And don’t forget we have a full yearlong writing curriculum to help support this work.

As always, we hope these contests encourage students to try different ways of thinking and creating, experimenting with both what they want to say and how they want to say it.

If you need some encouragement to participate, we recommend three 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 have helped her grow. If you are an educator, our reader-submitted “ 10 Reasons to Send Student Work Out Into the World ” might be compelling, as might this essay , published on EdSurge by a teacher in a career and technical education program who uses our contests to help design learning around “authentic issues, problems and ideas.”

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.

New! Election 2024 Student Conversation Forum

Reflect on your civic and political values, beliefs and identity and share your perspectives on current issues by participating in our special discussion forums for teenagers.

Run much like our 2020 Civil Conversation Challenge , these forums are accessible ways to help students from around the country and the world have rich discussions about important issues.

Here are the rules and guidelines for this year’s Student Conversation Forum . The five themes, along with dates when each forum will open for comment, are:

Forum 1 | Identity: Who are you, and how does that identity inform your political beliefs and values? (Open)

Forum 2 | Conversations Across Divides: What experiences have you had in talking to those who may not agree with you — whether in school, with friends and family, or online? What has been helpful? What has been hard? Why do these conversations matter? (Open)

Forum 3 | The Issues: What issues matter to you most? How do they connect to your life and the lives of those you care about? (Open)

Forum 4 | Information and Disinformation: Where do you get your information about current events? How do you think these sources affect your understanding of our world? (Open)

Forum 5 | Hope for the Future: What are you optimistic about? What might your generation do better than those that came before it? (Open)

Oct. 2-Nov. 4

New! Coming of Age in 2024: A Multimedia Contest

Choose any of the questions that we’ve posed in the Election 2024 Student Conversation Forum (see above) and make something in response — whether in writing, visual art, video or audio. You can work alone or with others, and you can create almost anything you like.

For instance, you could make …

A poem, a narrative essay or a comic about who you are and how that affects your political beliefs

A podcast, a video or a play about having conversations with those who think differently from you about an issue — or a list of tips for how to have those conversations productively

An opinion essay, a drawing or a song about an issue you care about

An infographic, a diary entry or a video about the news and political information you consume and how it affects you

A photograph, a letter or a collage that expresses what you’re hopeful about

Here are the rules and guidelines , and here is a guide that includes four steps to figuring out what you want to say and how you would like to say it, with inspiration from 31 teen-created works across genres.

Nov. 6-Dec. 4, 2024

My Tiny Memoir: Our 100-Word Personal Narrative Contest

What story from your life can you tell in just 100 words? Based on the storytelling form popularized by Modern Love’s Tiny Love Stories , we invite you to write a miniature personal narrative about a meaningful life experience.

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

Dec. 4, 2024-Jan. 15, 2025

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.

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

Jan. 15-Feb. 12, 2025

New! My List: A Different Kind of Review Contest

Three Novels That Have Great Teenage Characters Four Sci-Fi Movies That Even People Who Hate Sci-Fi Will Love The Five Worst Fast Food Sandwiches

Choose any collection of three to five works of art or culture to group in some way, and then tell us, in 600 words or fewer, why we should — or shouldn’t — check them out.

You can work alone or with others and can make lists about any category of creative expression The Times covers, whether books, movies, restaurants, albums, theatrical productions, video games, dances, TV shows, architecture or art exhibitions. More details to come, but for now check out Times collections like this one (about Star Wars) or this one (about new songs) to get the idea.

Feb. 12-March 12, 2025

‘ 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. For more inspiration, read the work of last year’s winners , or follow this step-by-step guide for participating.

March 12-April 16, 2025

Open Letters: Our Opinion Writing Contest

What bothers you? Who could do something about it?

In the tradition of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter From Birmingham Jail and the open letters you can find in the Opinion section of The New York Times, we invite you to write a letter of protest or appeal, in 500 words or fewer, to a person or group who can make a change on an issue that matters to you. While your letter should address a specific audience, its real purpose is to be read by — and to influence — the general public.

April 16-May 14, 2025

Audio Stories: Our Podcast Contest

Make an original podcast of five minutes or less that informs or entertains listeners. You can create a podcast on any topic you like in any format you like, whether that’s an interview with an expert, an informal conversation with a friend, a journalistic investigation, a fictional story or anything else you can think of.

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

June 6-Aug. 15, 2025

Voice and Choice: Our Summer Reading Contest

Every week for 10 weeks during the summer we’ll be asking: What got your attention in The Times, and why? Each week students can enter by submitting a short written response — or they can make a video up to 90 seconds long.

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

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:

On the day each contest begins, we will add a link here, on this page, to the contest announcement so students can submit entries. We will also link to all related materials as they are published.

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.

We announce finalists about two months after a contest has closed and winners get their work published on The Learning Network. We usually celebrate dozens of winners, runners-up and honorable mentions each time.

Students’ entries must be original and fundamentally their own. They must not be plagiarized, written by someone else or generated by artificial intelligence. They also should not have been published elsewhere at the time of submission, including in a school newspaper, on a radio station’s website or in a literary magazine.

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

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.

Entries for most contests must be accompanied by a statement describing your process. We are interested in how you made what you made, and your comments help us improve our offerings.

All of our contests are open to students around the world ages 13 to 19 who are in middle school or high school. Age is determined by the student’s age at the time of submission. 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 Facebook .

