national junior pulitzer essay contest

Honoring Excellence in Journalism and the Arts

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Contests and Workshops for Students

national junior pulitzer essay contest

The Pulitzer Center offers two annual writing contests for students and year-round workshops that engage students in journalism skills, media literacy, civic engagement, and creative writing projects.

Student Contests

We invite K–12 students worldwide to participate in our annual contests: the Fighting Words poetry contest in the spring, and Local Letters for Global Change in the fall. We offer lesson plans and workshops to prepare for the contests, plus prizes, publication, and performance opportunities to winners.

national junior pulitzer essay contest

Our staff and journalist-grantees are available to facilitate free, virtual workshops for K–12 students that use underreported global news to teach media literacy, writing, photography, research, journalism ethics, and more. We also offer workshops that prepare students to craft strong entries for our annual contests. Use the form below to connect with a member of the K–12 team, who can share existing workshop topics or support the development of a customized workshop.

Request a Workshop for Students

Contact Information

Topic for spring 2023:

While consumers are drawn toward tweets and sound bites, how can journalists tell more of the story without losing readers’ interest.

Upload by Feb. 19, 2023, 11:59 p.m. Central time/9:59 p.m. Pacific time.

Submit your entry and fee online.

About the award

The Sigma Delta Chi Foundation of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Journalism Education Association want to increase high school students' knowledge and understanding of the importance of independent media to our lives. National winners of this essay contest receive scholarship awards.

Who is eligible?

All students enrolled in grades 9-12 in U.S. public, private and home schools within the United States. Students must submit original work.

The essay should be 300-500 words. Entries may be typed or handwritten but must be double-spaced.

Each submission to the essay contest must be accompanied by a $5 entry fee.

Award recognition

First Place: $1,000 scholarship Second Place: $500 scholarship Third Place: $300 scholarship

Scholarships are funded by the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Winners will be notified via email, and the names of winners will be announced in April. Winning essays also will be posted on JEA.org and SPJ.org.

Official rules

Section I - General Rules

1. Contestants must enter through JEA's contests and awards portal. 2. Contestants must compose an original essay with limited guidance from others. 3. The Journalism Education Association and Society of Professional Journalists will have the right to edit, publish or otherwise duplicate any essay entered into the contest without payment to the author. 4. Due to the volume of entries received, only national winners will be contacted with the results. 5. The entry fee for this contest is $5 per essay.

Section II - Qualifications for Contestants

1. The contest is open to all students in grades 9-12 in public, private and home schools within the United States. 2. Contestants may submit only one essay entry during any given contest year. 3. No individual having previously won a national SPJ essay scholarship will be eligible to compete at any level of the competition again.

Section III - Contest Rules

1. Participants must write on the official topic. 2. Each entry must include the online entry form. 3. Essays may be typewritten or legibly handwritten but must be double-spaced. 4. Essays must contain at least 300 words but no more than 500 words. Every word of the essay is counted. This does not include the title, bibliography or footnotes. 5. Any quotations or copyrighted material used in the essay must be identified properly. Failure to identify non-original material will result in disqualification. 6. Essays must be written in English. 7. Any protest in the conduct of the contest must be made immediately. The JEA executive director will decide all protests in conformity with the contest rules. The decision of the executive director is final, and no higher appeals will be recognized.

Section IV - Judging and Timing

1. Judging will be completed by a panel of qualified judges. 2. Judges will not discuss or compare essays being judged until all essays have been judged. 3. Only judges can assign a penalty or award points.

Section V - Scoring of Contest

Scoring procedures at all levels of the contest will be identical. 1. Material Organization (Logical interpretation of the subject, adherence to topic): 40 points 2. Vocabulary and Style (Phrasing and continuity): 30 points 3. Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling: 20 points 4. Neatness: 5 points 5. Adherence to contest rules (prepared in the proper format): 5 points

— First Place, $1,000 Scholarship Winner: Mariam Baldwin, St. Vincent Pallotti High School, Laurel, Maryland — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Grace Holst, Durango (Colorado) High School — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Anjali Suva, Oxford Academy, Cypress, California

— First Place, $1,000 Scholarship Winner: Hyungsoon Henry Kim, St. Paul’s School — Concord, New Hampshire — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Qingyang Li, Friendswood High School – Friendswood, Texas — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Erin Stoeckig, Mayo High School – Rochester, Minnesota

