Welcome to the FPS Enrichment Page!

We believe that every child has unique strengths and abilities that contribute to their success, and there are many ways to support their growth—both academically and personally. 

This page is designed to offer students exciting opportunities to explore and nurture their individual passions and unique talents throughout the school year -- anything from writing, playwriting, and art competitions to podcasting and coding challenges.

All opportunities featured on this site are completely free of charge. If something sparks your interest, click on the information link to learn more.

The CT Association of School Librarians is hosting an in-person event for all lovers of literacy at Winthrop STEM Elementary Magnet School, 74 Grove St., New London, CT

Saturday, March 1, 2025

FREE! Join educators, librarians, authors and illustrators from Connecticut and beyond for an amazing day of literacy learning.   (You don’t have to be a CASL member to join the fun!) 

Bring your ideas, thoughts & questions. During registration, we’ll develop sessions (for example, AASL Standards, Common Core, all topics literacy, and more) & create the schedule for the day using the Edcamp unconference model. 

Over 30 authors & illustrators will participate throughout the day. Plus, they will sign books! Bring books for our book swap. Get ready for your TBR (to be read) list to grow! 

Books will be available for purchase.

REGISTER & find more information at nerdcampct.org


Email nerdcampct@gmail.com and follow us:

nerdcampct.bsky.social on BlueSky

@nerdcamp_ct on Instagram

and @CTSchoolLibrarians on Facebook

Baseball Poetry Contests

Students Grades 4-12 and Little Leaguers

Poetry Contest

The National Baseball Poetry Festival is a celebration of poetry whose themes focus on Baseball and/or Softball! The Festival takes place at Polar Park, May 2-4.  All grades 4-12 students and Little Leaguers are invited to submit poems with a baseball and/or softball theme, for example: opening day, ballpark food, first pitch, athletic heroes, uniforms, Polar Park and other ball parks, Little League, dugout chatter, the season of the game, etc.


Splash at Yale will take place on Sunday, March 2nd, from 10 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. -- and registration for grades 7-12 students will be opening on February 11th!


Splash is a dynamic, one-day program featuring classes taught by Yale students -- anything from  and  to  and . For more information and a listing of past classes, visit https://yale.learningu.org/learn/splash.html. 


The cost for Splash is $20 for the day. Financial aid is available. 

ASAP!’s 20th Annual Celebration of Young Writers empowers K-12 students to share their love of writing with the world. Public, private and homeschooled students from across Connecticut are invited to submit for a chance to be recognized for their outstanding work, and read their piece in front of a live audience. Submissions to the Celebration of Young Writers are free.

FPS HAD A TOP-12 WINNER IN 2023!


SUBMISSIONS

February 1 – April 1, 2025

Submission link coming soon. For more information, visit https://asapct.org/project/celebration-of-young-writers/

The Lieutenant Governor's Computing Challenge is a statewide coding competition for Connecticut students. The "Coding for Good" challenge is open to all students who can enter on their own or as a team through their schools or through informal education partners such as the Girl Scouts, the Y’s, Girls Who Code Clubs and other after school programs. 

 

Submissions will be accepted up until Friday, April 4, 2025.  

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Connecticut students in grades 3 - 12 are encouraged to create applications designed to inspire health, wellness, and positive change. This year’s Lt. Governor’s Computing Challenge includes three options for submission: concept challenge, prototype challenge and development challenge. Students can work individually or as a team to submit to one challenge. 

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For more information, visit https://www.ltgovcc.org/

The annual eesmarts™ contest invites K-12 students to answer grade level-specific prompts regarding how they would promote energy efficiency, renewable energy and reducing their carbon footprints to their families, fellow students and schools.


Submissions due: March 28, 2025

Eligibility:

The contest is open to students in grades K–12 living or attending school in an Eversource or Avangrid community in Connecticut. 


Prizes:

For grades K-12 (at each gradae level):

First Prize: $400 Amazon™ gift card*
Second Prize: $250 Amazon™ gift card*
Third Prize: $100 Amazon™ gift card*

For more information, visit https://energizect.com/eesmarts/annual-student-contest

or email eesmarts-studentcontest@EnergizeCT.com. 

Calling all creative young artists in Connecticut! 

As part of an effort to encourage more young people to explore the natural world and increase conservation awareness, entries are now being accepted for the 2025 Connecticut Junior Migratory Bird Conservation (Duck) Stamp Art Competition. 


This contest is open to all K-12 Connecticut students. To enter, students create and submit a drawing or painting featuring native waterfowl (ducks or geese). The list of eligible species is in the 2024-2025 Federal Junior Duck Stamp Brochure and Contest Rules. There is no cost, and submissions must be postmarked by March 15, 2025.


Submissions will be judged according to grade level and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes will be awarded. A “Best of Show” winner will also be selected and featured on the 2025 Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp -- as well as entered into the National Junior Duck Stamp Contest. 


All work must have a completed entry form. For students in grades 7-12, a reference sheet must also be included to verify the authenticity of the student's work. For more information, visit https://portal.ct.gov/deep/wildlife/stamp/connecticut-junior-duck-stamp-art-contest

CALLING ALL AUTHORS, POETS, PLAYWRIGHTS, AND ARTISTS!

The Connecticut Writing Project (CWP) sponsors (CSW), a magazine founded in 1987 to celebrate exceptional writing by students from kindergarten through high school. The magazine offers Connecticut students a platform to showcase their original work in poetry, prose, and artwork. Each year, more than 1,500 students submit entries, and from this large pool of poetry, essays, stories, drama, and artwork, select pieces are chosen for publication or recognition at each grade level.