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

2024 14th Annual Art & Essay Contest WINNERS

Learn to draw & paint.

“I followed my passion in basketball and used it to have a voice as a human rights activist, and I admire that you guys are also following your passions in art and writing”

Enes Kanter Freedom

“One example of the organization’s many rewarding activities and educational programs, the Art & Essay Contest has given young people the opportunity to share their views on the major social issues of today.”

Chris Christie

Theme the sound of peace, application.

The Awards Ceremony

Perspective

Why Should You Join The Art & Essay Contest?

Bring middle and high school students from around the state of New Jersey together.

Promote awareness on issues of common concern among New Jersey youth.

Facilitate their personal and academic growth through a healthy competitive environment.

Inspire them to make a positive change in their communities. Since its inception in 2010, the annual Art & Essay Contest attracts submissions from around 200 New Jersey public, private, and charter schools.

Don't miss the application deadline!

Our weekly schedule, quick links, get news from us.

America's Field Trip

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 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 — with the opportunity to earn an unforgettable field trip experience at some of the nation’s most iconic historic and cultural landmarks.

Students are asked to submit writing or original artwork in response to the contest’s prompt: “What does America mean to you?”

Submissions will be accepted until Wednesday, April 16, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. ET.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY . Contest ends 5:00 p.m. ET on 4/16/25. Open to U.S. students (3rd – 12th grade). See  Official Rules  for full details including how to enter, eligibility requirements, prize description/restrictions and judging procedure. Void where prohibited.

For the 2024-2025 America’s Field Trip contest, 25 first-place awardees from each grade level category and a chaperone will receive airfare and lodging for a 3-day, 2-night trip to a select historical or cultural site where they will experience one of the following:

• Behind-the-scenes tour of the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center and sleepover at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, DC
• Exclusive visits to two Washington, DC, institutions: a trip into the National Archives Vault on the National Mall and private tour of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo
• Exclusive tour of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia, and visit to the Library of Congress in Washington, DC
• Storytelling, history, and commemoration under the stars at Mount Rushmore National Memorial
• Private tours of Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum, the International African American Museum, and the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston, South Carolina
• Exclusive tours of the Alamo in San Antonio and the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas
• Backstage tour of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio
• Beyond the ropes tour of Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Guided visit to Angel Island Immigration Station and candlelight tour of Fort Point at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California
• Private guided tour of Yellowstone National Park in Montana and Wyoming
• Ranger-led hikes and tours of the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado
• Private tour of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida

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

Resources for Applicants

Thought starters.

Below are some questions and prompts that may be helpful for students to consider as starting points as they prepare their submissions. Students are not expected to specifically address any or all of these questions in their responses.

• What has shaped America over the past 250 years? Think about the impact of individuals, ideas, documents, historical movements, and events and how they have affected the growth and development of our country.
• How has America influenced your family? Think about opportunities and benefits your family has enjoyed, challenges your family has faced, and service your family has given. Consider previous generations too–not just your immediate family.
• What do you hope for America’s future? Think about what you hope the country can achieve and how you can help make it a reality.

Additional thought starters for high school students:

• Read and reflect on the first two paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence.
• What do the key ideas, values, and promises represented in the Declaration of Independence mean to you? What do you think they meant to Americans in 1776?

Do’s and Don’ts

• Be creative!
• Reflect on your own American story and that of your family and community.
• Talk to your teachers, parents, and community to get ideas for your entry.
• Let your personality shine through!
• Include your full name, address, e-mail address, telephone number, age or school name in your entry.
• Submit work you didn’t personally create entirely on your own. DO NOT USE AI TOOLS.
• Develop an entry as a group or team – each entry can only come from one student.
• Include names or images of your family members or friends.
• Include copyrighted materials (for example: celebrity names, names of sports teams, song lyrics written by others, photos, brand names or logos) in your entry. DO NOT PLAGIARIZE OR USE OTHER PERSONS’ WORK.
• Feel you have to only address our country’s past — you can talk about America’s future too.

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 written response (up to 100 words).
• Middle School (6th to 8th Grade) : Students may submit artwork, including physical or digital artwork through a high-res photo, or a written response (up to 250 words).
• High School (9th to 12th Grade) : Students may submit artwork, including physical or digital artwork through a high-res photo, or a written response (up to 500 words).

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?

2024 Awardees

Thousands of students from across the country submitted inspiring entries, responding to the prompt “What does America mean to you?” for the first-ever America’s Field Trip contest. A panel of current and former educators selected 150 students as awardees, hailing from 44 states and territories.

Learn more about the 2024 awardees and their submissions!

See 2024 Awardees

Resources for Educators

Educators 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. New for the 2024-2025 school year is an educator-facing instructional video from Discovery Education designed to help teachers align the contest prompt, “What does America mean to you?” with standards frameworks. 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 is partnering 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. Access resources here .

What should students submit?

Submission requirements differ by grade level.

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 or replacement family member guest (see Official Contest Rules for replacement guest criteria) 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 a first come, first serve basis, 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 or replacement family member guest who must be at least 25 years of age and have full Power of Attorney, including medical, for the duration of the field trip. Additional guests will not be allowed to accompany awardees on field trips. (See Official Contest Rules for more details)

If I am a teacher, do I need the parental consent for each student in order to submit an Entry on their behalf?

