§ Creative Writing

Creative Writing programs for high schoolers.

399 programs indexed in creative writing. 253 are free or pay a stipend. 12 prioritize under-resourced or underrepresented students. This page updates whenever we add a new creative writing program.

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All creative writing programs

Raleigh Film and Art Festival
1:11 High School Film Festival
The largest high school film festival in North Carolina, hosted on NC State's Centennial Campus, with competitive categories spanning a film festival, screenwriting contest, music contest, and photography contest.
📍 Raleigh, NC (NC State Centennial Campus)📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Montclair State University
Abracadabra: The Magic of Creative Writing
Residential college-level creative-writing intensive.
📍 NJ🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
Boston University
Academic Immersion
Spend three weeks immersing yourself in the study of psychology, business, medicine, or creative writing.
📍 Boston, MA📅 May🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
The Adroit Journal
Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship
Online mentorship pairing teen writers with established poets and prose writers. Tuition is $575; fee remission and financial aid are available.
📍 Online⏱ 6 weeks📅 April🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
St. Paul's School
Advanced Studies Program
Five-week residential academic program restricted to current sophomores and juniors attending New Hampshire public or parochial schools. Students complete a collegiate-level major course plus an intensive writing workshop; recent subjects include engineering, law/governance, molecular biology, studio art and data science.
📍 NH🎓 Grades 10–11
Moderate
Bowling Green State University
Adventures in Creative Writing
One-week interdisciplinary program in poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction incorporating experiences in science, theater and other campus disciplines.
📍 OH🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
Alabama Humanities Alliance
Alabama History Day
The Alabama state contest of National History Day, engaging students in grades 9-12 (Senior Division) in year-long primary-source historical research presented as a paper, documentary, website, performance, or exhibit, with winners advancing to the national contest.
📍 Regional contests statewide, with the state contest at American Village, Montevallo, AL📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Alaska Historical Society (Alaska affiliate of National History Day)
Alaska History Day
Alaska's statewide affiliate of National History Day, where middle and high schoolers research a topic tied to an annual theme and present it as a documentary, exhibit, website, performance, or paper, with winners advancing to nationals.
📍 Statewide, AK (online judging, in-person national contest)📅 March🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Alaska State Council on the Arts / Juneau Arts & Humanities Council
Alaska Poetry Out Loud
A statewide poetry recitation competition for grades 9-12 (with an exception for 8th graders enrolled in 9th-12th grade classes), progressing from classroom and school rounds to a state final in Juneau and National Finals in Washington, D.C.
📍 Statewide, state finals in Juneau📅 November🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Nebraska Writers Collective
All Writes Reserved Youth Spoken Word Festival
Nebraska and Iowa high-school teams receive free spoken-word instruction throughout the school year and then perform in a multi-round spring youth poetry-slam festival. The 2026 festival ran from preliminary bouts in March through finals on April 28.
📍 NE🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Japan Cartoonists Association
All-Japan Manga Competition (Youth)
Youth-open division of the Japan Cartoonists Association's annual manga award.
📍 Japan (submissions welcome globally)📅 Autumn🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Idaho Commission on the Arts (Arts Idaho), administered via the Anthony Quinn Foundation
Anthony Quinn Scholarship
A scholarship for high school students accepted to a recognized pre-college or summer intensive arts program, covering literary arts, media arts (animation, film, video), performing arts, and visual arts.
📍 Idaho (national program, application online)📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Arizona Interscholastic Press Association
Arizona Interscholastic Press Association (AIPA)
Statewide association supporting middle and high school journalism programs (newspaper, yearbook, web, broadcast, literary magazine) with a fall contest, Student Journalist of the Year award, and adviser resources.
📍 Statewide, AZ📅 February🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Arizona Commission on the Arts / University of Arizona Poetry Center
Arizona Poetry Out Loud
Statewide poetry recitation contest for high school students that advances champions from the classroom through school, regional, state, and national competition, with free curriculum materials provided to participating teachers.
📍 Statewide, AZ📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Arkansas State University / Arkansas Department of Education
Arkansas Governor's School
A five-week residential program for high-achieving high school students in Arkansas focused on math, science, and the arts.
📍 Russellville, AR⏱ 5 weeks📅 March 1🎓 Grade 11
Selective
National History Day Arkansas (affiliate)
Arkansas History Day
A year-long historical research program in which students create papers, exhibits, performances, documentaries, or websites on an annual theme, advancing from regional contests to the state contest and potentially the national competition.
📍 University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR (state contest)📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Arkansas Arts Council / National Endowment for the Arts / Poetry Foundation
Arkansas Poetry Out Loud
A free program for grades 9-12 (including homeschoolers) that builds public-speaking skill and confidence through memorization and recitation of poetry, culminating in a statewide championship.
📍 Little Rock, AR (state finals)📅 February🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Arkansas Scholastic Press Association
Arkansas Scholastic Press Association Spring Convention
A statewide convention for student journalists offering on-site and mail-in contests across yearbook, newspaper, broadcast and social media production, plus workshops, keynote speakers, and General Excellence and All-Arkansas awards.
📍 Fayetteville, AR📅 April🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Austin Film Festival
Austin Film Festival Young Filmmakers Competition
A free-to-enter competition for filmmakers ages 13-18 whose selected animated, documentary, and narrative shorts screen at the Young Filmmakers Showcase. Part of a broader program that also includes summer film camps and festival scholarships for Texas students.
📍 Austin, TX📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Badgerdog Creative Writing Program / Austin Public Library Foundation
Badgerdog Creative Writing Summer Camps
Summer camps and workshops for high school students entering grades 9-12 using a read-write-share model across poetry, fiction, nonfiction, playwriting, and screenwriting with professional Austin writers. Camps are capped at 16 students.
📍 Austin, TX📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Bennington College
Bennington Young Writers Awards
A prestigious creative writing competition for students to win cash prizes and publication.
📍 Online📅 January 12🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Bennington College
Bennington Young Writers Workshop
One-week residential writing workshop with Bennington faculty.
📍 Bennington, VT⏱ 1 week📅 April🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Mississippi Scholastic Press Association / University of Mississippi
Best of Mississippi Student Media Competition
Students at MSPA-member publications compete for individual and publication awards in newspaper/magazine/site, yearbook, broadcast, and literary-magazine categories. All MSPA contests are free to enter.
📍 MS🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Blue Marble Review
Blue Marble Review
Online literary journal of writing and art by teens worldwide.
📍 Online⏱ Self-paced📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 7–12
Selective
NCSSM-Durham
Blue Mirror
Primarily student-run art and literature journal publishing creative writing and visual work from NCSSM students multiple times each year.
📍 NC🎓 Grades 11–12
Selective
Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs
Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest
Annual creative contest for teens combining art, writing, film, and music with environmental advocacy.
📍 Online⏱ Self-paced📅 Spring🎓 Grades 7–12
Selective
BYU Continuing Education
BYU Young Authors Academy
An immersive residential summer writing camp for ages 14-18 with small-group writing courses and time with local and nationally recognized authors. Participants stay in on-campus housing.