— First Place, $1,000 Scholarship Winner: Janet Chang, Newport High School — Bellevue, Washington — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Kiara Royer, Horace Mann School – Bronx, New York — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Jennifer Su, Plano West Senior High School – Plano, Texas

— First Place, $1,000 Scholarship Winner: Dennis Zhang, Peddie School — Hillsborough, New Jersey — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Quinna Halim, Northville High School – Novi, Michigan — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Mattias Hoz, Berkeley High School – Berkeley, California

— First Place, $1,000 Scholarship Winner: Alexandria Kim, Marlborough School – Los Angeles, California — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Madeleine Bernardeau, Hunter College High School – New York, New York — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Emili Kovell, East Brunswick High School – East Brunswick, New Jersey

— First Place, $1,000 Scholarship Winner: Lauryn Wu, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winners (tie): Aliza Diepenbrock, Spring Street International School, Friday Harbor, Washington; Carolyn Harper, Bob Jones High School, Madison, Alabama — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Eileen Yang, Peddie School, Hightstown, New Jersey

— First Place, $1,000 Scholarship Winner: Simon Levien, Sparta High School, Sparta, New Jersey — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: David Oks, The Masters School, Dobbs Ferry, New York — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Christine Condon, Dulaney High School, Timonium, Maryland

— First Place, $1,000 Scholarship Winner: Matthew Zipf, Richard Montgomery High School, Rockville, Maryland. Read essay [PDF] — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Philip Kim, Paramus High School, Paramus, New Jersey. Read essay [PDF] — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Sania Chandrani, Parkview High School, Liburn, Georgia. Read essay [PDF]

— First Place, $1,000 Scholarship Winner: Tianyu Lin of Milton Academy in Milton, Mass. Read essay [PDF] — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Phoebe Fox of La Pietra Hawaii School for Girls in Honolulu, Hawaii. Read essay [PDF] — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Jacob Bloch of Paul D. Schreiber High School in Port Washington, N.Y. Read essay [PDF]

— First Place, $1,000 Scholarship Winner: Courtney Swafford of Write from the Heart in Wilmington, Del. Read essay [PDF] — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Anran Yu of Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, Ariz. Read essay [PDF] — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Chuli Zeng of Woodbridge High School in Irvine, Calif. Read essay [PDF]

— First Place, $1,000 Scholarship Winner: Hwasung (Daniel) Yoo of Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies in Richmond, Va. Read essay [PDF] — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Niisackey Mills of South Plainfield High School in South Plainfield, N.J. Read essay [PDF] — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Dustin Chandler of East Burke High School in Connellys Springs, N.C. Read essay [PDF]

— First Place, $1,000 Scholarship Winner: Emerson Hardebeck of Timberline High School in Lacey, Wash. Read essay [PDF] — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Shaun Moran of St. Augustine Prep School in Richland, N.J. Read essay [PDF] — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Chris Papas of Oakton High School in Vienna, Va. Read essay [PDF]

— First Place, $1,000 Scholarship Winner: Erin McDonough of Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, Va. — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Shaj Mathew of Huntingtown High School in Huntingtown, Md. — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Xiaonan “April” Hu of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va.

— First Place, $1,000 Scholarship Winner: Alix Cohen of Cypress Bay High School, Weston, Fla. — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Victor Hollenberg of Staples High School, Westport, Conn. — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Alyssa Patrick of Eisenhower High School, Yakima, Wash.

— First Place, $1,000 Scholarship Winner: Mark Brouch, Aurora Central Catholic High School, Aurora, Ill. — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Evan Rich, Jericho High School, Jericho, N.Y. — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Danna Seligman, Newbury Park High School, Newbury Park, Ca.

— First Place, $1,000 Scholarship Winner: David Kelly, Broomfield High School, Broomfield, Colo. — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Dan Garon, Robbinsdale Armstrong High School, Plymouth, Minn. — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Erin Gowdy, Bob Jones High School, Madison, Ala.

— First Place, $1,000 Scholarship Winner: Angelika Zych, Vanguard High School, in Ocala, Fla. — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Jonathan Homrighausen of Sunnyside High School in Sunnyside, Wash. — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Amy Brooks of Clayton High School in Clayton, Mo.

— First Place, $1,000 Scholarship Winner: Mindy Zhang, Robinson Secondary School, Fairfax, Va. — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Zachory John Drisko, Green Hope High School, Cary, N.C. — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Katie Roberts, Home schooled, Walnut Shade, Mo.