Yes. By submitting an Entry, Submitters (if not the parent/legal guardian of Minor Entrant or Entrant who is of legal age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence) represent and warrant that they have obtained the written permission of the Entrant’s parent/legal guardian to submit an Entry (all Entries include the Entrant’s information and submission). See Official Contest Rules for more details.

If I am an educator and several of my students create entries, can I submit multiple entries?

Yes. While each student must create their submission individually, educators who receive written permission from each entrant’s parent or legal guardian can submit entries on behalf of multiple students using the application portal’s bulk upload feature. Students must be at the same school and grade level category.

What if I have additional questions?

Please email [email protected] .

Ready to Share What America Means to You?

Once you finish responding to the prompt, you must have a teacher, parent, or legal guardian upload your submission for consideration.

WSPTA Login

Remember Me

Reflections

See the list of 2023-2024 WSPTA Reflections finalists on the Student Showcase page .

Congratulations to our WSPTA Reflections Winners. Those that have earned 1st place/Outstanding Interpretation awards advance to the National level for judging.

Reflections Overview For Families and Students

Note: Local PTA and council leaders may find further information and resources on running the Reflections program here .

Welcome to the WSPTA Reflections program!

Reflections is a National PTA arts recognition program that helps students pre-K through grade 12

• explore their own thoughts, feelings, and ideas
• develop artistic literacy (by describing how their art relates to a theme)
• increase confidence
• find a love for learning that will help them become more successful not only in school but in life.

Students create original works of art in response to a theme.  The theme for 2024-2025  is “Accepting Imperfection.” Themes are selected from student submissions (see: Theme Search Contest, below). Any PTA/PTSA in good standing may sponsor the program. Students may only submit entries through a PTA/PTSA. Only students that attend at school with a PTA/PTSA may participate . Parent groups not affiliated with National PTA are not eligible to sponsor this program.

Students may enter in one or more of the available arts categories (see program details for more information). Finalists from local PTAs will move on to their council PTA (if applicable), then finalists from councils will advance to the state round. Washington State PTA finalists who receive an “Outstanding Interpretation award will advance to the National PTA round.

The deadline for turning in artwork to your school PTA will typically be in late autumn. Local PTAs and councils can choose to accept physical or virtual entries. Only virtual submissions will be sent to the WSPTA level for judging.

The deadline for local PTA and council entries to WSPTA is January 15, 2025.

For s list of Reflections FAQs, please click here .

Theme Search Contest for 2025-2026

Each year, National PTA seeks a theme for the Reflections program year to be held two years from now.  The student submitting the winning entry receives $100 and their theme is presented at the annual National PTA Convention.  Click here for a list of past themes .

WSPTA holds an annual contest to determine Washington’s entries to the national theme search. The deadline for the 2026-2027 WSPTA Reflections Theme Search Contest is Monday, November 4, 2024.

Only students that attend a school with an active PTA/PTSA may participate in the theme search contest.

Click here to go to the Reflections Theme Search online entry form.

Click here to watch a 5-minute video walking through the entry form.

Program Details

Young artists get involved through their local PTA or PTSA. A student may submit an entry in any of six arts areas. Only original works of art are accepted. The six art areas are:

• Literature – works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, prose, drama, short stories and lyrics.
• Music Composition  – original musical composition, with or without words.
• Photography:  color or black and white, included techniques: photogram, negative sandwich, and multiple exposure.
• Visual Arts:  drawing, painting in tempera, oil, acrylic, watercolor & t-shirt paints, computer generated art, two-dimensional collage, printmaking, needlework & leather tooling.
• Film/Video:  original works, with or without sound, of animation, narrative, documentary, experimental or music video/film.
• Choreography/Dance:  originally choreographed dance composition.

Participation is organized by student age and grade levels. Student works are critiqued against others in the same grade division. This allows recognition and judging of artworks by appropriate developmental age and skill levels. The grade divisions are:

• Primary : Pre-school – Grade 2
• Intermediate : Grades 3 – 5
• Middle School : Grades 6 – 8
• High School : Grades 9 – 12

(For special artist information, see Accessible Arts  below)

Entries are judged on creative ability and interpretation of the theme.

Any PTA/PTSA in good standing may sponsor the program. Only students that attend at school with a PTA/PTSA can participate.  Parent groups not affiliated with National PTA are not eligible to sponsor this program.

Student Entry Guidelines

Entries must meet the criteria written in the guidelines, especially file type/format, length, and size. Students should not have their full names displayed in the art piece.

• 2024-25 Accessible Arts Division Guidelines | en español
• 2024-25 Dance Choreography Category Guidelines | en español
• 2024 25 Film Production Category Guidelines | en español
• 2024-25 Literature Category Guidelines | en español
• 2024-25 Music Composition Category Guidelines  | en español
• 2024-25 Photography Category Guidelines | en español
• 2024-25 Visual Arts Category Guidelines | en español
• 2024-25 Student Entry Form (fillable)
• 2024-25 Student Entry Form Packet (fillable) | en español
• 2024-25 WSPTA Student Entry Form | en español

Accessible Arts Division

The National PTA accessible arts division is an option for students with a disability as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Generally, rules and guidelines within the special artists division are intended to ensure accessibility to the National PTA Reflections® program and are modeled after the guidelines outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We are asking local PTA chairs and council chairs to verify that artists meet this criteria before judging.

Complete details are included in the 2024-25 Special Artist Rules | en español .

