PBS Kids Go! Writing Contest for K – 3rd Grades
Here’s a great story contest for younger children, sponsored by PBS Go Kids! The PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest is a national-local contest designed to promote the advancement of children’s reading skills through hands-on, active learning. The Contest encourages children in grades K-3 in communities across the country to celebrate the power of creating stories and illustrations by submitting their own original pieces.
The Contest begins on or about January 16, 2012 and ends with the announcement of national winners on or about July 13, 2012. Contact your local PBS station for exact local Contest dates.
- To be eligible, an entrant must be a legal resident of the United States.
- Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify ineligible entries; such entries will not be returned.
- Only one entry per person will be accepted; all subsequent entries will be disqualified.
- Only single author stories qualify (no co-authored stories).
- Stories can be fact or fiction, and prose or poetry.
- Kindergarten and first grade stories must have a minimum of 50 words and a maximum of 200 words.
- Second and third grade stories must have a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 350 words.
- The word count includes “a,” “an,” and “the,” but not the words on non-story pages such as the title page or those that enhance the illustrations.
- Text must be printed or written legibly or typed.
- Children who cannot write may dictate their story to be printed, written legibly or typed.
- Text may be integrated into the illustration pages or on separate pages.
- Non-English text must be translated on the same page and the translation text must adhere to word count.
- Invented spelling is accepted.
- Stories must have at least 5 original, clear and colorful illustrations.
- Original art can include drawings, collages, and 3-D created by the author or photographs taken by the author.
- Stories submitted by mail must be created on one side of the paper and numbered on the back of each page.
Entries will be judged on originality, creative expression, storytelling and integration of text and illustrations. The sponsoring PBS station will judge local submissions and send its first place winners to the national Contest. All decisions of the judges are final and not subject to appeal or review. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received. National winners will be notified in June 2012. Each national winner’s story will be posted on the Contest Web site atpbskids.org/writerscontest in summer 2012. National prizes include tablet computers for 4 first place winners (~$500), e-readers (~$150) for 4 second place winners, and MP3 players (~$100) for 4 third place winners. PBS reserves the right to substitute any prize for a prize of equal or greater value, at the sole discretion of PBS. Prize recipients must allow a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks from notification to delivery. Prizes are non-transferable.
Click here for full contest rules
Click here for a list of PBS stations