— First Place, $1,000 Scholarship Winner: Heather Hamilton, Sentinel High School, Missoula, Mont. — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Logan Oyler, Hickory High School, Chesapeake, Va. — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Joey Muffler, Bishop Ireton High School Alexandria, VA

— First Place Winner: Jonathan Ross Kaplan, Nova High School, Davie, Fla.

— First Place Winner: Katie Pennock, West Henderson High School, Hendersonville, NC

— First Place Winner: Darcy Colson Baxter, Lansing Central High School (near Ithaca, N.Y.)

— First Place Winner: Michael Anthony Fedele III, Northwestern High School, Rock Hill, S.C.

014 Kedzie Hall 828 Mid-Campus Drive S Manhattan, KS 66506-1505

Email: [email protected]

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Home > Awards > High School Essay Contest

Awards 2023 High School Essay Contest Topic: While consumers are drawn toward tweets and sound bites, how can journalists tell more of the story without losing reader' interest?

Deadline: February 20, 2023 Nominations accepted beginning November 23, 2022

2022 Winners Read Press Release

First Place National Essay Winner ($1,000 scholarship)

Mariam Baldwin, St. Vincent Pallotti High School - Laurel, Maryland — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Grace Holst - Durango (Colorado) High School — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Anjali Suva, Oxford Academy - Cypress, California

Resources for scholastic journalists and educators JEA Digital Media Resources Multimedia Tools Guide to Broadcast/Video Guide to Moving Online

Previous honorees

2021 Contest Winners Read Press Release — First Place: Hyungsoon Henry Kim, St. Paul's School - Concord, New Hampshire — Second Place: Qingyang Li, Friendswood High School - Friendswood, Texas — Third Place: Erin Stoeckig, Mayo High School - Rochester, Minnesota

2020 Contest Winners Read Press Release — First Place: Janet Chang, Newport High School — Bellevue, Washington — Second Place: Kiara Royer, Horace Mann School — Bronx, New York — Third Place: Jennifer Su, Plano West Senior High School — Plano, Texas

2019 Contest Winners Read Press Release — First Place: Dennis Zhang, Peddie School, Hillsborough, New Jersey — Second Place: Quinna Halim, Northville High School, Novi, Michigan — Third Place: Mattias Hoz, Berkeley High School, Berkeley, California

2018 Contest Winners Read Press Release — First Place: Alexandria Kim, Marlborough School, Los Angeles, California — Second Place: Madeleine Bernardeau, Hunter College High School, New York, New York — Third Place: Emili Kovell, East Brunswick High School, East Brunswick, New Jersey

2017 Contest Winners Read Press Release — First Place National Essay Winner ($1,000 scholarship): Lauryn Wu, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Virginia Read essay [PDF] — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Aliza Diepenbrock, Spring Street International School, Friday Harbor, Washington Read essay [PDF] — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Eileen Yang, Peddie School, Hightstown, New Jersey Read essay [PDF]

2016 Contest Winners — First Place National Essay Winner ($1,000 scholarship): Simon Levien, Sparta High School, Sparta, N.J. Read essay [PDF] — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: David Oks, The Masters School, Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. Read essay [PDF] — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Christine Condon, Dulaney High School, Timonium, Md. Read essay [PDF]

2015 Contest Winners — First Place National Essay Winner ($1,000 scholarship): Matthew Zipf, Richard Montgomery High School, Rockville, Md. Read essay [PDF] — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Philip Kim, Paramus High School, Paramus, N.J. Read essay [PDF] — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Sania Chandrani, Parkview High School, Liburn, Ga. Read essay [PDF]

2014 Contest Winners Read Press Release — First Place National Essay Winner ($1,000 scholarship): Tianyu Lin of Milton Academy in Milton, Mass. Read essay [PDF] — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Phoebe Fox of La Pietra Hawaii School for Girls in Honolulu, Hawaii Read essay [PDF] — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Jacob Bloch of Paul D. Schreiber High School in Port Washington, N.Y. Read essay [PDF]

2013 Contest Winners Read Press Release — First Place National Essay Winner ($1,000 scholarship): Courtney Swafford of Write from the Heart in Wilmington, Del. Read essay [PDF] — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Anran Yu of Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, Ariz. Read essay [PDF] — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Chuli Zeng of Woodbridge High School in Irvine, Calif. Read essay [PDF]