Washington State PTA will be judging the special artist submissions in two divisions:

• Elementary (Kindergarten – 5th grade)
• Secondary (6th grade – 12th grade)

Volunteer Opportunities

Would you like to be part of the WSPTA Reflections Committee? We are looking for members with local, council, or state Reflections experience to join the committee for 2024-25. Find out what happens to your students’ art after you submit it and be a part of a program that serves all PTAs in Washington state! The committee is most active between January and May; tasks take place at convention and much can be done from home. Contact reflections@wastatepta.org .

Past Reflections Winners

Click here for a list of the 2023-2024 WSPTA Reflections winners.

Past Winners:

• 2023-24 State-Level Reflections Winners
• 2022-23 State-Level Reflections Winners
• 2021-22 State-Level Reflections Winners
• 2020-21 State-Level Reflections Winners
• 2019-20 State-Level Reflections Winners
• 2018-19 State-Level Reflections Winners
• 2017-18 State-Level Reflections Winners
• 2016-17 State-Level Reflections Winners

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

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The Best Student Writing Contests for 2024-2025

Help your students take their writing to the next level.

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

2024-2025 Student Writing Contests

1.  the scholastic art & writing awards.

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

How To Enter

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

2.  YoungArts National Arts Competition

YoungArts offers an annual national competition in the categories of creative nonfiction, novel, play or script, poetry, short story, and spoken word. Student winners may receive awards of up to $10,000 as well as the chance to participate in artistic development with leaders in their fields.

Check out the site for guidelines on writing modes, such as short stories and spoken word poetry, and sign up for updates so you’re ready when the applications open.

FEATURED PICK

3. The Edit

The Edit is a digital storytelling challenge from NBCU Academy and Adobe. Your middle or high school students will build critical communication and collaboration skills as they plan, script, and produce their own 90-second video news reports on wellness topics. Winning classrooms will be rewarded with prizes like GoPros, Fandango gift cards, and more!​

It’s free to enter. All submissions must be received by March 3, 2025.

4. Write the World Competitions

Not only is Write the World one of my favorite places to find writing resources, but it also hosts free monthly contests with cash prizes. There are also opportunities for feedback, and lots of ideas to help students get started.

With a student account, young writers draft and submit their work on the website. ADVERTISEMENT

5. National Youth Foundation Programs

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

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

6.  American Foreign Service 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 a voyage with the Semester at Sea program and a trip to Washington, D.C.

Students fill out a registration form online, and a teacher or sponsor is required. The deadline to enter is March 1, 2025.

7.  Poets.org’s Annual Dear Poet Contest

Each year during National Poetry Month in April, students can write letters to famous poets in response to their work. In this interactive contest, all submissions receive a general letter and certificate, and winners receive a personalized response from the poet they wrote to. It’s a great way to #TeachLivingPoets, and kids get to ask questions about the creative process.

Return to the site in April to find the forms for submitting letters. A guardian or teacher must also provide a letter so the submissions can be published.

8.  John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

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

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

9. WriteCause Competitions

These free quarterly contests accept a variety of written submissions, each based on a different quarterly theme. WriteCause also provides research links so students can learn about the topics before writing. Open to kids ages 13 to 18.

Check out the Compete link for contest information each quarter, and use the online submission form.

10. The Princeton Ten-Minute Play Contest

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

Students submit one 10-page play script online or by mail. The deadline will be announced later this year.

11. Princeton University Poetry Contest for High School Students

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

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

12. The New York Times Tiny Memoir Contest

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

Submissions need to be made electronically by November 1.

13.  The New York Times Contest Calendar

For students who want to extend beyond 100-word memoirs, the New York Times also provides competitive opportunities in areas including photography, opinion pieces, and podcasting.

Find an area that students are interested in and check out the rules and deadlines.

14.  The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers

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

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

15. Jane Austen Society Essay Contest

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

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

16. Rattle Young Poets Anthology

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

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

17. The Black River Chapbook Competition

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

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

18. YouthPlays New Voices

Young writers under 18 create new one-act plays for the stage. Winners receive cash awards and publication.

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

19. The Ocean Awareness Contest

The theme for the 2025 Ocean Awareness Contest is “Connections to Nature: Looking Inside, Going Outside.” Students are eligible for a wide range of monetary prizes up to $1,000.

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

20. EngineerGirl Annual Writing Contest

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

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

21. NCTE Student Writing Awards

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

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

22. Narrative High School Writing Contest

The prompt for Narrative’s 10th Annual Writing Contest is “What I Cannot Say, I’ll Say Here.” Stories are limited to 600 words, and kids can also enter poems of no more than 50 lines. The website also provides different ideas and insights to help students approach the prompt.

Students in grades 9 through 12 submit their work through their teacher, who may submit up to 10 pieces.

23. US vs HATE Contests

Engage social media-savvy students with this creative contest that seeks messages of kindness, inclusivity, and bridge-building.

Check the website for an informational poster as well as guidelines and ideas about how students can submit their work.

24. National PTA Reflections Awards

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

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

25. World Historian Student Essay Competition

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

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

26. Future Scholar Foundation Short Story Contest

Monthly contests, each with different themes, offer Amazon gift cards and publication as awards. It’s open to elementary and middle school students.

Check the site each month for the new theme. Submissions are due on the 28th.

For more articles like this, subscribe to our newsletters to find out when they’re posted!