📍 Brigham Young University, Provo, UT📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
National History Day California (NHD-CA)
California History Day
A year-long research program in which students create documentaries, exhibits, papers, websites, or performances on a historical topic, competing from county contests up through state finals.
📍 California statewide (county contests); state finals in Sacramento📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Kenyon College
Camp 4
Selective three-week residential pre-college program combining humanities, natural science, studio art and college-admissions preparation.
📍 OH🎓 Grades 11–12
Moderate
Catapult
Catapult High School Writing Workshop
Multi-genre writing workshops for high school students in the creative hub of NYC.
📍 New York, NY⏱ 2 weeks📅 April 1🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
Jackson State University Margaret Walker Center
Catherine Coleman Literary Arts, Food, and Social Justice Summer Program
Mississippi high-school writers spend a residential week studying poetry, fiction, screenwriting, Southern foodways, and social-justice history with professional writers. Students completing the program receive a $300 stipend.
📍 MS🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Chapman University
Chapman University Holocaust Art & Writing Contest
A writing contest for high schoolers exploring the impact of the Holocaust through various creative prompts.
📍 Online📅 March 1🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
Connecticut Office of the State Treasurer
CHET Dream Big! Competition
Connecticut students submit an essay, video or artwork addressing their aspirations or how they can help their community, competing for CHET college-savings awards.
📍 CT🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
InsideOut Literary Arts
Citywide Poets (InsideOut Literary Arts)
Free weekly after-school creative writing workshop for Detroit-area high school students, held virtually and at eight school sites. Includes poetry slams, open mics, publication in an annual anthology, an audition-based Performance Troupe, a Youth Advisory Board, and a college scholarship for seniors.
📍 Detroit, MI📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
California Coastal Commission
Climate Storytelling Contest
Middle- and high-school students communicate their experiences and feelings about climate change through a podcast, photo essay or personal narrative essay.
📍 CA🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
ThreeSixty Journalism / University of St. Thomas
College Essay Workshop
Twin Cities students spend four days developing a polished college or scholarship essay through brainstorming, drafting, professional mentorship, and peer review. Tuition was fully covered in 2026 and completers received a stipend toward transportation and application fees.
📍 MN🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Southern Nevada Writing Project (UNLV)
College Essay Writing Workshop
A one-day intensive workshop on the UNLV campus where students in grades 10-12 work through the full writing process -- generating ideas, drafting, receiving feedback, and revising -- to produce a polished college application essay.
📍 Las Vegas, NV (UNLV campus)📅 September🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
The College of New Jersey
Comics Camp
Explores comics history and theory while students write, illustrate and develop original comics.
📍 NJ🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Commonwealth Foundation
Commonwealth Short Story Prize
Global short-fiction prize open to writers from Commonwealth countries.
📍 Commonwealth countries📅 November🎓 Grades 11–12
Selective
National Society of Colonial Dames in America — Ohio
Congressional Seminar Essay Contest — Ohio
Ohio students submit an essay on American government/history for a scholarship to attend the Washington Workshops Congressional Seminar.
📍 OH🎓 Eligibility not confirmed
Selective
Connecticut Democracy Center / National History Day affiliate
Connecticut History Day
An affiliate of National History Day, Connecticut History Day engages thousands of middle and high school students in original historical research presented as exhibits, documentaries, websites, papers, or performances at regional and state contests, with top finishers advancing to the national contest.
📍 Regional contests in Fairfield, Storrs/Mansfield, New Haven, Norwich, and Torrington; state contest in Hartford📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Delaware Court of Chancery
Court of Chancery Legal Art Contest
Students interpret a legal theme through an essay, poem, visual artwork or musical composition. The 2026 theme was "Equity: What Does it Mean to You?"
📍 DE🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Jackson State University Margaret Walker Center
Creative Arts & Scholarly Engagement (CASE) Festival
High-school students submit and present essays, poetry, spoken word, fiction, performing arts, or visual art before audiences of students and professors during this annual interdisciplinary festival.
📍 MS🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Washington University in St. Louis Pre-College Programs
Creative Immersion Institute
Two-week residential institute built around intensive creative, college-level work in small classes, combined with college-readiness and academic enrichment. The 2026 fee was $3,985 and need-based scholarships are available.
📍 MO🎓 Grades 9–11
Highly Selective
Johns Hopkins University
Creative Writing
Online college-level creative-writing program offered across all three 2026 sessions.
📍 MD🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
Jacksonville State University
Creative Writing — Gamecock Arts & Sciences Program
Participants work on creative-writing forms that include poetry, fiction, play or screen writing, and story development.
📍 AL🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
SC Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities
Creative Writing — Residential High School
Two-year residential arts high school, creative writing discipline.
📍 SC🎓 Grade 10
Selective
SC Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities
Creative Writing — Summer
Summer creative-writing arts program.
📍 SC🎓 Grade 9
Moderate
NYU School of Professional Studies
Creative Writing (High School Academy)
A one-week intensive course in which students who have completed grades 9-11 develop fiction-writing technique, covering story structure, character development, dialogue, and description, culminating in a peer-reviewed portfolio.
📍 New York, NY🎓 Grades 9–11
Moderate
University of Mississippi, Center for Writing and Rhetoric
Creative Writing (Pre-College Program)
A one-week residential or commuter workshop where rising 9th-12th graders read and write across genres -- short stories, travel blogs, literature reviews, autobiographies, and plays -- while exploring Mississippi's literary heritage and sharing work with peers daily.
📍 University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
University of Georgia
Creative Writing 2: Topics in Creative Writing
Students submit fiction, poetry or other literary work and receive professional-author critique, peer workshops and revision time leading to a class anthology.
📍 GA🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
North Dakota State University Department of English
Creative Writing Camp
Students develop fiction, poetry, nonfiction, screenwriting, songwriting and other creative work with university writers and instructors.
📍 ND🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
Auburn University
Creative Writing Studio
Students develop fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction through writing workshops, feedback, portfolio development, and exposure to literary publishing.
📍 AL🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
Interlochen Arts Camp
Creative Writing Summer Camp
A three-week intensive workshop for high schoolers in two chosen genres among fiction, nonfiction, playwriting, or poetry, including roundtable workshops, faculty readings, and a culminating print anthology and reading showcase.
📍 Interlochen, MI📅 January🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Smith College
Creative Writing Workshop
Students spend two weeks developing creative writing through an iterative workshop process across multiple forms and genres.
📍 MA🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Columbia University Summer Immersion
Creative Writing: Introductory Workshop
A three-week workshop within Columbia's Summer Immersion program in which high schoolers write and revise free verse poetry, short prose, drama, fiction, and creative nonfiction into a final portfolio.
📍 New York, NY🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
University of Georgia
Creative Writing: Plot and Structure
Students develop story ideas, scenes, dialogue and narrative structure through workshops, peer critique and dedicated writing time.
📍 GA🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Dallas Public Library
Dallas Youth Poet Laureate
A one-year laureate position for poets ages 15-20 who live in or attend school in Dallas, chosen through the Express Yourself! Youth Poetry Competition. The laureate receives a $1,000 scholarship and gives public readings.