2012 Contest Winners Read Press Release — First Place National Essay Winner ($1,000 scholarship): Hwasung (Daniel) Yoo of Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies in Richmond, Va. Read essay [PDF] — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Niisackey Mills of South Plainfield High School in South Plainfield, N.J. Read essay [PDF] — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Dustin Chandler of East Burke High School in Connellys Springs, N.C. Read essay [PDF]

2011 Contest Winners Read Press Release — First Place National Essay Winner ($1,000 scholarship): Emerson Hardebeck of Timberline High School in Lacey, Wash. Read essay [PDF, 139 KB] — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Shaun Moran of St. Augustine Prep School in Richland, N.J. Read essay [PDF, 78 KB] — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Chris Papas of Oakton High School in Vienna, Va. Read essay [PDF, 74 KB]

2010 Contest Winners Read Press Release — First Place National Essay Winner ($1,000 scholarship): Erin McDonough of Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, Va. — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Shaj Mathew of Huntingtown High School in Huntingtown, Md. — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Xiaonan “April” Hu of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va.

2009 Contest Winners Read Press Release — First Place National Essay Winner ($1,000 scholarship): Alix Cohen of Cypress Bay High School, Weston, Fla. — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Victor Hollenberg of Staples High School, Westport, Conn. — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Alyssa Patrick of Eisenhower High School, Yakima, Wash.

2008 Contest Winners Read Press Release — First Place National Essay Winner ($1,000 scholarship): Mark Brouch, Aurora Central Catholic High School, Aurora, Ill. — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Evan Rich, Jericho High School, Jericho, N.Y. — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Danna Seligman, Newbury Park High School, Newbury Park, Ca.

2007 Contest Winners Read Press Release — First Place National Essay Winner ($1,000 scholarship): David Kelly, Broomfield High School, Broomfield, Colo. — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Dan Garon, Robbinsdale Armstrong High School, Plymouth, Minn. — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Erin Gowdy, Bob Jones High School, Madison, Ala.

2006 Contest Winners Read Press Release — First Place National Essay Winner ($1,000 scholarship): Angelika Zych, Vanguard High School, in Ocala, Fla. — Second Place, $500 Scholarship Winner: Jonathan Homrighausen of Sunnyside High School in Sunnyside, Wash. — Third Place, $300 Scholarship Winner: Amy Brooks of Clayton High School in Clayton, Mo.

2005 Contest Winners — First Place National Essay Winner ($1,000 scholarship winner) : Mindy Zhang, Robinson Secondary School, Fairfax, Va. — Second Place ($500 scholarship winner): Zachory John Drisko, Green Hope High School, Cary, N.C. — Third Place ($300 scholarship winner): Katie Roberts, Home schooled, Walnut Shade, Mo.

2004 Contest Winners — First Place National Essay Winner ($1,000 scholarship winner): Heather Hamilton, Sentinel High School, Missoula, Mont. — Second Place ($500 scholarship winner): Logan Oyler, Hickory High School, Chesapeake, Va. — Third Place ($300 scholarship winner): Joey Muffler, Bishop Ireton High School Alexandria, VA

2002 National First Place Winner Jonathan Ross Kaplan, Nova High School, Davie, Fla. 2000 National First Place Winner Katie Pennock, West Henderson High School, Hendersonville, NC 1999 National First Place Winner Darcy Colson Baxter, Lansing Central High School (near Ithaca, N.Y.) 1998 National First Place Winner Michael Anthony Fedele III, Northwestern High School, Rock Hill, S.C.

The SPJ Foundation of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Journalism Education Association want to increase high school students’ knowledge and understanding of the importance of independent media to our lives. National winners of this essay contest receive scholarship awards.

Award recognition First Place : $1,000 scholarship Second Place : $500 scholarship Third Place : $300 scholarship

Entry Deadline All entries should be submitted by February 20, 2023.

Complete Official Rules and How to Enter For official contest rules and information on how to enter this year’s High School Essay Contest, please visit this link.

SPJ News SPJ statement on the shooting of Spectrum News 13 journalists SPJ and NLA partner for Sunshine Week 2023 SPJ statement on changes at Al Día

national junior pulitzer essay contest

The Best Children's Writing Contests of 2023

Writing competitions curated by Reedsy

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national junior pulitzer essay contest

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Showing 24 contests

North street book prize.