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

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Art & Essay Contest

Annual Art and Essay Contest

Each spring, the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum's Education Department hosts an Art and Essay Contest for students in the region. The contest calls for entries of original artwork from students in grades K-12 and essays from students in grades 4-12. Entries are collected in February and March and the awards ceremony is held later in the spring.

The contest theme is often aligned to the temporary exhibit in the museum and therefore changes every year. Please click on the links to the right for information about the current contest. The links below can be used to submit your entries.

This is one of our favorite programs each year! We love seeing the creativity and talent of the students in our area!

Click here to see the pictures of the 2023 Art & Essay Contest Awards Ceremony!

Young Spurs Writing Contest

The partnership of the Bush Library and Museum with the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference and Big Thought gives students (9th grade - 12th grade) an opportunity to enter the Young Spurs Writing Contest. Winners of this national non-fiction essay contest will be published in The Dallas Morning News.

ENTER 2023 ART CONTEST

ENTER 2023 ESSAY CONTEST

Exploring the art of prose

CRAFT Memoir Excerpt & Essay Contest 2024

  craft 2024 memoir excerpt & essay contest, november 13, 2024 – january 15, 2025, $3,400 awarded, guest judge: donald quist, add to calendar.

As we move from autumn into winter, we might find ourselves slowing down and becoming more contemplative. These cooler months are the perfect time to reflect more, and to write more. For the CRAFT 2024 Memoir Excerpt & Essay Contest, open until early next year, we’re eager to read your best longform creative nonfiction, from 1,001 to 6,000 words total. Both excerpts from book-length projects and stand-alone essays will be considered, and here’s what our guest judge, Donald Quist, would like to see:

I’m drawn to narratives with reasons for being, writing that examines larger exigencies through a personal lens. My favorite work has a clear aboutness: storytelling that responds to absences in the archive, that highlights overlooked disparities, that teaches me something and encourages me to do/be better. I have an aversion to didacticism though. Don’t sacrifice metaphor and the poetic image. The strongest pieces recognize that the personal is political and grounds the narrative in vulnerability, intimacy. I want a chance to get to know the author, their joys and obsessions, to tour their world for a little while. Take my hand, guide me through spaces that occupy your heart and mind, stopping from time to time to point to details you find worth noting.

Please carefully review the guidelines below, then send us your most polished work. Three winners will receive $1,000 each and publication. Our team will also select two “editors’ choices” to publish alongside the three grand-prize winners. All fifteen shortlisted creative nonfiction writers will receive a $1,000 scholarship to PocketMFA. Send us your best work!

GUIDELINES:

• The contest is open November 13, 2024, to January 15, 2025.
• CRAFT submissions are open to all writers, emerging and experienced.
• Submit creative nonfiction ONLY! (Please, no academic work, flash prose, short fiction, or poetry.)
• International submissions are allowed.
• Please submit work primarily written in English, but some code-switching/meshing is warmly welcomed.
• This contest is for creative nonfiction excerpts and essays between 1,001 and 6,000 words. Please do not submit flash prose.
• We review literary creative nonfiction, but are open to a variety of genres and styles including memoir excerpts, lyric essays, personal essays, narrative nonfiction, speculative nonfiction, and experimental prose—our only requirement is that you show excellence in your craft.
• For this contest, we will consider previously unpublished work only—we will not review reprints or partial reprints, including self-published work (even if only on social media). Reprints will be automatically disqualified.
• We allow simultaneous submissions—writers, please notify us and withdraw your entry if your work is accepted elsewhere.
• The $20 reading fee per entry allows one longform creative nonfiction piece (either memoir excerpt or essay) from 1,001 to 6,000 words. We will not read flash nonfiction prose for this contest. Please do not submit flash prose.
• We allow multiple submissions—each entry should be accompanied by a separate reading fee.
• All entries will also be considered for publication in CRAFT .
• Please double-space your submission and use Times New Roman 12.
• Please include a brief cover letter with your publication history (if applicable).
• Please include appropriate content warnings (if applicable), for the sake of our dedicated, diligent staff.
• We do not require anonymous submissions, but the guest judge will review the shortlist anonymously.
• Creative nonfiction writers from historically marginalized groups are invited to submit for free until we reach the fifty free submissions allotted for this contest. No additional fee waivers will be granted. Email us with relevant inquiries.
• We do not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, disability, family status, gender identity or expression, national origin, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation, or for any other reason.
• Additionally, we do not tolerate discrimination in the writing we consider for publication: work we find discriminatory on any of the bases stated here will be declined/disqualified without complete review.
• AI-generated submissions will be automatically disqualified.
• Unless you’ve already secured the necessary permissions, please do not include quoted song lyrics in your submitted work. Paraphrased lyrics are allowed, however, as are older lyrics that have already passed into the public domain. References to song titles are fine.
• Any work that does not adhere to these guidelines will be automatically disqualified.
• We are always happy to help if you have questions. Email us: [email protected].

The writers of the three winning pieces will receive:

• $1,000 each;
• publication in CRAFT , each with an introduction by the guest judge;
• publication of an author’s note (craft essay) to accompany the piece;
• and a set of six titles of Graywolf’s The Art Of series .

The two writers chosen in the editors’ choice round will receive:

• publication in CRAFT , each with an introduction by the editorial team;
• and publication of an author’s note (craft essay) to accompany the piece.

All fifteen shortlisted writers will also receive a $1,000 scholarship to PocketMFA .