📍 Dallas, TX📅 Varies🎓 Grades 10–12
Selective
Delaware Historical Society
Delaware History Day
Year-long historical research and creative expression program for students in grades 6-12, culminating in a statewide competition judged on research quality, theme connection, and presentation.
📍 Delaware Historical Society, Wilmington, DE📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Delaware Press Association
Delaware Press Association High School Communications Contest
Annual statewide journalism and communications contest for Delaware student writers, photographers, and media makers, with first-place winners advancing to a national competition.
📍 Delaware📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Delaware Theatre Company
Delaware Young Playwrights Festival
Students develop original plays, receive professional critique and revise their work; finalists participate in workshops leading to a professional public performance.
📍 DE🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Detroit Writing Room / Wayne State University Journalism Institute for Media Diversity
Detroit Writing Room Summer Journalism Camp
A two-week day camp at Wayne State's Journalism Institute for Media Diversity where high school students learn reporting and writing skills from 30+ professional journalists and publish articles on environmental, health, or equity issues in Perspectives Magazine.
📍 Detroit, MI (Wayne State University)📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
UMBC
Digital Storytelling
Students explore digital techniques for creating and communicating stories.
📍 MD🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
University of North Dakota Department of Communication
Digital Storytelling Summit
Students spend several days reporting, filming and producing multimedia stories while learning journalism and media production from UND faculty and professionals.
📍 ND🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books
Duane Stein Short Story Contest (Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books)
A short story contest open to Wisconsin middle and high school students, who submit an original short story of up to 2,500 words for a panel of former students of educator Duane Stein.
📍 Wisconsin (email submission)📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Duke University
Duke Pre-College Programs
On-campus and online non-credit courses for students in grades 6-12 taught by Duke faculty and graduate students, with past offerings spanning psychology, political science, law, history, philosophy, literature, and creative writing.
📍 Durham, NC📅 April🎓 Grades 9–11
Moderate
Elon University School of Communications
Emerging Journalists Program
Multi-stage journalism program combining virtual instruction, a selective residential summer immersion, college credit and senior-year professional mentoring.
📍 NC🎓 Grade 11
Highly Selective
National Academy of Engineering
EngineerGirl Writing Contest
Annual essay contest with cash prizes for K–12 students.
📍 Online📅 Not yet announced — next contest not yet posted🎓 Grades 7–12
Selective
Maryland Humanities / MD Two Fifty
Envision Maryland: A Statewide High School Essay Competition
Maryland students submit a maximum-300-word vision of what Maryland should look like 50 years from now. County/grade winners earn $75, with statewide awards of $300, $200, and $100.
📍 MD🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Eunoia Review
Eunoia Review
Open submissions literary journal accepting student poetry and prose.
📍 Online⏱ Year-round📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 7–12
Selective
New Orleans Center for Creative Arts
Experience NOCCA Workshop Series
Louisiana students participate in after-school conservatory-style workshops spanning NOCCA's artistic disciplines, including audition-preparation opportunities for students considering advanced arts training.
📍 LA🎓 Grades 9–11
Moderate
UMBC
Exploring Music Production: Mixing, Songwriting, & Arranging
Students explore mixing, songwriting, arranging, and music-production techniques.
📍 MD🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
University of Mississippi
Fantasy World Building: Character Design for RPGs and Other Games
Rising ninth graders create fictional worlds, landscapes, characters, narratives, maps, and models while using role-playing games as a framework for art and storytelling.
📍 MS🎓 Grade 9
Moderate
Jacksonville State University
Film — Gamecock Arts & Sciences Program
Students move from script development through filming and post-production while learning cameras, lighting, color, and editing.
📍 AL🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Film Prize Junior
Film Prize Junior New Mexico
Student filmmakers produce original films that screen publicly at a statewide festival and compete for awards. The 2026 festival ran March 20–22 in Albuquerque.
📍 NM🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
The Loft Literary Center
Finding Your Story Through Images: Writing with Visual Art
A single-session online workshop for teen writers ages 15-18 that pairs visual art with creative writing prompts, taught by a Loft instructor as part of the Loft's year-round Young Writers' Program for ages 6-18.
📍 Online (The Loft Literary Center, Minneapolis, MN)📅 November🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
Lewis & Clark College
Fir Acres Writing Workshop
Intensive two-week residential creative-writing workshop.
📍 OR🎓 Eligibility not confirmed
Moderate
Museum of Florida History / Florida Department of State
Florida History Day
An annual statewide research competition in which students develop an original history project (documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website) around a national theme, advancing through school, county, and state contests toward National History Day.
📍 Tallahassee, FL (Museum of Florida History)📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Poetry Society
Foyle Young Poets of the Year
International poetry award for ages 11-17; free to enter.
📍 Online⏱ Annual📅 Annual — 2027 dates not yet announced🎓 Grades 7–12
Selective
Poetry Society (UK)
Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award
International poetry prize for writers aged 11–17.
📍 Global📅 Annual — 2027 dates not yet announced🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Florida State University
FSU Upward Bound Summer Residential Program
Eligible students spend six weeks living on campus while studying math, English, science and language and participating in college preparation, creative writing and career exploration.
📍 FL🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Future Problem Solving Program International — New Jersey Affiliate
Future Problem Solving New Jersey
Students compete in global-issues problem solving, community projects, scenario writing and storytelling, culminating in New Jersey affiliate finals.
📍 NJ🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
DePaul University Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media
Game, Cinema, & Animation Summer Academy
Students choose specialized tracks such as game development, animation, digital cinema, screenwriting, or sound design during an intensive five-day academy. The 2026 program cost $900.
📍 IL🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
Georgia Council for the Arts
Georgia Poet Laureate's Prize
Georgia high-school students submit an original poem for recognition by the Georgia Poet Laureate and statewide publication/recognition.
📍 GA🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
NC State University
Global Training Initiative Admissions Academy
International high-school students receive intensive preparation for U.S. college applications, essays and admissions through online or campus formats.
📍 NC🎓 Grades 11–12
Moderate
Governor's Institutes of Vermont
Governor's Institutes of Vermont: Arts Institute
Two-week residential arts institute where students choose two focus areas such as theater, music, writing, painting, film, dance and comics, with 108+ hours of arts training and an evening Artist Series.
📍 Castleton, VT📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–11
Moderate
West Virginia Department of Education / West Virginia Wesleyan College
Governor's School for the Arts
A free three-week summer arts program for West Virginia sophomores with auditioned tracks in creative writing, dance, digital art/media, instrumental music, studio art, theatre and vocal music.
📍 West Virginia Wesleyan College, Buckhannon, WV📅 March🎓 Grade 10
Selective
Hamline University Creative Writing Programs
Hamline Young Writers Workshop
A summer workshop for high school students ages 15-18 who work each day with a published author on poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or college essay writing, plus a 'Literary Twin Cities' field trip, on Hamline's Saint Paul campus.
📍 Hamline University, Saint Paul, MN📅 Varies🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
Hawaii Scholastic Journalism Association
Hawaiʻi Scholastic Journalism Association – Journalism Day & Awards
Statewide network supporting student journalists through the annual Journalism Day conference, the Hawaiʻi Journalist of the Year award, and the Hawaiʻi High School Journalism Awards competition.
