When college students write for academics, it will possibly really feel like an task. After they write for an actual function, they’re empowered! Pupil writing contests are a difficult and provoking technique to attempt writing for an genuine viewers—an actual panel of judges—and the opportunity of prize cash or different incentives. We’ve gathered an inventory of one of the best pupil writing contests, and there’s one thing right here for everybody. Put together extremely motivated youngsters in want of an genuine writing mentor, and watch the phrases movement.
2024-2025 Pupil Writing Contests
1. The Scholastic Artwork & Writing Awards
With a variety of classes—from essential essays to science fiction and fantasy—the Scholastic Awards are a mainstay of pupil contests. Every class has its personal guidelines and phrase counts, so remember to take a look at the choices earlier than you determine which one is finest in your college students.
How To Enter
College students in grades 7 to 12, ages 13 and up, could start submitting work in September by importing to a web-based account at Scholastic and connecting to their native area. Entry charges are waived for college students in want.
2. YoungArts Nationwide Arts Competitors
YoungArts provides an annual nationwide competitors within the classes of artistic nonfiction, novel, play or script, poetry, quick story, and spoken phrase. Pupil winners could obtain awards of as much as $10,000 in addition to the possibility to take part in creative growth with leaders of their fields.
How To Enter
Try the location for pointers on writing modes, reminiscent of quick tales and spoken phrase poetry, and join updates so that you’re prepared when the functions open.
FEATURED PICK
3. The Edit
The Edit is a digital storytelling problem from NBCU Academy and Adobe. Your center or highschool college students will construct essential communication and collaboration abilities as they plan, script, and produce their very own 90-second video information reviews on wellness subjects. Profitable school rooms shall be rewarded with prizes like GoPros, Fandango present playing cards, and extra!
How To Enter
It’s free to enter. All submissions should be obtained by March 3, 2025.
4. Write the World Competitions
Not solely is Write the World one among my favourite locations to search out writing sources, but it surely additionally hosts free month-to-month contests with money prizes. There are additionally alternatives for suggestions, and many concepts to assist college students get began.
How To Enter
With a pupil account, younger writers draft and submit their work on the web site.
5. Nationwide Youth Basis Packages
Every year, awards are given for Pupil E book Students, Superb Girls, and the “I Matter” Poetry & Artwork competitors. It is a nice probability for teenagers to specific themselves with pleasure and power.
How To Enter
The foundations, prizes, and deadlines fluctuate, so take a look at the web site for more information.
6. American Overseas Service Nationwide Excessive Faculty Essay Contest
In the event you’re seeking to assist college students take a deep dive into worldwide relations, historical past, and writing, look no additional than this essay contest. Winners obtain a voyage with the Semester at Sea program and a visit to Washington, D.C.
How To Enter
College students fill out a registration kind on-line, and a trainer or sponsor is required. The deadline to enter is March 1, 2025.
7. Poets.org’s Annual Expensive Poet Contest
Every year throughout Nationwide Poetry Month in April, college students can write letters to well-known poets in response to their work. On this interactive contest, all submissions obtain a common letter and certificates, and winners obtain a customized response from the poet they wrote to. It’s an effective way to #TeachLivingPoets, and youngsters get to ask questions concerning the artistic course of.
How To Enter
Return to the location in April to search out the types for submitting letters. A guardian or trainer should additionally present a letter so the submissions may be printed.
8. John F. Kennedy Profile in Braveness Essay Contest
This annual contest invitations college students to put in writing about an elected official’s act of political braveness that occurred anytime after 1917, the yr Kennedy was born. The winner receives $10,000, and 16 runners-up additionally obtain a wide range of money prizes.
How To Enter
College students could submit a 700- to 1,000-word essay via January 12. The essay should characteristic greater than 5 sources and a full bibliography.
9. WriteCause Competitions
These free quarterly contests settle for a wide range of written submissions, every primarily based on a unique quarterly theme. WriteCause additionally gives analysis hyperlinks so college students can study concerning the subjects earlier than writing. Open to youngsters ages 13 to 18.
How To Enter
Try the Compete hyperlink for contest data every quarter, and use the web submission kind.
10. The Princeton Ten-Minute Play Contest
Searching for pupil writing contests for budding playwrights? This unique competitors, which is open solely to highschool juniors, is judged by the theater college of Princeton College. College students submit quick performs in an effort to win recognition and money prizes of as much as $500. (Observe: Solely open to Eleventh graders.)
How To Enter
College students submit one 10-page play script on-line or by mail. The deadline shall be introduced later this yr.
11. Princeton College Poetry Contest for Excessive Faculty College students
The Leonard L. Milberg ’53 Excessive Faculty Poetry Prize acknowledges excellent work by pupil writers in Eleventh grade. Prizes vary from $100 to $500.
How To Enter
College students in Eleventh grade can submit their poetry. Contest particulars shall be printed this fall.
12. The New York Instances Tiny Memoir Contest
This contest can also be a beautiful writing problem, and the New York Instances contains plenty of sources and fashions for college students to have the ability to do their finest work. They’ve even made a classroom poster!
How To Enter
Submissions should be made electronically by November 1.
13. The New York Instances Contest Calendar
For college students who need to prolong past 100-word memoirs, the New York Instances additionally gives aggressive alternatives in areas together with pictures, opinion items, and podcasting.
How To Enter
Discover an space that college students are excited by and take a look at the principles and deadlines.
14. The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Younger Writers
The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Younger Writers is open to highschool sophomores and juniors, and the winner receives a full scholarship to a Kenyon Overview Younger Writers Workshop.
How To Enter
Submissions for the prize are accepted electronically from November 1 via November 30.
15. Jane Austen Society Essay Contest
Highschool college students can win as much as $1,000 and publication by getting into an essay on a subject specified by the Jane Austen Society associated to a Jane Austen novel.
How To Enter
Particulars for the 2024 contest shall be introduced in November. Essay size is from six to eight pages, not together with works cited.
16. Rattle Younger Poets Anthology
Open to college students from 15 to 18 years outdated who’re excited by publication and publicity over financial awards.
How To Enter
Lecturers could select as much as 5 college students to submit as much as 4 poems every on their behalf. The deadline is November 15.
17. The Black River Chapbook Competitors
It is a probability for brand spanking new and rising writers to achieve publication in their very own professionally printed chapbook, in addition to $500 and free copies of the ebook.
How To Enter
There’s an $18 entry price, and submissions are made on-line.
18. YouthPlays New Voices
Younger writers beneath 18 create new one-act performs for the stage. Winners obtain money awards and publication.
How To Enter
Scroll all the best way down their net web page for data on the competition, which accepts non-musical performs between 10 and 40 minutes lengthy, submitted electronically. The entry interval opens annually in January.
19. The Ocean Consciousness Contest
The theme for the 2025 Ocean Consciousness Contest is “Connections to Nature: Trying Inside, Going Exterior.” College students are eligible for a variety of financial prizes as much as $1,000.
How To Enter
College students from 11 to 18 years outdated could submit work within the classes of artwork, artistic writing, poetry and spoken phrase, movie, interactive media and multimedia, or music and dance, accompanied by a mirrored image. The deadline is June 13.
20. EngineerGirl Annual Writing Contest
Every year, EngineerGirl sponsors an essay contest with subjects centered on the affect of engineering on the world, and college students can win as much as $500 in prize cash. This contest is a pleasant bridge between ELA and STEM and nice for academics excited by incorporating an interdisciplinary undertaking into their curriculum. The brand new contest asks for items describing the life cycle of an on a regular basis object. Try the following tips for integrating the content material into your classroom.
How To Enter
College students submit their work electronically by February 1. Try the complete record of guidelines and necessities right here.
21. NCTE Pupil Writing Awards
The Nationwide Council of Lecturers of English provides a number of pupil writing awards, together with Achievement Awards in Writing (for Tenth- and Eleventh-grade college students), Promising Younger Writers (for Eighth-grade college students), and an award to acknowledge Excellence in Artwork and Literary Magazines.
How To Enter
Deadlines vary from October 28 to February 15. Try NCTE.org for extra particulars.
22. Narrative Excessive Faculty Writing Contest
The immediate for Narrative’s Tenth Annual Writing Contest is “What I Can’t Say, I’ll Say Right here.” Tales are restricted to 600 phrases, and youngsters may enter poems of not more than 50 traces. The web site additionally gives completely different concepts and insights to assist college students strategy the immediate.
How To Enter
College students in grades 9 via 12 submit their work via their trainer, who could submit as much as 10 items.
23. US vs HATE Contests
Have interaction social media-savvy college students with this artistic contest that seeks messages of kindness, inclusivity, and bridge-building.
How To Enter
Verify the web site for an informational poster in addition to pointers and concepts about how college students can submit their work.
24. Nationwide PTA Reflections Awards
The Nationwide PTA provides a wide range of awards, together with one for literature, of their annual Reflections Contest. College students of all ages can submit entries on the required subject to their native PTA Reflections program. From there, winners transfer to the native space, state, and nationwide ranges. Nationwide-level awards embody an $800 prize and a visit to the Nationwide PTA Conference.
How To Enter
This program requires submitting to PTAs who take part in this system. Verify your faculty’s PTA for his or her deadlines.
25. World Historian Pupil Essay Competitors
The World Historian Pupil Essay Competitors is a world contest open to college students enrolled in grades Ok via 12 in public, personal, and parochial colleges, in addition to these in home-study packages. The $500 prize is predicated on an essay that addresses one among this yr’s two prompts.
How To Enter
College students can submit entries through electronic mail or common mail earlier than Might 1.
26. Future Scholar Basis Brief Story Contest
Month-to-month contests, every with completely different themes, provide Amazon present playing cards and publication as awards. It’s open to elementary and center faculty college students.
How To Enter
Verify the location every month for the brand new theme. Submissions are due on the twenty eighth.
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