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New! 2026 HIGH SCHOOL PLAYWRITING CONTEST
Who should enter? 9-12th graders in a public, private or charter school in the Washington, DC metro area including, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, or Northern Virginia
What should I write about? Anything! We want to encourage you to share your unique voice and imagination with us! Write about space, history, sports, your favorite food, anything! The main goal of the contest is for you to share your creativity with others.
How much should I write? Plays should be 10-20 minutes in length and no more than 25 pages long. They should have no more than 6 characters, ideally closer to 3-4.
Deadline: Please email jacob@mosaictheater.org with your submission. Submissions are due by 11:59 PM on January 16, 2026. https://mosaictheater.org/playwriting-contest
New! Rule of Law Writing Competition Now Open!
This month's competition is sponsored by Supreme Court Historical Society (SCHS) and invites teens ages 13-19 to write in three genres: personal narrative, opinion writing, and creative writing. Through these genres, students will consider how the rule of law relates to their lives, local communities, countries, and role as global citizens. Their work will be judged by real US federal judges and will be eligible for republication through SCHS outlets. Students are welcome to enter more than one genre category.
New! NCTE Student Writing Awards
Achievement Awards in Writing For 10th- and 11th-grade students
This school-based writing program encourages high school students in their writing and publicly recognizes some of the best student writers in the nation. Prompt now available for the 2026 awards! Annual deadline: February 15
This program for middle schools, high schools and universities/colleges recognizes students, teachers, and schools for producing excellent literary magazines. It provides encouragement for all schools to develop literary magazines with excellence in writing and school-wide participation. Annual deadline: July 31
NYT Learning Network 2025-26 Student Contest Calendar
Eight challenges that invite teenagers to engage, experiment, reflect and create — via writing, photography, audio, video and more.
To download a PDF version of this contest calendar, click here.
Sept. 10-Oct. 22, 2025
New! Growing Up With A.I.: A Multimedia Contest for Teenagers and Educators
New! Growing Up With A.I.: A Multimedia Contest for Teenagers and Educators
What’s it like to think, create, teach and learn at a time when artificial intelligence is transforming our world? What do you think its rise will mean for the generation in high school now?
This fall, we invite both teenagers and educators to explore these questions, then show us — in words or images, audio or video — how this technology is affecting you and the teenagers you know. You can work alone or with others, and you can take on any aspect of the topic, big or small, that interests you. You can also create in whatever medium best expresses your thoughts and feelings. For some, that’s an essay, poem or journal entry; for others, it’s a comic, short story, drawing or song — or a video, podcast or infographic. And yes, you can use A.I. in the making of your piece, but only if you follow our guidelines. Stay tuned for more details about that, coming soon. For now, you might be inspired by a similar contest we ran in 2023, when we asked students and teachers to tell us about life in high school. Here are that year’s rules and guidelines, the step-by-step guide for participating and the winners.
Oct. 22-Dec. 3, 2025
My Tiny Memoir: Our 100-Word Personal Narrative Contest
My Tiny Memoir: Our 100-Word Personal Narrative Contest
What story from your life can you tell in just 100 words? Based on the storytelling form popularized by Modern Love’s Tiny Love Stories, we invite you to write a miniature personal narrative about a meaningful life experience.
Here are last year’s rules and guidelines, which will remain largely the same. For more inspiration, read the work of our past winners or follow this step-by-step guide for participating.
5th Annual EcoAction Art Contest
Sent on behalf of the William S. Schmidt Outdoor Education Center (Camp Schmidt):
The 5th Annual EcoAction Art Contest for PreK -12 is live!!!
This year's theme is: "Nature's Voice, Our Choice: Greening Prince George's County Together"
The EcoAction Art Contest challenges PreK–12 students across Prince George’s County to imagine: What is nature telling us—and how can we respond right here at home? Through art, students will give voice to the environment and show how our local actions can make a big impact. From riding electric school buses, to composting and recycling, reducing energy use at home and school, and more, students will explore how we can all take action to protect ourselves, the planet and build a greener Prince George’s County.
EcoAction Art Contest flyers are linked here and the contest description, rules and how to enter are linked here.
Scholarships
October 31 - Voice of Democracy Scholarship - $35,000 scholarship available to students in grades 9 through 12 who prepare an audio essay on the assigned topic.
Big Future Scholarships - Scholarships are available beginning December of your sophomore year.
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