"We are a group of chess enthusiasts that meet every week on Monday. We offer casual play, rated and unrated tournaments and group lectures. All ages and playing abilities are welcome!"

Meets at St. Mark Lutheran Church every Monday at 6:30 pm.

JMRL gives all teens in the library’s service area the opportunity to share their talents and work together on a project showcasing a range of artistry.

Or join the Teen Advisory Board! Meetings will occur monthly in a hybrid format.

Accepting Writing and 2D art

• Open to ages 11-18

• Author/artist must reside within JMRL service area

• Submissions must be original in their entirety (please no AI)

• Submit your own work only (no submitting on someone else’s behalf)

• ONE submission per format (art & writing) per teen

• Writing limit is 750 words or less and may receive light editing

• Submitted electronically as a file type (PDF, PNG or JPEG)

• Will not accept original art pieces (must be photo or scan)

• Will not accept paper submissions

Submit your work HERE. Deadline is October 16th at 5 pm.

The Suicide Prevention Awareness & Resource Council (SPARC) is a group of concerned citizens, professionals, and partner agencies who convene with a common goal of reducing the number of suicides in our area.  

Join the SPARC of Hope 5K Walk/Run on Saturday, October 17 at 9:00 a.m. at East End Farm in Louisa County. SPARC brings together Region Ten, local schools, and community partners to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and connect people with mental health resources. The morning includes a keynote speaker and space to share stories of hope and recovery or honor someone you've lost. You can register with a shirt or join for free without one at THIS LINK.

Explore NASA’s QUESST X-59 and discover how quiet supersonic flight works in this hands-on STEM workshop for middle school girls. 

WeTech Workshops, a program of Charlottesville Women in Tech, are hands-on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) experiences for middle school girls, created in partnership with our high school advisory board. High school students help shape workshop ideas, facilitate activities, and serve as near-peer mentors, making technology feel more approachable and giving middle school participants a chance to learn alongside students just a few years ahead of them.

Each workshop gives students opportunities to take on creative, meaningful challenges in a fun, welcoming, and relaxed environment. Activities may include hands-on builds, design challenges, career exploration, demonstrations, and opportunities for students to share what they create.

No previous technology experience is required, just curiosity and a willingness to explore.

Sign ups and additional information is HERE. More info can be found on the WeTech blog.

From resource management to conservation efforts, the way we use water can have a lasting effect. 

in the popular "Imagine a Day without Water Art Contest" by submitting your original artwork. 

This year's theme is "Small Drop, Big Difference." We invite artists to showcase the scale and impact water can have through realistic or abstract representation.

Submissions must be digtitally submitted or postmarked by October 26th.

The essay topic for the 2026 contest is “A Virginian who served in the United States military who inspires you.” Students may consider a member of their family, of their community, or a famous man or woman from Virginia who served in any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces from WWII to the present as their subject. Submissions should be 500-750 words in length, incorporate at least one primary source, and include an APA or MLA style bibliography.

The Virginia War Memorial Foundation will award each of the two students who write the winning essay a prize of $500.00. The student winners will also be invited to come to Richmond and participate in the Commonwealth’s 70th Annual Veterans Day Ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.

The deadline for entries to be submitted electronically is Monday, October 12, 2026 before midnight.

Each year, more than 800,600 students in sixth through eighth grades enter the VFW’s Patriot’s Pen® annual youth essay contest for a chance to win their share of more than $1 million in local and national awards. Each first place VFW Department (state) winner receives a minimum of $500 at the national level, and the national first place winner wins $5,000! 

The essay contest encourages young minds to examine America’s history, along with their own experiences in modern American society, by drafting a 300- to 400-word essay, expressing their views based on a patriotic theme chosen by the VFW Commander-in-Chief. 

Students interested in participating must submit their essay prepared on this year's theme, with a completed 2026-2027 entry form, to their local participating VFW Post. Find your sponsoring local VFW Post as applications must be turned in by midnight, October 31st.

The 2026-27 theme is: 

“What a Veteran Taught Me About America.”

A constantly evolving, filtered (by middle school) list of national competitions across various academic areas.

Reflections is a multi-level arts program that brings students, families, and communities together through the creativity. 

Each year, students create original works of art in response to a student-created theme. Students can enter one or more arts categories and participate the program division that best fits their grade level or support needs. Based on options available in each state, winning entries may advance for additional recognition at the state and national levels.

The 2027 Blue Planet Awareness Contest – Nature of Truth – challenges students to think critically about both natural and digital landscapes through the lens of environmental disinformation. Be part of the solution and raise awareness about what environmental disinformation looks like through art, writing, performance, film, or multimedia.

Students can submit one entry in for each of the seven categories:  Categories include: Visual Art: Handcrafted, Visual Art: Digital, Poetry & Spoken Word, Creative Writing, Film, Performing Arts: Music & Dance and Interactive & Multimedia.

Encourages middle schoolers to learn about the U.S. government and solve real-world community issues; three main stages:

1. essay identifying a community challenge, proposing a civic-minded solution, and incorporating Founding Principles and Civic Virtues;

2. local & state competitions involve live civics quiz and presentation of community solutions to a panel of judges;

3. National Championship to earn top prizes

The application for the 2027 competition will open on Monday, September 7, 2026, at 6:01 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time and will close on Tuesday, February 2, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time.

Future scientists may enjoy collecting data for NASA scientists.

PACE Atmosphere lead, Dr. Andy Sayer, is interested in comparing your ground-based observations of clouds to PACE data to get a sense of how well PACE measures cloud edges and total cloud cover. Dr. Sayer is specifically looking for GLOBE Clouds observations taken within a 5-minute window of PACE passing overhead during the PACE Clouds Challenge, which will run from 15 September to 15 October 2026. 

ConnectHER invites young women to submit a video on a topic that has an impact on women and girls. 

Submit your entry by October 15th.

Filmmakers must be 13 to 25 years old at the submission date.

 Scripts, storyboards, directing, cinematography, editing, etc., must be done by people who meet this age requirement. Actors can be any age. As part of the application process, all applicants are required to submit a valid proof of identity.