Winning Writers

Submit a self-published or hybrid-published book, up to 200,000 words in length. One grand prize winner will receive $10,000, a marketing analysis and one-hour phone consultation with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, a $300 credit at BookBaby, three months of Plus service (a $207 value) and a $500 account credit from Book Award Pro, and 3 free ads in the Winning Writers newsletter (a $525 value)

Additional prizes

$1,000 for top winner in each category | $300 for honorable mentions

Entry requirements

Deadline: June 30, 2023

Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Children's, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

"It's All Write!" Teen Writing Contest

Ann Arbor District Library

The Ann Arbor District Library is excited to host its 30th annual “It’s All Write!” Teen Writing Contest in Winter 2022! Young Adult authors take part as judges each year, who then read and select the winning stories. Stories are judged in three different categories: Grades 6-8, Grades 9 & 10, and Grades 11 & 12. The top three writers in each age group receive fabulous prizes. This is an ever-growing, state-wide contest.

2nd: $150 | 3rd: $75

Deadline: March 05, 2023

Promising Young Writers Contest

National Council of Teachers of English

Through collaboration and community, shared stories and shared experiences, NCTE supports teachers and their students in classrooms, on college campuses, and in online learning environments. The Promising Young Writers Program stimulates and recognizes the writing talents of eighth-grade students and to emphasize the importance of writing skills among eighth-grade students.

The NCTE Certificate of Recognition

Deadline: February 15, 2023 (Expired)

$1000 for 1000 Words Contest

The Layla Beban Young Authors

The $1000 for 1000 Words fiction writing contest is open to all students enrolled in grades 6-12. Each entrant may submit a fiction piece consisting of exactly 1,000 words (not including title or author’s name). The fiction piece can be on any topic, as long as it is not vulgar or offensive, does not use inappropriate profanity, and is the original work of the entrant not previously published.

Deadline: February 01, 2023 (Expired)

Children's, Short Story

EngineerGirl Writing Contest

Every year, the EngineerGirl website sponsors a contest dealing with engineering and its impact on our world. The topic and detailed instructions for the contest are posted in September with a deadline for submissions on February 1st of the following year. Winners are announced in the spring.

Bennington Young Writers Awards

Bennington College

Bennington College has a unique literary legacy, including twelve Pulitzer Prize winners, three U.S. poet laureates, four MacArthur Geniuses, countless New York Times bestsellers, and two of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people. In celebration of this legacy, Bennington launched the Young Writers Awards to promote excellence in writing at the high school level. Our goal with this competition is to recognize outstanding writing achievement by high school students.

2nd: $500 | 3rd: $250

Deadline: November 01, 2022 (Expired)

World Historian Student Essay Competition

World History Association

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

Deadline: May 01, 2023

Children's, Essay

Seven Hills Literary Contest and Penumbra Poetry and Haiku Contest

Tallahassee Writers Association

The Seven Hills Literary Contest and Penumbra Poetry and Haiku Contest (collectively, “the Contest”) is sponsored annually by the Tallahassee Writers Association. The contest is open to English-language entries from around the world. For the first time, we are open to published entries as well as unpublished entries.

Published in the Seven Hills Review

Deadline: September 30, 2022 (Expired)

Children's, Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

The Atom Learning Young Author Award

To celebrate the budding wordsmiths of the UK, we're running a UK creative writing competition. There are two categories: ages 7-9 and ages 10-11. The 2022 theme for Atom’s Young Author Award is A DAY THAT CHANGED THE WORLD.

A trip to Disneyland Paris for a family of 4

Stack of novels | Professionally illustrated book cover | £2,500 for the child's school

Deadline: August 31, 2022 (Expired)

Fiction, Children's

Rattle Young Poets

Rattle Foundation

Rattle is a publication of the Rattle Foundation, an independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the practice of poetry, and is not affiliated with any other organization. The author of the poem must have been age 15 or younger when the poem was written, and 18 or younger when submitted.

Publication in Rattle Magazine

Deadline: November 15, 2022 (Expired)

Children's, Poetry

Celebration Day Writing Contest

The Celebration Day Competition gets children to connect with the oldest person they know and interview them about the person who inspired them most growing up. They will retell the story in a creative way to win their work being read out on camera by a star-studded collection of celebrity guests, an iPad, and a £100 Amazon voucher. You must be aged between five and 18 to enter the competition, or be a teacher, and can live anywhere in the world.

£100 Amazon Voucher

Celebrities reading out winning entries, publication on website.

