Young Authors Contest

What is the PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest and who can enter?

It's a Contest held by many local PBS member stations for kids in K-3rd grade who want to write and illustrate their own stories. If your local PBS station is participating, you can submit your story to your local station for judging, and a chance to win prizes! Plus, everyone who enters gets a Certificate of Achievement. The PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest is produced by WNED-TV, Buffalo/Toronto and participating local PBS member stations.

When does it start and how do I sign up?

Participating PBS stations hold local PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contests each spring. The 2011 contest is currently closed. Click here to read some of the winning stories. More information about the 2012 PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest will be available this winter. Until then, read stories, make mashups and practice your writing and illustrating skills. We look forward to your next awesome creation!

Can I see stories from other Contest years to get ideas?

Yes! You can see all stories from previous years, going back to 2001, by visiting Story Central. Take a look at the national winners and think about your own favorite stories. What do they have in common? It seems they all have things like:

• a beginning, middle, and end
• a central event like a conflict or discovery
• characters who change or learn a lesson
• illustrations that help tell the tale

http://pbskids.org/writerscontest/contest.php

Throughout my elementary career I recall a many of creative art like assignments in which we were called up on to do some writing accompanied by some artistic creation. I found the artistic parts most enjoyable but did not mind the writing part. In the forth, fifth, and sixth grade we had to create a book that was an original piece, that would be in a selected to participate in The Young Authors Conference. We were given a few guidelines and a due date then turned loose to complete our books. My book end up winning and I was invited to a conference with thousands of other children from all over, present with their books to discus and share. Sadly it was not the first year I had made a book that was selected a winner, denying two other opportunities to attend the conference. Finally in the sixth grade my teacher contacted my parents and requested that I attend because she was part of the selection committee who saw and nominated my work three years in a row. Possibly one of the best things that could have happened to me. Also my book won that year at the conference for my age group.

With teaching today I just feel that more needs to be done to encourage students in creative assignments. Especially those involving writing such as the Young Authors Contest. As in my case, where I just wished to do my work turn it in and receive a good grade, I would have never attended the conference unless my teacher informed my parents of the opportunity I was being offered for a third time. To me as a kid it was going to waste my Saturday of playing with my friends to go sit and talk about some book I had come up with because it was going to be a graded assignment. But in being made to attend the conference I was introduced to so much more than I could begin to appreciate. The very book I had creatively come up with was not just an assignment as I reflect back now.

Taking into account some of the topics we have discussed in this course, literature is a form of communication that can be used in different fascists to help better explain or inform someone of one thing or another. When children are given the chance to experience literature from a perspective that even some adults may never know, I can say personally odds for success are in their favor.

Question(s):

As a parent or a teacher, would the Young Authors Contest be something you would encourage a child or student to participate in? And in what way could the conference be made more appealing to a child or student?