The highlight of the publication process is the Student Recognition Night, an annual celebration hosted by the CWP on the University of Connecticut campus.


FPS has had recognized winners, including some published in their magazine!


Deadline to submit is February 17, 2025.

For submission guidelines and the parent/guardian permission form, visit

https://cwp.uconn.edu/ct-student-writers-magazine/csw-submission-guidelines/

The Bridgeport Regional Business Council is partnering with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to host a civics competition that encourages young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. Participating 6th, 7th and 8th graders will flex their civics knowledge for a chance to win recognition and cash prizes.

Finalists will be invited to Washington, DC to compete in the inaugural National Civics Bee national championship in Fall 2025.


LAST YEAR, A TOMLINSON MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT BECAME THE FIRST WINNER 

OF THE NATIONAL CIVICS BEE CONNECTICUT STATE FINALS, AND SECURED A SPOT 

IN THE NATIONAL COMPETITION IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

Any 6th, 7th, or 8th grade student residing in Connecticut with an idea about using civics to improve their community may submit their essay to participate in one local competition in their state. 

Essays must be submitted by February 4, 2025. 

Visit www.nationalcivicsbee.org for the latest news on the application portal, entry deadlines, and resources.

32nd LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE CONTEST!


Each year, a reading and writing contest known as Letters About Literature is held nation-wide for students in grades 4-12. Students are asked to read a book, poem, or speech and write a letter to that author (living or deceased) about how the text affected them personally. Letters are judged on the state level. 


Contest judges from Connecticut (NEAG teacher education alumni and students and teacher-consultants of the Connecticut Writing Project) will select the best submissions. Students chosen as contest winners and runner-ups will receive a prize and state recognition at each level.


Level 1: Grades 4-6

Level 2: Grades 7-8

Level 3: Grades 9-12


Submission deadline: Jan. 27, 2025

For more information, visit https://education.uconn.edu/letters-about-literature-contest/

Senator Murphy invites students to participate in his Office’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest. He asks students from elementary, middle, and high schools from across Connecticut to participate in honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. by submitting essays that reflect on Dr. King’s dream, their own aspirations, and the importance of what Dr. King means to them.

Submissions are now open and must be received by Saturday, January 11th at 11:59 P.M. Essays can be submitted online or mailed to his Hartford Office.

Essay instructions and FAQs can be found here. This site includes word count guidelines for each grade level, submission guidelines, and information he looks for in essays. If you have any further questions, please contact Sarah Lopez at 860-549-8463 or email MLK_Essay@murphy.senate.gov.

SPLASH AT YALE THIS FALL!  November 9th, 2024 on the Yale Campus 


Splash at Yale invites high school and middle school students in grades 7-12 to come to the Yale campus and take courses taught by undergraduates on anything and everything! Past offerings included the following: (Too many to list, really.) Check out last spring's catalogue here. 



Who:        Students, grades 7-12

When:      Saturday, November 9, 2024 

Cost:        $20 - This price includes lunch. You can also purchase a $10 t-shirt. Financial aid is available.

Where:     New Haven, Connecticut on Yale’s campus! 


Check-in location and class locations will be announced after registration is complete. To make an account on their website and get updates when registration opens, click Here. 

The Dream Big! Competition is an exciting program offered by Connecticut’s Office of the Treasurer (OTT). The competition gives Connecticut parents and guardians the opportunity to win money toward their child’s future education. This year’s competition features more prizes than before, including three grand prizes of $20,000. 


More information can be found here. 




No fee to enter. 

Entries due November 4, 2024.


Students can submit an original essay, video or artwork (painting/drawing or illustration) based on the following specific grade-level topics:


K-4th grade: When you grow up, what would you like to be and why?

5th-8th grade: What is a lesson you've learned and how will it influence your future?

9th-12th grade: Tell us about an experience or person in your life that has impacted you and how this will influence your future goals.


Students: You'll need your parents permission to submit. 

Parents: If your child is selected as a winner, you must have/open a 529 account. 

Optimum and Univision Foundation’s 17th Annual Hispanic Heritage Essay Contest 

for middle and high school students!

Four students will receive the grand prize of a $3,000 cash scholarship and twelve runners-up will receive an iPad!

To enter, answer the following prompt in 500 words or less:

In Hispanic culture, traditions such as dance, food or historical and family celebrations are important ways people connect and reflect on heritage. People also connect to Hispanic culture through media and entertainment, events or relationships with individuals in their community.  

Choose a person, cultural experience, celebration or tradition that has helped you connect to Hispanic culture and explain what that means to you. 

Entries must be received by October 31, 2024, at 11:59 ET. For more information and official rules, visit www.optimum.com/hhm.

NAMING CONTEST!

The Fairfield Arts Commission is planning to sponsor a town-wide Innovative Art Challenge later this year aimed at inspiring creativity among our Town’s young artists, ages 11-18…but first they need a proper name.  


Please help them come up with a fun and creative name that reflects the goals of the challenge, which is envisioned as an art competition encouraging young and aspiring artists to create art in new and unique ways.  The naming contest will run through October 11, 2024, and is open to all persons of all ages.  


The winner will be announced following the Commission meeting in October and will receive a $50 Fairfield Community e-gift card.  Participants can submit their name ideas via the link below:


https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdBGwIkg0DSh99cWt74T4lOZ1qRS-rtHg7ctsNMjIUrCo4FfA/viewform