Deadline: June 21, 2022 (Expired)

"Write On!" Short Story Contest

The annual "Write On!" Short Story Contest for Grades 3-5 accepts story entries each winter. All writers, their friends, and families are invited to a Story Celebration and awards ceremony on Saturday, April 23, 2022, featuring a published children's author and the top three writers in each grade will receive an award.

Publication on website

Deadline: March 06, 2022 (Expired)

Cricket Magazine Contest

Cricket Magazine

’Tis winter, and the cold wind doth blow. But it can be fun to frolic in the ice and snow. So, bundle up! For our January contest, everybuggy would love to read your best wintry tale. Welcome to an opportunity to get published in Cricket Magazine! Your contest entry must be your very own original work. Ideas and words should not be copied. Your entry must be signed by your parent or guardian, stating that it is your own work, that no help was given, and that Cricket has permission to publish it in the magazine and on our website.

Publication in Cricket Magazine

Deadline: January 25, 2022 (Expired)

The Betty Award

As one of the few competitions for elementary and middle school students, The Betty Award grants cash prizes for written pieces below 1,000 words. The Betty Award has both a Spring & Fall contest.

Deadline: May 14, 2022 (Expired)

PFD Children's Queer Fiction Prize

Peter Fraser + Dunlop

Judged by E. Latimer and agents Silvia Molteni and Lucy Irvine. Accepting middle grade (aimed at readers aged 8-12) and chapter books (aimed at readers aged 6-8) fiction samples across all genres. Applicants are asked to submit a three-chapter sample and synopsis. Works may be finished or in-progress.

Publishing contract with PFD

Deadline: March 01, 2022 (Expired)

Children's, Fiction, LGBTQ

Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award

Society of Children's Book Writers

The Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award recognizes and encourages the publication of an excellent book of poetry or anthology for children and/or young adults. The award will be given to a book of poetry originally published in English. It can be a book by an individual poet or poets or an anthology.

Deadline: March 15, 2022 (Expired)

Funny Festival Fables

C.A.A.B Publishin

Write us a short story about the festive period. We want tales about silly snowmen, naughty elves, and hilarious stories that would make Santa go HO! HO! HO! Entries should be around 1,000 words or less and must be sent as a Word Document with no pictures.

Children's, Flash Fiction

IEW Writing Contest

Institute for Excellent Writing

We are delighted to present our annual writing contest for all aspiring and accomplished writers, ages eight to eighteen. Whether or not they have experience with IEW's Structure and Style® Writing Method, your students are invited to participate.

Deadline: April 30, 2021 (Expired)

Stone Soup Flash Fiction Contest

Stone Soup holds a Flash Contest during the first week of every month. The month’s first Weekly Creativity prompt provides the contest challenge. Submissions are due by midnight on Sunday of the same week. Up to five winners are chosen for publication on our blog. The winners, along with up to five honorable mentions, are announced in the following Saturday Newsletter.

Publication on Stone Soup's blog

Deadline: December 01, 2022 (Expired)

VFW Voice of Democracy

Veterans of Foreign Wars

The VFW is dedicated to promoting patriotism and investing in our future generation. If you are a democracy-loving high school student interested in a $30,000 college scholarship or a patriotic middle school student interested in winning $5,000, these scholarships may be for you.

$30,000 college scholarship

Deadline: October 31, 2022 (Expired)

Amazing Women’s Edition Contest

National Youth Foundation

Founded by Black women with a vision for change, the mission of the National Youth Foundation is to promote diversity, inclusion and gender equality through innovative literary programs. To honor the vast accomplishments of women in the United States, the National Youth Foundation is pleased to announce the Amazing Women’s Edition (AWE) competition. This writing contest is open to students in grades K to 8 residing in the United States.

Deadline: January 07, 2022 (Expired)

National Youth Foundation "I Matter" Contest

Founded by Black women with a vision for change, the mission of the National Youth Foundation is to promote diversity, inclusion and gender equality through innovative literary programs. The “I Matter” poetry contest was launched by a 14-year old student who took action to educate the world about why Black Lives Matter. The contest calls upon students across the country to submit poems on this important topic.

Deadline: July 23, 2022 (Expired)

Jane Austen Society of North America Essay Contest

Jane Austen Society of North America

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

$1,000 scholarship

Two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s Annual General Meeting

Deadline: June 02, 2022 (Expired)

We the Students Essay Contest

Bill of Rights Institute

The Bill of Rights Institute engages, educates, and empowers individuals with a passion for the freedom and opportunity that exist in a free society. Students in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Armed Forces schools abroad, and students in United States territories are eligible to participate in its contest.

