Writing Contests

    NexYouth presents the opportunity to win cash prizes and have their works published for young authors in grades 3-9! If you love nature, enjoy sci-fi, or are passionate about writing, this contest is for you! 

Requirements:

• The element of nature should be prominent within the short stories, which must also suit the genre of science-fiction. 

• Each category’s submissions will have their word count capped at the following numbers. Judges will not be able to consider any material past this point in the awards and you should not feel pressured to reach this number.

  • Grades 3-4: 1250 words

  • Grades 5-6: 1750 words 

  • Grades 7-9: 2500 words

• Please keep the stories age-appropriate! 

• Stories should be submitted as PDF documents titled “[Your Name] - Earth Month Short Stories Contest - [Category]”

• Submissions will be open from April 1st to 30th. SUBMIT YOUR STORIES HERE: https://forms.gle/e4hj7t3hZ6sXssSc6 

• Any and all use of generative AI will result in disqualification. Stories should be entirely the work of the contestant.

Infringement of any of the requirements will result in disqualification.

Awards:

• The top 3 submissions of each category will receive monetary awards of $100, $75 and $50 respectively.

• The top 5 submissions of each category will be published in a book that the authors will each receive a copy of. 

• All participants will receive certificates and adjudicator feedback.

Judging Panel:

Stephanie Uzea

• Stephanie is an aspiring environmental engineer with a passion for writing. She’s written multiple comics about her brother if he were a superhero as well as a science fiction trilogy. In her free time, she likes trying out new foods and cross-country running.

Annie Zhang

• Annie compensates for her debilitating procrastination by consuming inordinate amounts of media and literature on social issues. She debates competitively and enjoys outdoor activity.

Justin Huang

• Justin is an enthusiast of the environment. He is an avid reader of all forms of media related to the environment. He hopes that through this contest, others will also find their own love and passion for one of the largest global issues in the world.

Susan Zheng

• Susan finds way too much enjoyment in daydreaming about fictional scenarios and promising herself she’ll finish a project tomorrow. A sci-fi fanatic, she obsesses over very specific mathematical and scientific concepts she knows she will never understand. 

Yunfei Shuai

• Yunfei wrote her first story when she was 7 years old and never looked back since (it would be great if she could actually finish her writing projects though, something she is notoriously bad at). She is an avid sci-fi enthusiast and an aspiring astrophysicist. Most of the time she can be found bingeing figure skating competitions and Arcane.