OUR GUEST JUDGE:

FINE PRINT:

• Friends, family, and associates of the guest judge are not eligible for consideration for the award.
• Our collaboration with editorial professionals in the judging of our contests and the awarding of our prizes does not imply an endorsement or recognition from their agencies, houses, presses, universities, etc.
• Read (and enjoy!) our 2023 contest winners for examples of work we’ve chosen to publish in the past.
• As we only consider unpublished writing, and will publish the winning pieces in June 2025, any work under contract to publish prior to September 2025 should not be entered in this contest.

OUR CONTEST PARTNERS:

Their Mission:

Graywolf Press publishes risk-taking, visionary writers who transform culture through literature. When writers are free to do their most ambitious work, their books serve as portals to new possibilities and enable deeper understanding between people. Readers are changed by Graywolf’s books, which are fearlessly acquired, attentively edited, and energetically promoted.

PocketMFA is a twelve-week mentoring and workshopping program, designed to make more accessible the rigor, community, and guidance of a graduate-level writing program. Based on the low-residency MFA model, PocketMFA places up to ten writers with a creative nonfiction mentor of their choice, to work through our three distinct and entirely virtual phases of Direct Instruction, Mentorship & Workshopping, and Writing Life Residency. All fifteen shortlisted creative nonfiction writers will receive a $1,000 scholarship to PocketMFA.

OPTIONAL EDITORIAL FEEDBACK:

You may choose to receive editorial feedback on your work. We will provide line-level marginal editorial notes, as well as a two-page global letter discussing the strengths of the writing and the recommended focus for revision. While editorial feedback is inherently subjective, our criticism is always actionable and encouraging. Work that we critique is not eligible for future CRAFT contests. If your piece is chosen for publication, feedback will not be given and your feedback fee will be returned.

EDITORIAL FEEDBACK TEAM:

JOANNA ACEVEDO (she/they) is the Pushcart-nominated author of three books and two chapbooks. Her work has been seen across the web and in print, including Free State Review , The Rumpus , and The Adroit Journal . She received her MFA in fiction from New York University in 2021 and also holds degrees from Bard College and The New School. Find her on Twitter @jo_avocado.

MELISSA BENTON BARKER is the flash fiction section editor at CRAFT . A graduate of the MFA program at Antioch University Los Angeles, her writing appears in Longleaf Review , Moon City Review , Wigleaf , SmokeLong Quarterly , and Best Small Fictions 2021 . She has received Pushcart and Best of the Net nominations. She lives in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

KATE BLAKINGER is a writer and editor. Her short stories and essays have appeared in Alaska Quarterly Review , Epiphany , The Gettysburg Review , The Iowa Review , The Offing , and other journals . She is a Tin House Workshop alumna and holds an MFA from the Helen Zell Writers’ Program at the University of Michigan. The Elizabeth George Foundation, MacDowell, Jentel, and the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center have supported her writing with fellowships. She lives in Philadelphia with her family.

ALYSE BURNSIDE is a writer and editor living in Brooklyn. She holds an MFA from University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic , The Nation , The Believer , and elsewhere. She’s working on a book.

HENRY CHRISTOPHER is an Ohioan writer living in Seattle, Washington. He received his BA from Mount Vernon Nazarene University in 2018, and his MFA from the University of Washington in 2023. While attending school in Mount Vernon, Ohio, Henry served as editor in chief for Penmarks Journal of Literature and Art , news writer for The Viewer , and presented in a roundtable conference on small press lit journals at the Sigma Tau Delta International English Honors Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. In the past, he has worked with CRAFT as section editor for critical essays and interviews, art and marketing assistant, and fiction reader; currently, he works as a marketing assistant for Fernwood Press. His creative writing has been presented at events such as Cleveland Drafts, Black Jaw, and Castalia, and has received nominations for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. Henry’s debut novel, No One Dies in Palmyra Ohio,  was published in October 2022 through What Books Press. He feels strongly about experimental works and queered forms, with passion for those composed outside traditional literary backgrounds. Currently, he publishes his writing through handmade, freely distributed zines around the Seattle area.

KYLE COCHRUN (he/him) is a writer living in Seattle, Washington. He is a contributing writer for PopMatters , where he writes features, interviews, and album reviews. His essays and creative nonfiction have appeared in  The Akron Anthology ,  Watershed Review ,  Echo,  and  CRAFT . He received an MFA in creative writing from the Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts graduate program.

ALEXA DORAN recently completed her PhD in poetry at Florida State University. Her full-length collection DM Me, Mother Darling  won the 2020 May Sarton New Hampshire Poetry Prize and was published in April 2021 (Bauhan). She is also the author of the chapbook  Nightsink, Faucet Me a Lullaby (Bottlecap Press 2019). Look for work from Doran in recent or upcoming issues of  Pleiades ,  Witness, Salt Hill Journal , and  Gigantic Sequins , among others.

BRANDON DUDLEY is the author of Hazards of Nature: Stories , selected by Sigrid Nunez as the winner of the 2020 Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance Chapbook Contest. His writing, interviews, and criticism have appeared in  New South, The Millions, The Forge, Fiction Writers Review, North by Northeast 2 , and others. He holds an MFA from the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe. He lives in Maine with his wife and two sons. Find him on Twitter @brandondudley8.

ROSS FEELER ’s fiction has appeared in Electric Literature’ s “Recommended Reading,” The Common , New South , Potomac Review , Story | Houston , Hypertext , and others. His novel-in-progress received the Marianne Russo Award from the Key West Literary Seminar and was a finalist for James Jones First Novel Award. He teaches English at Texas State University.