📍 Statewide (recent events at UH Mānoa and McKinley High School)📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Berklee College of Music
High School Composition Intensive
Students ages 15–19 compose three original works, workshop them with faculty, and have their pieces performed and recorded by professional musicians.
📍 MA🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Black Rock & Sage (Idaho State University student journal)
High School Creative Writing Contest
A poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction contest run by ISU's student literary journal for high schoolers in southeastern Idaho, with the winner published and invited to read at the journal's launch party.
📍 Southeastern Idaho (submissions by email to Idaho State University)📅 January🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
New Hampshire Writers' Project
High School Flash Fiction Competition
Students write an original flash-fiction piece of no more than 500 words and advance from school-level judging to statewide finals. State scholarship prizes include $1,500, $1,000 and $500.
📍 NH🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Ohio University, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism
High School Journalism Workshop
A five-day residential workshop where students choose from eight tracks -- news reporting, broadcast, magazine, public relations, visual storytelling, sports writing, and podcasting -- with mentorship from professional journalists and OU faculty.
📍 Athens, OH (Ohio University)📅 June🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
Greater Madison Writing Project (UW-Madison)
High School Writers Camp
A four-day camp where high school writers work through the writing process, meet guest writers and contribute to a group anthology, held at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison.
📍 Madison, WI📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Meredith College
High School Writing Workshop
Small-group intensive in fiction, personal essay and poetry with peer critique and one-on-one feedback from Meredith creative-writing faculty.
📍 NC🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Hollins University
Hollins University Hollinsummer
Two-week creative writing program for high school women writers.
📍 Roanoke, VA⏱ 2 weeks📅 February🎓 Grades 10–12
Highly Selective
Hollins University
Hollinsummer Writing Retreat (Reflect and Create)
A one-week summer writing retreat for rising 9th-12th grade women on Hollins' Roanoke campus, covering fiction, poetry and personal narrative with visiting authors.
📍 Roanoke, VA📅 June🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
College of Charleston Honors College
Honors Pre-College Summer Institute
A non-residential summer institute on the downtown Charleston campus offering rising sophomores through seniors college-level seminar courses such as 'Exploring Charleston's Ecosystems' and 'Savor the Story: Food, Culture & Charleston,' combining classroom instruction with local field research.
📍 Charleston, SC📅 Varies🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
Boise State Writing Project, Boise State University (regional affiliate of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers)
Idaho Writing Region - Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Idaho's regional affiliate of the national Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, through which Idaho students submit writing across genres for regional recognition with a path to national medals.
📍 Idaho (online submission via Boise State Writing Project)📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Illinois High School Association / Illinois Journalism Education Association
IHSA Journalism Tournament
Statewide onsite journalism competition where students complete writing, editing, or design assignments under deadline pressure at seven sectional sites, with top finishers advancing to state finals.
📍 Illinois (seven sectional sites)📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
NCSSM-Morganton
Indigo Ridge
Student-run Morganton art and literature journal providing an outlet for student creative writing and artwork, with two issues annually.
📍 NC🎓 Grades 11–12
Selective
Maine Coast Waldorf School
Inkblot Writing Contest
A free fiction and poetry contest open to all Maine students in grades 4-12, judged within three grade divisions including 9-12, with cash prizes for winners and runners-up in each category.
📍 Freeport, ME (statewide submissions)📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
University of Virginia Northern Virginia (Fairfax)
Inspire Summer (UVA Northern Virginia Pre-College Classes)
One- to two-week summer classes for rising 10th-12th graders to explore new interests, with in-person (9am-4pm, Monday-Friday, Friday excursions) and online options in topics such as business, engineering and creative writing.
📍 Fairfax, VA and online📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 10–12
Highly Selective
Interlochen
Interlochen Arts Camp
Renowned summer arts camp across music, theater, dance, visual arts, writing, film.
📍 Interlochen, MI⏱ 1-6 weeks📅 January🎓 Grades 3–12
Moderate
Interlochen Center for the Arts
Interlochen Arts Camp: Creative Writing Programs (High School)
High school creative writing summer programs.
📍 Interlochen, Michigan📅 January🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Interlochen Center for the Arts
Interlochen Arts Camp: One-Week Intensives
One-week intensive arts programs for high school students in various disciplines.
📍 Interlochen, Michigan📅 January🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Interlochen Center for the Arts
Interlochen Arts Camp: Six-Week Art Camps
Six-week summer arts programs for students in various disciplines.
📍 Multiple🎓 Eligibility not confirmed
Moderate
Interlochen Arts Camp
Interlochen Writers Retreat
Creative writing intensive at the storied Interlochen arts camp.
📍 Interlochen, MI⏱ 3-6 weeks📅 May🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
International Music Camp
International Music Camp - Creative Writing & Drama
A one-week residential session combining creative writing and drama instruction for students in grades 7-12 at the International Music Camp's summer fine arts program.
📍 Dunseith, ND (International Peace Garden)📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
International Songwriting Competition
International Songwriting Competition (ISC)
A world-renowned songwriting competition that has launched the careers of many famous artists.
📍 Online📅 February 1🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
University of Iowa
International Writing Program Between the Lines
Two-week international creative writing program pairing US and international teen writers.
📍 Iowa City, USA + International cohorts📅 March🎓 Grades 10–11
Selective
Iowa High School Press Association (University of Iowa School of Journalism)
Iowa High School Press Association Fall Conference
An annual October conference for student journalists and advisers featuring skill-building workshops, plus nine year-round contests recognizing journalism excellence for IHSPA member schools.
📍 Iowa (hosted by University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication)📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Iowa Summer Journalism Workshops
Students choose intensive tracks such as investigative reporting, broadcast journalism, personal writing, photojournalism, graphic design, social-media storytelling, sports storytelling, or publication leadership during a residential five-day workshop.
📍 IA🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
University of Iowa
Iowa Young Writers' Studio
Premier creative writing program from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Need-based aid available.
📍 IA (nationwide eligibility)⏱ 2 weeks (summer)📅 February🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
Colorado Student Media Association
J-Day (Colorado Student Media Association)
An annual day-long journalism conference at Colorado State University for middle and high school student journalists, featuring guest-led sessions and a Best of Show competition.
📍 Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
NCSSM
Jon Miller Student Writing Competition
NCSSM students submit original poetry, fiction and nonfiction for competitive judging and cash awards.
📍 NC🎓 Grades 11–12
Selective
JSR
Journal of Student Research
Peer-reviewed academic journal for high-school and undergraduate researchers.
📍 Online📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
New York State Unified Court System
Judiciary Civics Essay Contest
Statewide high-school essay competition addressing constitutional government, courts, law and civic participation. The 2026–27 submission window runs September–November.
📍 NY🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
UMass Amherst
Juniper Institute for Young Writers
Residential creative writing program for high schoolers run by UMass MFA faculty.
📍 Amherst, MA⏱ 10 days📅 Spring🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
California Coastal Commission
K–12 Coastal Art & Poetry Contest
Students create original visual artwork or poetry inspired by California's coast and ocean, with selected pieces displayed publicly in a traveling exhibit.