Deadline: April 15, 2021 (Expired)

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15 Writing Competitions for High School Students

Whichever field you’re passionate about, being able to write well can help you make an impact. Be it in research, for a college application, in an assignment, or simply to express yourself, writing is essential to communicating your thoughts. The ability to write well can set you apart! This is why every year, organizations around the world host competitions to celebrate this skill in students. Participating in and doing well at these competitions does more than just make your college application look good - several writing competitions also offer the chance to win cash prizes and scholarships to summer programs! Writing contests often offer multiple levels of recognition, so you do not have to be the top winner to earn a title that will recognize your work and look good on applications! In this article, we bring to you 15 writing contests that offer high school students the chance to showcase their talent, and exercise their creativity through writing.

Here are 15 Writing Competitions for High School Students:

1. National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Awards

The National Council of Teachers of English hosts these awards every year to encourage high school students who write. Students submit one themed essay based on a specified prompt and one composition in any genre of their choice which displays their best work. A certificate and a letter are given to students who are assessed to have exceptional writing skills. Their names can be seen on the NCTE website as well. Juniors in high school who have been nominated by their English department are eligible to compete.

2. National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

This contest accepts entries in a variety of genres, including critical essays, dramatic screenplays, flash fiction, personal essays, and short stories, and begins regionally and advances to the national level.

Regional competitions are held by local organizations, and the winners are sent to the national level for consideration. There is a $5 per entry or $20 per portfolio submission charge, however it can be waived for those who apply and meet the criteria for financial aid.

Students get Honorable Mentions, Silver or Gold Keys, or Nominations for the American Visions and Voices Medals at the regional level. Gold and Silver Medals, as well as the American Visions and Voices Medal, which acts as a "Best in Show" award for each region, are awarded to regional Gold Key winners. National award winners are invited to Carnegie Hall in New York City for a National Ceremony and Celebration. At the national level, there are various sponsored monetary rewards that vary by genre and sponsor, and certain National Medal winners will also be picked for college scholarships or summer programs.

Students in grades 7 through 12 in the United States are able to participate.

3. Princeton University Contests

Princeton University hosts two contests for high school juniors. One is a poetry contest judged by members of the Princeton University Creative Writing faculty. The other is a Ten-Minute Play Contest judged by members of the Princeton University Program in Theater faculty. Each contest has a first place prize of $500, second place prize of $250, and third place prize of $100.

4. The Bennington Young Writers Awards

This tournament is open to students in grades 10 through 12, and the judging panel includes faculty and students from Bennington College. Seven Pulitzer Prize winners, three US poet laureates, and a slew of New York Times bestsellers are among the college's graduates. Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction are all acceptable forms of submission (personal and academic essays). Each category's first-place winner receives $500, while second-place winners receive $250.

In 1981, the National YoungArts Foundation was established with the goal of identifying and supporting the next generation of artists in the artistic, literary, and performing arts. Each year, thousands of students apply, and the winners are selected to attend weeklong programs in Los Angeles, New York, and Miami. Students participate in workshops with master artists as part of these programs. A $35 application fee is required, however cost exemptions are available for those who qualify. Honorable Mentions from each region are asked to attend regional workshops. Finalists are invited to National YoungArts Week, where they will have the opportunity to meet with the judges and compete for cash prizes of up to $10,000. Finalists are also eligible for a nomination as a US Presidential Scholar in the Arts. Students in grades 10th to 12th are eligible to apply.

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6. AFSA's National High School Essay Contest

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) and the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) collaborate to host this annual contest, which aims to "engage high school students in learning and writing about issues of peace and conflict, encouraging appreciation for diplomacy's role in building partnerships that can advance peacebuilding and protect national security." One winner will receive a $2,500 cash prize, an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., and a full scholarship to the Semester at Sea Program for one semester upon admission at an accredited university. One runner-up will receive a cash reward of $1,250 as well as a full scholarship to the National Student Leadership Conference's International Diplomacy Program. Students whose parents are not in the Foreign Service are eligible to participate if they are in grades nine through twelve in the USA.

7. We the Students Essay Contest by Bill of Rights Institute

This essay contest, sponsored by the Bill of Rights Institute, encourages students to think critically and creatively about people's rights and how they affect society. One grand prize winner will earn $5,000 in addition to a Constitutional Academy scholarship. Six runners-up will each receive $1,250, and eight honorable mentions will each receive $500. Citizens or legal residents of the United States between the ages of 14 and 19 are eligible.

