It’s Student Writing Awards Season

Update, January 13, 2025: The 2024 Jefferson Lecture has been postponed due to the Los Angeles wildfires. NCTE will provide updates on the National Writing Award when the lecture is rescheduled. Sign up to receive a reminder when the contest opens. 

NCTE offers several awards each year to encourage young writers by publicly recognizing their talents. Deadlines are approaching in early 2025 for these Student Writing Awards for middle and high school students:

• The Achievement Awards in Writing publicly recognize some of the best 10th- and 11th-grade writers in the nation. Schools may nominate students until February 15, 2025; students submit writings based on a theme developed by the awards’ advisory committee. Learn more about this program from former committee chair and NCTE member Wendy R. Williams.
• The Promising Young Writers program emphasizes the importance of writing skills among eighth-grade students. Schools may nominate students until February 15; students submit writings based on a theme developed by an advisory committee.
• The National Writing Award offers cash prizes to five 11th- and 12th-grade students who respond to the National Endowment for the Humanities’ prestigious Jefferson Lecture. Students may apply immediately following the lecture on January 15; the application period closes on February 23. NCTE is proud to host this award in partnership with the National Humanities Alliance. We extend our thanks to the Teagle Foundation for its support of this award.

Keep an eye out in early 2025 for the results of the 2024 Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines (REALM) Award. The REALM program publicly recognizes excellent literary magazines produced by students with the support of their teachers. REALM encourages all schools to develop literary magazines that celebrate the art and craft of writing.

With your encouragement and participation, we hope the NCTE Student Writing Awards keep students writing all winter long and throughout the new year!

It is the policy of NCTE in all publications, including the Literacy & NCTE blog, to provide a forum for the open discussion of ideas concerning the content and the teaching of English and the language arts. Publicity accorded to any particular point of view does not imply endorsement by the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, the staff, or the membership at large, except in announcements of policy, where such endorsement is clearly specified.

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