📍 CA🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Kansas History Day (National History Day affiliate)
Kansas History Day
A year-long research program where students in grades 6-12 investigate a historical topic tied to an annual theme and present findings as a paper, exhibit, performance, documentary, or website, advancing from district to state to national competition.
📍 Kansas (district sites, state contest in Topeka)📅 April🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Kentucky Performing Arts
Kentucky Governor's School for the Arts (GSA)
Kentucky sophomores and juniors compete for admission to an intensive three-week residential arts program in disciplines including architecture, writing, film, music, theatre, dance, graphic design, and visual art. The program is free for accepted students.
📍 KY🎓 Grades 10–11
Selective
Kentucky Secretary of State
Kentucky Secretary of State Essay Contest
Kentucky high-school students submit an original essay of up to 1,000 words addressing an annual civics theme. Winners receive prizes and recognition at a public ceremony.
📍 KY🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Kenyon College
Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop
Intensive creative writing workshop with published authors. Need-based scholarships.
📍 OH (nationwide eligibility)⏱ 2 weeks (summer)📅 March🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice
Lantos Activist Artist Scholarship
New Hampshire seniors use visual art, writing, music, dance or other creative work to address human-rights issues. The 2026 program distributed $15,000 among eight students.
📍 NH🎓 Grade 12
Selective
Texas Center for the Book, Texas State Library and Archives Commission
Letters About Literature (Texas)
A free reading-and-writing contest in which Texas students write a letter to an author explaining how the author's work changed their view of themselves or the world. The grade 9-12 category awards cash prizes of $100-$300 and a travel stipend to the Texas Library Association conference.
📍 Texas (statewide)📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
The Loft Literary Center
Loft Youth Writing Intensive — Ages 14–18
Teens spend four intensive days studying fiction, poetry, memoir, and screenwriting with published writers, creating at least one new piece and receiving opportunities for public reading and anthology publication. The 2026 fee was $550.
📍 MN🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
City of Madison Poet Laureate Program
Madison Youth Poet Laureate
A one-year honor for a Madison poet ages 13 to 19 that includes three public readings with the Madison Poet Laureate and the chance to apply for the National Youth Poet Laureate role.
📍 Madison, WI📅 April🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance
Maine Literary Awards — Youth Awards
Maine middle- and high-school writers compete in a statewide literary competition. Youth submissions are free and are considered alongside Maine's broader annual literary awards.
📍 ME🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Maine Arts Commission / Maine Humanities Council
Maine Poetry Out Loud
A National Endowment for the Arts recitation program in which Maine high schoolers memorize and perform poetry, advancing from the classroom level through regional competition to the statewide finals.
📍 Statewide, ME📅 December🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Maine Secretary of State
Maine Voting and Democracy Essay Contest
Maine students in grades 9–12 submit essays of up to 1,500 words about voting and democracy. Winners receive recognition from the Secretary of State and have their work publicized.
📍 ME🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Marshall Society (Cambridge)
Marshall Society Essay Competition
Global economics essay prize run by the Cambridge Marshall Society.
📍 Remote (Global)📅 August🎓 Grades 11–12
Selective
Kentucky Martin Luther King Jr. State Commission
Martin Luther King Jr. Essay, Artwork and Poetry Contest
Kentucky students can submit an essay, poem, or visual artwork inspired by the annual theme surrounding Dr. King's legacy, diversity, unity, equality, and justice.
📍 KY🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
New Jersey Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission
Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Essay Contest
New Jersey seniors submit essays centered on Dr. King's legacy, service, justice and civic leadership. The 2026 program offered ten $5,000 scholarships.
📍 NJ🎓 Grade 12
Selective
Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts (BOPA)
Maryland Region Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
The Maryland regional affiliate of the nation's longest-running teen creative recognition program, judging student art and writing submissions across 28 categories, with Gold Key winners advancing to national judging.
📍 Baltimore, MD📅 December🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
City of New Orleans Office of Youth and Families
Mayor for a Day Essay Contest
New Orleans youth ages 11–18 submit essays explaining what they would do as mayor. Three winners are selected to be sworn in and shadow the mayor while learning about city government.
📍 LA🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Millsaps College
McMullan Writers Workshop (High School)
A weeklong residential creative-writing workshop at Millsaps College for rising 10th graders through college freshmen, featuring instruction in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry plus keynote talks from acclaimed authors.
📍 Jackson, MS📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
Oakland University
Meadow Brook Writing Camp — High School Sessions
High-school writers participate in intensive summer writing activities designed to develop creativity and written expression. Multiple 2026 sessions were offered.
📍 MI🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Office of the Governor of Michigan
Michigan State of the State Writing Contest
Students submit an original short story, essay, poem, or other written response to an annual Michigan-focused prompt, with winning work featured in State of the State materials.
📍 MI🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Midwest Artist Academy (hosted at UW-Eau Claire)
Midwest Artist Academy
A one-week residential pre-college arts experience for ages 14-18 on the UW-Eau Claire campus with focuses in art, dance, music, theater and writing that blend toward a final showcase.
📍 Eau Claire, WI📅 February🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Woodland Pattern Book Center
Milwaukee Youth Poet Laureate
An annual competition for Milwaukee County high school poets that selects a Youth Poet Laureate who performs, leads workshops for peers, and competes for regional and national youth poet titles.
📍 Milwaukee, WI📅 March🎓 Grades 9–11
Selective
Minnesota Office of Higher Education
Minnesota Academic Excellence Scholarship
Minnesota graduates demonstrating outstanding achievement or potential in areas such as creative writing, fine arts, foreign language, mathematics, science, or social science can receive institutional scholarship support at eligible Minnesota colleges.
📍 MN🎓 Grade 12
Selective
Mississippi Center for the Book
Mississippi Poetry Project
A free statewide poetry-writing initiative for students in grades K-12 built around an annual prompt, with school-selected winners published in a contest anthology and honored at a public reading.
📍 Statewide, Mississippi📅 December🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Missouri State University
Missouri Fine Arts Academy
Two-week residential academy offering intensive work in visual art, music, creative writing and other arts disciplines. Tuition for the 2026 academy was fully covered by state/private funding.
📍 MO🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Quinnipiac University
Modern Storytelling: Movie-Making
Students develop filmmaking and visual-storytelling skills while creating media projects using university facilities and faculty guidance.
📍 CT🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
Montana Arts Council / National Endowment for the Arts
Montana Poetry Out Loud
A National Endowment for the Arts recitation competition where Montana students in grades 9-12 memorize and perform poems, advancing from classroom to regional and state finals in Helena.
📍 Grandstreet Theatre, Helena, MT (State Finals)📅 March🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Maine Press Association
MPA Journalism Scholarship
A scholarship of up to $2,000 for Maine high school seniors headed to college who show a demonstrated commitment to journalism through internships, employment, or student news work, plus financial need.
📍 Statewide, ME📅 February🎓 Grade 12
Selective
Mississippi School of the Arts
MSA Summer Arts Camp
Students choose intensive study in creative writing, dance, theatre, visual art, filmmaking, or vocal music plus two additional enrichment arts classes, culminating in a family showcase.