8. Profile in Courage Essay Contest by JFK Presidential Library

This competition is based on JFK's book Profiles in Courage, which told the tales of eight U.S. senators who showed political courage by standing up for a larger good while sacrificing their careers in the process. Entrants must describe and analyze an act of political courage in the form of a similar profile for the competition. The first-place reward is $20,000 in this competition. Twenty-five smaller cash prizes ranging from $100 to $1,000 are also available.

The competition is open to high school students in the United States in grades nine through twelve.

9. VFW Voice of Democracy

Our Voice of Democracy audio-essay program, which began in 1947, gives high school students the opportunity to express themselves through a democratic and patriotic-themed recorded essay. Nearly 64,500 school kids from grades 9 to 12 from across the country join each year, for a chance to earn a piece of the more than $2 million in educational scholarships and incentives provided via the program. All student entries must be submitted to a local VFW Post that is supporting the event. Students in grades 9 through 12 are eligible to compete. 10. SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest

This contest, sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists and the Journalism Education Association, urges students to consider the role of the press in American society. Essays should be between 300 and 500 words long.

The first-place winner receives a $1,000 scholarship, second-place receives $500, and third-place receives $300. The competition is accessible to students in grades 9 through 12 in the United States. The registration fee for the competition is $5.

11. Jane Austen Society Essay Contest

High school students can win up to $1,000 by entering an essay on a specified topic related to Jane Austen novels. In addition, each winner will receive a year of membership to the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) and a collection of Norton Critical Editions of Jane Austen's novels. The winning pieces appear on the JASNA website as well. The theme of the 2022 Essay Contest is based on Jane Austen's first published novel, Sense & Sensibility. Students from all around the world are welcome to enter, however all contributions must be written in English.

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12. Engineer Girl Annual Essay Contest

Engineer Girl hosts an essay contest every year that focuses on the impact of engineering on the world. Prize money of up to $500 is available to students. This competition is a great way to combine English language writing with STEM research. Students can send in their submissions via the internet. The contest is open to individual girls and boys in the following three competition categories: Elementary School students (grades 3-5), Middle School students (grades 6-8), or High School students (grades 9-12). The word limit for submissions varies depending on the grade level.

13. Rachel Carson Intergenerational Sense of Wonder / Sense of the Wild Contest

Entries for this writing contest must be submitted by a team, consisting of at least two people, representing different generations (for example, a student and a teacher or a teenager and her grandmother). Submission categories include poetry and essays, along with optional photographic elements. Annual topics for the contest are tied to nature. Winners receive a certificate from the Rachel Carson Landmark Alliance, and have their winning entry posted on the RCLA website.

14. World Historian Student Essay Competition

The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international competition open to students enrolled in grades K–12. Winners receive $500 and a one year membership in the World History Association. Each competitor submits an essay that addresses the issue: "In what way has the study of world history affected my understanding of the world in which I live?"

15. John Locke Essay Competition

The John Locke Essay Competition is hosted by the John Locke Institute, a non-profit educational organization based in Oxford, United Kingdom. The John Locke Institute promotes young people to develop the qualities that make great writers: independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis, and persuasive style. Senior professors from the University of Oxford assess the submissions. The judges select their favourite essay from each subject group, as well as an overall "best essay" from all seven subjects.

Bonus entry: Atlas Shrugged novel Essay Contest

The Atlas Shrugged novel essay contest is open to all students globally. Atlas Shrugged is a heroic mystery novel written by Ayn Rand. Choose a prompt and write an 800-1,600 word essay in English. First prize: $10,000; 3 second prizes: $2,000; 5 third prizes: $1,000; 25 finalists: $100; 50 semifinalists: $50. Entry is free!

Learn the art of academic writing with the Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you are interested in a selective, structured research program, consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program , a selective online high school program for students founded by Harvard and Oxford researchers. The program pairs you with a full-time researcher to develop your own independent research project, in any discipline of your choice. Last year over 1500 students applied to 500 slots in the research program! You can find the application form here.

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National winners of this essay contest receive scholarship awards. Who is eligible? All students enrolled in grades 9-12 in U.S. public, private and home
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... knowledge and understanding of the importance of independent media to our lives. National winners of this essay contest receive scholarship awards.
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Juniors in high school who have been nominated by their English department are eligible to compete. 2. National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.
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The Pulitzer Prize is an award administered by Columbia University for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature