Opportunity Guide I Summer, Enrichment & Activities Guide

Developing as a writer requires writing a lot. There are opportunities available to encourage and motivate young writers and help them develop their craft.  If writing poems, plays and stories excites your child, encourage her submit her writing for publication in a school or special interest magazine. There are more than a few online literary and writing magazines that publish writing by and for children and teens.

For a child that likes competitions, many historical organizations and various nonprofits (e.g., environmental groups) sponsor annual themed writing contests for children in various age/grade categories. For an older child who wants to improve and enhance her skills, there are specialized summer writing workshops and intensives that offer focused concentrations (e.g., science fiction, screenwriting, novel writing) and provide an opportunity for peer review.



  1. The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) sponsors this writing contest for high school juniors to publicly recognize the best student writers in the nation. Nominated by their school’s… Read more
  2. The Adroit Prizes are awarded annually to two students of secondary or undergraduate status whose written work inspires the masses to believe. In other words, we strive to receive the absolute best… Read more
  3. The American Foreign Service Association is the professional association and labor union for America's diplomats as they serve their country all over the world The American Foreign Service… Read more
  4. Bennington College has a unique literary legacy, including nine Pulitzer Prize winners, three U.S. poet laureates, four MacArthur Geniuses, countless New York Times bestsellers, and one of Time… Read more
  5. Established in September 1999, the Bill of Rights Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization that works to engage, educate, and empower individuals with a passion for the freedom… Read more
  6. Engaging and mentoring students in studying the Holocaust and in grappling with its meaning and lessons for today is a vital part of the mission of the Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education. In… Read more
  7. The Young Authors Writing Competition is a national competition for high school writers of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry.
  8. Every year, the EngineerGirl website sponsors a contest dealing with engineering and its impact on our world. The topic and detailed instructions for the contest are posted in the fall with a… Read more
  9. Employing the signature “O’Neill process,” the festival provides professional-level support to develop original one-act plays written by middle and high school students. With these methods, the young… Read more
  10. FPSPI 's mission is to develop the ability of young people globally to design and achieve positive futures through problem solving using critical and creative thinking. FPSPI is a dynamic… Read more
  11. This annual essay contest is organized in an effort to harness the energy, creativity and initiative of the world's youth in promoting a culture of peace and sustainable development. It also aims to… Read more
  12. ICS maintains a listing of hundreds of academic competitions in order for students to get ranked in their ICS Global Academic Champions Ranking. Since 2012, ICS has been defining best-practices in… Read more
  13. THESPIAN CRITICWORKS nurtures original student-written arts journalism. The pro-gram staff will choose up to six writers to attend the International Thespian Festival. Professional critics will help… Read more
  14. As the Midwest Torrance Center, we subscribe to creativity as the “highest form of mental functioning.” This framework was initiated and developed by E. Paul Torrance, known as the father of… Read more
  15. In Profiles in Courage, John F. Kennedy recounted the stories of eight U.S. senators who risked their careers to do what was right for the nation. These leaders demonstrated political courage by… Read more
  16. he purpose of this annual writing contest, named in honor of Willamette Writer’s founder, Kay Snow, is to help writers reach professional goals in writing in a broad array of categories and to… Read more
  17. The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers recognizes outstanding young poets and is open to high school sophomores and juniors throughout the world. The contest winner receives a full… Read more
  18. The Mission of the Kids Philosophy Slam is to give kids a voice and to inspire kids to think by unlocking their intellectual and creative potential through a unique and powerful philosophical forum… Read more
  19. Letters About Literature is a reading and writing contest for students in grades 4-12. Students are asked to read a book, poem or speech and write to the author (living or dead) about how the book… Read more
  20. Each year, the Lewis Center for the Arts sponsors contests and scholarships for high school students. Past and current contest categories have included poetry and play writing.
  21. Sponsored by Hollins University, the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest is in its fifty-fourth year. The contest awards prizes for the best poems submitted by young women who are sophomores or juniors in… Read more
  22. The National Federation of State Poetry Societies (NFSPS) is a non-profit organization, exclusively educational and literary. Its purpose is to recognize the importance of poetry with respect to… Read more
  23. Every year National History Day® frames students’ research within a historical theme. National History Day is a year-long academic program focused on historical research, interpretation and creative… Read more
  24. National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, empowering approach to creative writing. The challenge: draft an entire novel in just one month. Why do it? For 30 wild, exciting, surprising days… Read more
  25. The National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) was established in 1981 by Lin and Ted Arison. YoungArts’ signature program is an application-based award for emerging artists ages 15–18 or in grades 10… Read more
  26. The OddContest is an annual competition for speculative (science fiction, fantasy, or horror) stories or prose poems no longer than 500 words. The contest has been sponsored since 2008 by Odyssey Con… Read more
  27. ONE TEEN STORY is an award-winning quarterly literary magazine that features the work of today’s best teen writers (ages 13-19). One Teen Story publishes 4 stories a year and accepts submissions from… Read more
  28. Polyphony Lit is an international student-run literary magazine for high-school writers. The title is a combination of the Greek term meaning many voices, and the abbreviation for High School.… Read more
  29. Quill and Scroll conducts two major competitions each year. Writing, Photo and Multimedia Contest and Blogging Competition Currently enrolled high school students are invited to enter the… Read more
  30. Since 2014, we at RCLA have been directing the Rachel Carson Intergenerational Sense of Wonder/Sense of the Wild Contest and continue to regard it as a worthwhile way to honor this great American’s… Read more
  31. River of Words® (ROW) is a program of The Center for Environmental Literacy and a part of the Kalmanovitz School of Education. Acknowledged pioneers in the field of place-based education, River of… Read more
  32. The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) invites all high school students (9th through 12th grades) interested in the American Revolution to participate in the George S.… Read more
  33. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades 7–12. Through the Scholastic Awards, teens in grades 7–… Read more
  34. Welcome to The Apprentice Writer, which annually features the best writing and illustrations from entries we receive each year from secondary schools throughout the United States. Susquehanna… Read more
  35. Established in 1947, the Voice of Democracy audio-essay program provides high school students with the unique opportunity to express themselves in regards to a democratic and patriotic-themed… Read more
  36. Young writers with disabilities and collaborative groups that include students with disabilities, in U.S. grades 6-12 (or equivalents) or ages 11-18 for non-U.S. students, are invited to explore the… Read more