📍 MS🎓 Grades 9–10
Moderate
UA Little Rock
MT Stage: From the Bard to Broadway
Students reinterpret Shakespeare through contemporary theatre, original lyrics, acting, stage combat and collaborative performance.
📍 AR🎓 Grade 9
Selective
UMBC
Music Performance & Songwriting
Students develop music-performance and songwriting skills.
📍 MD🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Arkansas Game & Fish Commission / State of Arkansas
My Natural State Story Essay Contest
Arkansas students write up to 500 words about a real outdoor experience in the state. Sixteen students receive prizes, including outdoor gear and experiences.
📍 AR🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services
N.C. State Fair Essay Competition
North Carolina K–12 students submit original essays for State Fair judging, with a dedicated grades 9–12 division.
📍 NC🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Arizona Historical Society / National History Day
National History Day Arizona
Statewide academic history competition where students in grades 6-12 (with grades 4-5 at state level) research a historical topic and present it as a paper, exhibit, performance, website, or documentary, advancing from regional contests to state and national finals.
📍 South Mountain Community College, Phoenix, AZ (state contest)📅 April🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Georgia Humanities / LaGrange College
National History Day Georgia
National History Day Georgia encourages middle and high school students to research a topic tied to the year's theme and present it as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website, advancing from regional contests to the state contest at LaGrange College.
📍 Ten regional sites statewide; state contest at LaGrange College📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
National History Day in Colorado / CU Denver College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
National History Day in Colorado (State Contest)
Students research and present historical projects (documentary, exhibit, performance, website, or paper) at one of thirteen regional contests, with top finishers advancing to the state contest at CU Denver.
📍 University of Colorado Denver (state contest)📅 April🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Indiana Humanities
National History Day in Indiana
Indiana's affiliate of the national research competition, where students in grades 6-12 research a historical topic tied to an annual theme and present it as a paper, exhibit, documentary, performance, or website through local, state, and national contest levels.
📍 Statewide, Indiana📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
State Historical Society of Iowa
National History Day in Iowa
A year-long research and presentation program where students create documentaries, exhibits, papers, performances, or websites on a historical topic, advancing from district contests to the state contest in Ames and on to nationals.
📍 Statewide with state contest in Ames, IA📅 April🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Kentucky Historical Society
National History Day in Kentucky (NHDKY)
An annual project-based history competition where students in grades 4-12 research a topic tied to the national theme and present it as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website, advancing from regional contests to the state contest and nationals.
📍 Regional sites statewide; State Contest at the Kentucky Historical Society, Frankfort, KY📅 February🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
State Historical Society of Missouri
National History Day in Missouri
Missouri's affiliate of National History Day invites middle and high school students to research and present history projects as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website, advancing from local contests to the state contest at the University of Missouri.
📍 Regional contests statewide; state contest at University of Missouri, Columbia📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
Montana State University / Montana Historical Society
National History Day in Montana
An academic program where students research a historical topic tied to an annual theme and present it as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website, competing through Western/Eastern regional contests and a state contest.
📍 Montana State University, Bozeman, MT (state contest); regional contests statewide📅 April🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Rhode Island Historical Society
National History Day in Rhode Island
History papers, websites, documentaries, performances and exhibits.
📍 RI🎓 Grades 9, 12
Moderate
South Dakota State University, SD Agricultural Heritage Museum
National History Day in South Dakota
A yearlong research and creative-project competition for students in grades 6-12 who create a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website on an annual history theme, competing first at one of four regional contests, then at the state contest hosted at SDSU.
📍 Statewide, SD (state contest at SDSU, Brookings)📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
The Concord Review, Inc.
National Writing Board
The National Writing Board assesses academic expository writing against an independent standard endorsed by Harvard, Michigan, Princeton, Stanford, Virginia, Yale, and 33 other selective colleges and universities.
📅 rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
YoungArts
National YoungArts Foundation Competition
National arts competition for ages 15-18 across 10 disciplines; finalists receive cash and YoungArts Week.
📍 Miami, FL⏱ Self-paced📅 Fall🎓 Grades 10–12
Selective
YoungArts
National YoungArts Week
Week-long master classes and performances in Miami for YoungArts winners across 10 disciplines.
📍 Miami, FL⏱ 1 week📅 Fall🎓 Grades 10–12
Selective
NCW Libraries and Write On The River
NCW Libraries Teen Short Fiction Competition
An annual spring short fiction contest for 9th-12th grade students in Chelan, Douglas, Okanogan, Grant and Ferry counties, with cash prizes; entries are original, unpublished work of up to 2,000 words.
📍 North Central Washington📅 April🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
North Dakota Council on the Arts
ND Poetry Out Loud State Competition
A statewide poetry recitation competition in which classroom and school champions advance to perform memorized poems before judges at the state finals in Bismarck.
📍 Bismarck, ND (ND Heritage Center & State Museum)📅 February🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
North Dakota High School Activities Association
NDHSAA Speech
Students compete in interpretive, public-speaking and related speech events through regional and state tournaments.
📍 ND🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
North Dakota State University
NDSU TRIO Upward Bound
Students receive year-round tutoring, advising, college preparation, summer coursework and a bridge experience before college.
📍 ND🎓 Grades 9–11
Selective
National History Day, Nebraska affiliate (hosted by Nebraska Wesleyan University, sponsored by Humanities Nebraska)
Nebraska National History Day
Middle and high school students conduct original historical research and present it as a paper, exhibit, documentary, performance, or website, advancing from seven regional district contests to the Nebraska state contest at Nebraska Wesleyan University.
📍 Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, NE (with district contests statewide)📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
Nebraska Writers Collective
Nebraska Youth Poet Laureate
Nebraska poets ages 13–19 compete through a poetry portfolio, résumé and civic-engagement essay. The laureate receives mentorship, public-reading opportunities, chapbook publication, regional/national competition eligibility and $1,000–$2,000 toward a community project.
📍 NE🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Nevada Arts Council
Nevada Poetry Out Loud State Finals
A statewide recitation competition in which high school students memorize and perform classic and contemporary poems, advancing from school to district to the Nevada State Finals and potentially the National Finals in Washington, D.C.
📍 Reno, NV (state finals at University of Nevada, Reno; district contests statewide)📅 March🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
New England High School Journalism Collaborative (NEHSJC) / New England Newspaper & Press Association
New England High School Journalism Collaborative Summer Workshop
A one-week, all-expense-paid summer workshop at Simmons University in Boston where high school students learn reporting, writing, editing and multimedia production and produce their own newspaper under deadline pressure with professional journalists.
📍 Simmons University, Boston, MA📅 April🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
New England High School Journalism Collaborative (NEHSJC)
New England High School Journalism Collaborative Summer Workshop
A fully-funded, residential week-long workshop (June 20-27, 2026) at Simmons University in Boston where New England high schoolers learn to report, write, edit, and produce multimedia journalism, publishing a newspaper under deadline pressure.