B. B. GARIN is a writer living in Buffalo, New York. Her echapbook, New Songs for Old Radios , is available from Wordrunner Press. Her work has appeared in Hawaii Pacific Review , Luna Station Quarterly , Palooka , 3rd Wednesday , Crack the Spine , and more. She is currently a prose reader and blog contributor for The Masters Review . She continues to improve her craft at GrubStreet Writing Center, where she has developed several short fiction pieces, as well as two novels. Connect with her online @bb_garin.

COURTNEY HARLER (she/her) is a queer writer, editor, and educator based in Las Vegas, Nevada. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) from the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe (2017) and an MA in English (Literature) from Eastern Washington University (2013). Courtney is currently editor in chief of CRAFT and editorial director for Discover New Art, and has read and written for UNT’s Katherine Anne Porter Prize, The Masters Review , Funicular Magazine , Reflex Fiction , and Chicago Literati in recent years. She hosted the literary podcast PWN’s Debut Review , and teaches and edits for Project Write Now, a nonprofit writing studio in New Jersey. For her creative work, Courtney has been honored by support from Key West Literary Seminar, Writing By Writers, Community of Writers, Napa Valley Writers’ Conference, and Nevada Arts Council. Courtney’s work has been published in multiple genres in literary magazines around the world. Find her on Instagram @CourtneyHarler.

KATELYN KEATING (she/her) was the editor in chief of CRAFT from 2018 to 2021 and now serves as editor at large. She was a 2017 fellow of the LA Review of Books Publishing Workshop and has been on their faculty since 2018, overseeing PubLab , leading the magazine track as a program manager, and serving as the publisher coordinator for LITLIT: The Little Literary Fair. She is a production manager with Berrett-Koehler Publishers, and was the production and operations manager at Prospect Park Books until it left California in 2021. Her essays appear in Crab Orchard Review ,  Flyway ,  Lunch Ticket ,  Tahoma Literary Review , and elsewhere. Katelyn has an MFA from Antioch University Los Angeles, where she worked for two years on Lunch Ticket , serving as editor in chief for issues 11 and 12. Find her on Twitter @katelyn_keating.

JILL KOLONGOWSKI writes the Substack Tiny True Stories  and is also the author of the essay collection  Life Lessons Harry Potter Taught Me (Ulysses Press, 2017). Her work also appears in Electric Lit , Insider , the  Los Angeles Review of Books , Brevity , River Teeth , and elsewhere. Her essays have won Sundog Lit ’s First Annual Contest series and the Diana Woods Memorial Prize in Creative Nonfiction at  Lunch Ticket , and she earned her MFA from St. Mary’s College of California. Jill teaches writing at the College of San Mateo, and lives in Northern California with her husband and daughter. Find her on Twitter @jillkolongowski.

VAL M. MATHEWS  is a big-hearted, fun-loving editor who teaches courses in developmental editing for the University of California Berkeley Extension, Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, and the Editorial Freelancers Association in New York City. Val also freelances on the side and works as an editorial consultant for  CRAFT  and  The Masters Review . Previously, she was an editor for The Wild Rose Press, a small traditional publishing house in New York. She earned an MA in professional writing from Kennesaw State University and a BFA from the University of Georgia. Fun fact about Val: She’s been an FAA-certified flight instructor for over twenty-five years, and in the past, she flew Lear jets for a living.

GABRIEL MOSELEY is a writer from Seattle, Washington. He holds an MFA from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and certificates in both editing and literary fiction from the University of Washington. His short story, “A Man Stands Tall,” was awarded The Masters Review Anthology Prize in 2017, selected by Roxane Gay. He received the General Motors’ Future Fiction Scholarship to attend Aspen Summer Words in 2023 and was chosen for the Jack Straw Writers Program in 2024. He has been selected for residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, Centrum Artist Residency, and Seattle Public Library’s Writers’ Room Residency. He has also been named as a finalist for the Made at Hugo House Writing Fellowship, LitMag ’s Virginia Woolf Award for Short Fiction, and the Haleakalā National Park Residency. He has attended the Sewanee Writers’ Conference and Disquiet International, among others. His work appears in The Masters Review , Stratus , and Nordic Kultur Magazine.

JUSTINE PAYTON  is an MFA candidate at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington where she is a recipient of the Philip Gerard Graduate Fellowship and the Bernice Kert Fellowship in Creative Writing. She has been published or has work forthcoming in the  Bellevue Literary Review , Isele Magazine , T he Masters Review , The Keeping Room, and   others. She is currently the managing editor of  ONLY POEMS , an editor for Ecotone , and an editorial intern with Tin House. Find her on Instagram @just_a_rose4.

REBECCA REYNOLDS has an MFA in creative writing. Her short fiction has been published in various literary magazines, including Ascent , MudRoom , and The Boiler , and her story collection This Is How We Speak is forthcoming with Cornerstone Press. She lives outside Boston with her husband and three boys, and by day she is a children’s librarian. Find her on Twitter @rsreynolds611.

GAGE SAYLOR is the assistant director of creative writing at Oklahoma State University. His fiction and poetry have appeared in Passages North ,  Tampa Review ,  Crab Creek Review ,  Iron Horse , and elsewhere. He has won the Katherine Anne Porter Prize at  Nimrod and is a previous semifinalist for the Kurt Vonnegut Speculative Fiction Prize at  North American Review . He received his MFA at McNeese State University, where he was awarded the Robert Olen Butler Prize for Fiction.

