Whether you're looking for a beefed-up a resume, a cash prize, or good old-fashioed bragging rights, you ought to find something here.
Deadline
October 3, 2017
Topsham Public Library presents its second Joy of the Pen writing competition, open to all year-round Maine residents, including teens. Previously unpublished submissions are accepted in three categories: fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. All work should be submitted anonymously and electronically.
Deadline
October 3, 2017
The Kenyon Review sponsors this annual poetry contest that welcomes submissions from high-school sophomores and juniors. The winner and two runners-up see their poetry published in a quarterly journal and online, and the winner receives a full scholarship to the Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop in Gmbier, Ohio.
Subissions Accepted:
Sept. 1-Dec. 1
The Poetry Center at Smith College sponsors this annual poetry contest for sophomore and junior girls. Each year a distinguished poet judges submissions and selects a winner and three finalists. In addition to the cash prize awarded to the winner ($500), the three finalists are invited to spend day in April visiting the college and discussing poetry with the guest judge.
Deadline
Dec 31.
The freedom of speech, enshrined in the First Amendment to the Constitution, is a foundational American right. Nowhere is that right more important than on our college campuses, where the free flow of ideas and the clash of opposing views advance knowledge and promote human progress. It is on our college campuses, however, where some of the most serious violations of free speech occur, and where students are regularly censored simply because their expression might offend others.
Drawing on videos and any other resources available on FIRE’s website, explain in 800-1000 words why free speech is so important to higher education, and why censorship undermines the ideals of liberal education and a free society.
Deadline
October 3, 2017
Founded in 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the oldest and most prestigious contest for young writers in the country. Every year over 90,000 students in grades 7-12 submit work in a variety of categories. Award winners earn national recognition and opportunities for publication, exhibition, and scholarships. This high-profile achievement has launched the careers of many renowned writers and artists, including Richard Avedon, who called winning his Scholastic Award “the defining moment of my life.”
Deadline:
Mid-January
Sponsored by the JFK Library Foundation, the Profile in Courage Essay Contest invites U.S. high school students to submit researched narrative essays profiling an elected official who has demonstrated outstanding political courage. Winners receive up to $10,000 and national recognition at the Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in May.
Deadline:
Feb 15
The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Achievement Awards in Writing recognize annually some of the best young writers in high schools across the country. English departments nominate one or more writers in the junior class to submit two samples of their work (best and themed). Students honored for superior achievement receive a certificate from NCTE and national recognition on its website.
Deadline:
Jan 31
This year's theme is "Bodies of Water." We're looking for submissions that tackle the following question: Where, when, and how has water affected your life? The grand prize winner will be published in the May 2016 issue of Maine Magazine. A $200 cash prize will be awarded to the grand-prize winner. The grand-prize winner will be invited to read their piece at our 2015 Big Night Event.
Deadline
Sapt- March
The Apprentice Writer features the best writing (fiction, poetry, personal essay, and memoir) and photographs among 4,000 entries submitted by high-school students across the country. Edited and published by undergraduate creative writing majors at Susquehanna University, the magazine is sent to over 3,500 schools in September.
Deadline
Rolling
A monthly journal showcasing the work of teen writers and artists, Teen Ink is the largest publication of its kind in circulation. It accepts submissions throughout the year in a wide variety of categories—poetry, short fiction, drama, memoir, editorials, reviews, videos, painting, photography, etc. In addition to the print publication, Teen Ink provides an online community for creative teens to get feedback on their work, talk with other young writers, and find inspiration. Deadlines- ongoing/rolling