📍 Boston, MA (Simmons University)📅 April🎓 Grades 11–12
Highly Selective
Institute of American Indian Arts
New Freshman Summer Bridge
Incoming IAIA students can earn college credit, live on campus and receive academic/cultural support before their first semester. Tuition, housing, meals, tutoring and program activities are covered aside from a refundable housing deposit.
📍 NM🎓 Grade 12
Selective
NH State Council on the Arts / National Endowment for the Arts
New Hampshire Poetry Out Loud
A free poetry recitation competition for high schoolers that builds public speaking skills and literary knowledge, progressing from classroom to school, regional, and state championships.
📍 NH State House, Concord, NH📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
New Jersey State Council on the Arts / Count Basie Center for the Arts
New Jersey Poetry Out Loud
A statewide poetry recitation competition in which high school students memorize and perform poems through school, regional, and state rounds, with the state champion advancing to the national finals in Washington, D.C. for a chance at college scholarship funds.
📍 Regional sites statewide; State Finals at Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank, NJ📅 February🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Teen Arts NJ
New Jersey State Teen Arts Festival
Statewide multi-day youth arts festival where students present visual, literary and performing work, receive professional critiques and participate in workshops and performances.
📍 NJ🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
New Mexico Arts / New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs
New Mexico Ekphrastic Poetry Contest
An annual statewide ekphrastic poetry contest in which New Mexicans write poetry inspired by artworks on display at state cultural institutions, with a dedicated Youth (ages 10-18) category.
📍 Statewide New Mexico (online submission)📅 February🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
New Mexico Scholastic Press Association / NMAA
New Mexico Scholastic Publications State Competition
State championship for New Mexico student newspapers, yearbooks and journalism programs, with individual publication categories and a Journalist of the Year award. The association is free to join.
📍 NM🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Teachers & Writers Collaborative (with the New York State Council on the Arts)
New York State of Poetry
A free statewide program engaging high school students with poetry through a curated anthology of classic and contemporary poems, including New York State Poet Laureates, with students writing original responses published in an annual statewide anthology.
📍 New York (statewide)🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
The New York Times Learning Network
New York Times Personal Narrative Contest
Annual personal narrative writing contest for teens 13-19.
📍 Online⏱ Self-paced📅 Fall🎓 Grades 7–12
Selective
National Federation of the Blind of Nevada
NFB of Nevada Student Essay Contest
Blind and low-vision Nevada students submit an original essay, with high-school prizes ranging from $100 to $250 in the 2026 cycle.
📍 NV🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Norman Jordan African American Arts and Heritage Academy / West Virginia State University
Norman Jordan African American Arts and Heritage Academy
A residential summer academy for ages 12-18 with tracks in vocal and instrumental music, theater, dance, creative writing, visual arts and arts technology, with African American history and culture activities and guest artists.
📍 West Virginia State University, Institute, WV📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
North Texas Teen Book Festival
North Texas Teen Book Festival
A free one-day festival of teen literature at the Irving Convention Center with about 75 authors, more than 40 small breakout panels, author signings and book sales.
📍 Irving, TX📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
NPR
NPR Student Podcast Challenge
Free annual podcasting contest. Submit a 3-8 minute podcast. Winning student is featured on NPR.
📍 Online⏱ Self-paced📅 April🎓 Grades 5–12
Selective
The New York Times
NYT Learning Network Contests
Free monthly writing, photo, and podcast contests for teens 13–19 worldwide.
📍 Global📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 7–12
Selective
The New York Times
NYT Personal Narrative Contest
Annual short personal narrative contest for teens. 600 words. Free entry.
📍 Online⏱ Self-paced📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
The New York Times
NYT Student Editorial Contest
Free annual contest for students aged 13-19 to write a 450-word evidence-based editorial. Top entries are published by the Times.
📍 Online⏱ Self-paced📅 March🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
The New York Times
NYT Summer Academy
Journalism, filmmaking, and writing courses taught by Times journalists. Limited need-based aid.
📍 NY / Remote (nationwide eligibility)⏱ 2 weeks (summer)📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
The New York Times
NYT Summer Reading Contest
Each summer week, students pick a Times piece and write 350 words about it. Free; winners published.
📍 Online⏱ Self-paced📅 June-August🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs
Ocean Awareness Contest
International student contest in visual art, film, writing, and music addressing ocean conservation.
📍 Global📅 June🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind (International Finals)
International creative problem-solving competition with teams from 25+ countries.
📍 USA (worlds); regional in origin country📅 Regional Winter, Worlds May🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Ohio History Connection
Ohio History Day
Students create research papers, documentaries, exhibits, performances or websites and advance from regional contests to the Ohio state and National History Day competitions.
📍 OH🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Ohio Center for Law-Related Education
Ohio Moot Court
High-school teams write appellate briefs and argue constitutional or statutory-law cases before judges at the Ohio Supreme Court building.
📍 OH🎓 Eligibility not confirmed
Moderate
Ohio Arts Council / NEA / Poetry Foundation
Ohio Poetry Out Loud
Students memorize and perform published poetry, progressing through school, regional and Ohio state recitation contests to national finals.
📍 OH🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Oklahoma 4-H
Oklahoma 4-H Essay Contest
Statewide writing award administered through Oklahoma 4-H's annual awards system.
📍 OK🎓 Eligibility not confirmed
Selective
Oklahoma A+ Schools / Oklahoma Arts Council
Oklahoma Poetry Out Loud
Students memorize and perform poetry through school and state competition, with the state champion advancing nationally.
📍 OK🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Oklahoma Arts Institute
Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute (OSAI) at Quartz Mountain
An immersive two-week residential academy providing professional artistic training to artistically advanced Oklahoma high school students in acting, chorus, creative writing, dance, drawing & painting, film & video, orchestra, and photography, taught by nationally renowned faculty at Quartz Mountain.
📍 Lone Wolf, OK (Quartz Mountain Arts and Conference Center)📅 February🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
Oklahoma Young Writer's Workshops
Oklahoma Young Writer's Workshops (OKYWW)
Free, recurring peer workshops for young writers held at venues like Warr Acres Library and Literati Press, offering critique, mentorship from established Oklahoma authors, and exposure to new writing forms and competitions.
📍 Oklahoma City metro, OK📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Interlochen Arts Camp
One-Week Intensives Arts Camp
One-week intensive arts programs covering various disciplines like music, theatre, visual arts, creative writing, dance, film & new media, and interdisciplinary arts. Students will perfect their skills and learn new ones alongside lifelong friends.
📍 Interlochen, Michigan, USA📅 Applications open Sept. 1 for Camp 2027🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Indiana University Cinema Academy
Online Filmmaking Bootcamp
Students remotely develop a story, shoot footage, and learn editing and filmmaking fundamentals with Cinema Academy instructors.
📍 IN🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Oregon Association for Family & Community Education
Oregon FCE High School Essay Contest
State essay competition feeding the national FCE contest; the 2027 theme is "Responsibility."
📍 OR🎓 Eligibility not confirmed
Selective
Oregon Arts Commission / NEA
Oregon Poetry Out Loud
Students memorize and perform poetry through school and state contests with national advancement.
📍 OR🎓 Grades 9, 12
Selective
Oxbridge Launchpad
Oxbridge Launchpad Essay Competitions
Rolling essay competitions across STEM, humanities, and social sciences for global high school students.