CHLOE CHUN SEIM is the author of CHURN , an illustrated novel-in-stories, which won the 2022 George Garrett Fiction Prize and was named a finalist for Publishing Triangle’s Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction. Texas Review Press published CHURN in late 2023. Chloe’s fiction has appeared in LitMag , where she won the 2021 Anton Chekov Award for Flash Fiction, and in Split Lip Magazine , The McNeese Review , Potomac Review , and more. She lives in Lawrence, Kansas.

• Short Stories
• Flash Fiction
• Longform Creative Nonfiction
• Flash Creative Nonfiction
• Craft & Critical Essays
• Books by CRAFT Contributors
• Memoir Excerpt & Essay Contest
• Flash Prose Prize 2024
• Dialogue Challenge 2024
• First Chapters Contest 2024
• EcoLit Challenge 2024
• Short Fiction Prize 2024
• Novelette Print Prize 2024
• Memoir Excerpt & Essay Contest 2023
• Flash Prose Prize 2023
• Setting Sketch Challenge 2023
• First Chapters Contest 2023
• Character Sketch Challenge 2023
• Short Fiction Prize 2023
• Hybrid Writing Contest 2023
• Creative Nonfiction Award 2022
• Amelia Gray 2K Contest 2022
• First Chapters Contest 2022
• Short Fiction Prize 2022
• Hybrid Writing Contest 2022
• Creative Nonfiction Award 2021
• Flash Fiction Contest 2021
• First Chapters Contest 2021
• Short Fiction Prize 2021
• Short Fiction Prize 2020
• Flash Fiction Contest 2020
• Creative Nonfiction Award 2020
• Elements Contest 2020: Conflict
• Short Fiction Prize 2019
• Flash Fiction Contest 2019
• First Chapters Contest 2019
• Short Fiction Prize 2018
• Elements Contest 2018: Character | Dialogue Setting
• Fast Response
• LAUNCH PARTY!
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Museum Masterpieces Art & Essay Contest

Naval Aviation Museum Foundation (NAMF) is excited to announce its third annual Museum Masterpieces Art and Essay Contest.  

The theme for this year’s contest is To The Rescue . This theme commemorates the 80th anniversary of the first mercy mission conducted by Naval and Coast Guard aviation’s first helicopter, the HNS-1 Hoverfly in 1944.

Naval, Marine, and Coast Guard Aviators conduct many humanitarian operations including rescuing people at sea, delivering emergency aid, and providing disaster relief for hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes. All entries should communicate the theme, “To the Rescue.”

All public, private, and home school students in grades Kindergarten – 12 are encouraged to participate. The contest calls for entries of original artwork from students in grades K – 12 and essays from students in grades 6 – 12. The contest will be separated in judged in separate grade level groups.

The deadline for submissions is 11:59 PM on Monday, April 29, 2024. Entries will be collected in February, March, and April and winners will be awarded in May.

Rules & Requirements

• All content must be original and created by the contestant.
• All art must be created using only pencils, paints, charcoal, or markers. Three-dimensional art pieces, photography, and digital art are ineligible. Glitter is not permitted on any art pieces.
• Art must be 11” x 17” or smaller.
• Contestant Name, Title of Submission, Grade, and School must be printed legibly on back of art submissions and printed/typed at the top of essay submissions.
• All content submitted will not be returned.
• Entry form must be complete, printed legibly, and it must accompany the submission.
• Contestants in grades 6–12 can create one submission for each of the two categories: Art and Essay.
• Contestants cannot submit more than one piece of content for any one of the categories.

Judging & Deadlines

• Content will be separated and judged in the following grade-level groups:  grades K–2 art, grades 3–5 art, grades 6 –8 art, grades 9–12 art, and grades 6–12 essay/poem.
• Content will be judged on originality and relevance to the theme.
• Deadline for submission is 11:59 pm April 29, 2024.
• Please submit art to our mailbox or our inbox ([email protected]) by the deadline.
• Escambia and Santa Rosa County students have special drop-off location options (not required) listed on the entry form.
• Ribbons will be awarded to first, second, and third place winners in each category.
• First, second, and third-place winners’ submissions will be displayed at the National Naval Aviation Museum for Military Appreciation Month in May 2024. First-place winners’ submissions will be displayed in the National Naval Aviation Museum for 6 months.  
• First place winners in each category will receive $100 gift cards.

How to Submit Entries

Mail:  Submit all content by mail to Naval Aviation Museum Foundation Attention: RESCUE 1750 Radford Blvd, Pensacola FL 32508

Inbox (Essays/Poems only, timestamp April 29): Essays can be submitted as Word or PDF documents to [email protected] Subject Line: RESCUE

Santa Rosa County Students Students/Teachers can drop off submissions by April 29, 2024 to Pace High School or Rhodes Elementary. Please submit in a package or envelope marked, Attention: RESCUE ART/ESSAY CONTEST c/o K. Tracey @ Pace High or A.Dill @ Rhodes Elementary.

Escambia County Students Students/Teachers can drop off submissions by April 29, 2024 to the J.E. Hall Center. Please submit in a package or envelope marked, Attention: RESCUE ART/ESSAY CONTEST c/o Angela Barberi

Contest Questions?

Please email Dianna Hayden at [email protected] or 850-308-8935