📍 Remote (Global)📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Yale University
Pathways to Arts & Humanities Summer Scholars
Free two-week program where local students study archives, art, photography, architecture, comics, playwriting, history and other humanities fields using Yale's collections and faculty.
📍 CT🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
VFW
Patriot's Pen Essay Contest
Patriotic-themed essay contest for grades 6-8 with $5,000 top prize.
📍 Online⏱ Annual📅 October🎓 Grades 6–8
Selective
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
Pennsylvania Poetry Out Loud
Poetry recitation and public speaking.
📍 PA🎓 Grades 9, 12
Selective
New Hampshire Charitable Foundation
Peter Millimet Creative Writing Fund Contest
Manchester high-school students submit original creative writing, with particular encouragement for poetry. Recent awards were $500, $300 and $200 plus runner-up recognition.
📍 NH🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Woodland Pattern Book Center
Poetry Camp (Woodland Pattern Youth Literary Arts)
Free one-week summer poetry camp sessions for Milwaukee youth entering grades 6-12 with writing instruction, meals, field trips and a published anthology of participant writing.
📍 Milwaukee, WI📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA)
Poetry Forward (ArtsWA)
A statewide original poetry writing program open to Washington schools serving grades 9-12, in which each school selects a student poet to enter the statewide contest for awards.
📍 Washington (statewide)📅 March🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Utah Division of Arts & Museums
Poetry Ourselves Utah Original Poetry Competition
An original writing competition where grade 9-12 Utah students submit one or two original poems (or up to ten haiku) in English or Spanish. Students register and submit directly.
📍 Utah (statewide)📅 December🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Alabama Writers' Forum (in partnership with the NEA and Poetry Foundation)
Poetry Out Loud - Alabama
A free national recitation competition for high schoolers that builds public speaking skills and confidence, with students reciting published poems (and optionally original or social-issues poetry) through classroom, regional, state, and national rounds.
📍 Regional competitions statewide; state finals at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Montgomery, AL📅 January🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Kentucky Arts Council
Poetry Out Loud - Kentucky
A national recitation competition for grades 9-12, run in Kentucky by the Kentucky Arts Council, where students memorize and perform poems in a schoolwide contest followed by state finals, with the state champion receiving $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to nationals for a shot at a $20,000 scholarship.
📍 Schools statewide; State Finals in Kentucky📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
South Dakota Arts Council / South Dakota Public Broadcasting
Poetry Out Loud - South Dakota
A free statewide poetry recitation and memorization competition for South Dakota students in grades 9-12 (public, private, or home school), building public-speaking skill and confidence; the state champion represents South Dakota at the national Poetry Out Loud finals in Washington, D.C.
📍 Statewide, SD📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Indiana Humanities / National Endowment for the Arts
Poetry Out Loud — Indiana
A free statewide poetry recitation competition where high schoolers memorize and perform poems from an approved anthology, advancing from classroom to Indiana State Finals in Indianapolis and potentially national finals in D.C.
📍 Indianapolis, IN (state finals)📅 January🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
SC Arts Commission / NEA
Poetry Out Loud — South Carolina
Students memorize and perform poetry through school and state contests with national advancement.
📍 SC🎓 Grades 9, 12
Selective
California Arts Council
Poetry Out Loud California
A free national recitation competition, administered statewide by the California Arts Council, where high schoolers memorize and perform poems, advancing from classroom to school to county/district to state finals.
📍 California statewide; state finals in Sacramento📅 February🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Colorado Creative Industries / Empowered / Lighthouse Writers Workshop
Poetry Out Loud Colorado
Free national recitation competition in which Colorado high schoolers memorize and perform poems, advancing from school and local competitions to the state finals at the Denver Center for Performing Arts.
📍 Denver Center for Performing Arts (state finals)📅 January🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Connecticut Center for the Book / CT Department of Economic and Community Development (Arts)
Poetry Out Loud Connecticut
A free statewide poetry recitation competition where classroom winners advance through school, regional, and state finals, with the Connecticut champion competing at the National Finals in Washington, D.C. for scholarship money.
📍 Statewide (school-based, with a state final)📅 December🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
Poetry Out Loud DC
A free recitation competition, run as part of DC's Words on Fire festival, in which high school students memorize and perform published poetry to build public speaking skills and compete for national awards.
📍 Washington, DC (2026 DC finals at Planet Word Museum)📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Delaware Division of the Arts
Poetry Out Loud Delaware
Statewide poetry recitation competition that builds public speaking skills and literary appreciation, advancing students from classroom competitions to school, regional, and state finals.
📍 Smyrna Opera House, Smyrna, DE (state finals)📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Georgia Council for the Arts / Alliance Theatre
Poetry Out Loud Georgia
Poetry Out Loud challenges Georgia students in grades 9-12 to memorize and perform poems, advancing through regional and state competitions toward the National Finals, with free educational materials provided to schools.
📍 Statewide; state finals via Alliance Theatre, Atlanta📅 January🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts & Honolulu Theatre for Youth
Poetry Out Loud Hawaiʻi
Free national poetry recitation competition for grades 9-12, progressing from classroom to school, state, and national finals, with curriculum materials supplied by the National Endowment for the Arts.
📍 Statewide; state finals in Honolulu📅 January🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Idaho Commission on the Arts (Arts Idaho), in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts
Poetry Out Loud Idaho
The Idaho leg of the national poetry recitation contest, where students in grades 9-12 memorize and perform poetry from an official anthology, advancing from school contests to state semifinals and finals in Boise.
📍 Statewide school contests; state finals in Boise, ID📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Illinois Arts Council Agency
Poetry Out Loud Illinois
National Endowment for the Arts recitation competition in which Illinois students progress from classroom to school, regional, and state finals reciting memorized poetry, with the state champion advancing to the National Finals in Washington, D.C.
📍 Springfield, IL (State Finals)📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Humanities Iowa / University of Iowa Office of Community Engagement
Poetry Out Loud Iowa
A recitation competition that encourages grades 9-12 students to study and perform poetry, progressing from classroom and local contests to the Iowa State Finals and a chance at the national finals in Washington, D.C.
📍 Statewide; State Finals in Iowa City, IA📅 December🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) / Maryland Humanities
Poetry Out Loud Maryland
Maryland's state recitation competition in the national Poetry Out Loud program, where high school students select and recite poems from an anthology, advancing from school to regional to state competition with a Poetry Coach mentoring finalists.
📍 Maryland (statewide)📅 January🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Huntington Theatre Company (with Mass Cultural Council)
Poetry Out Loud Massachusetts
The Massachusetts state program of the national poetry recitation contest, in which high schoolers memorize and perform poems, advancing from school contests through semi-finals to a state final judged on interpretation and delivery.
📍 Massachusetts (statewide; state finals at Old South Meeting House, Boston)📅 November🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Michigan Humanities
Poetry Out Loud Michigan
A free poetry recitation competition where high schoolers memorize and perform poems in increasingly competitive rounds, starting at school level and advancing to Michigan State Finals and potentially the national championship in Washington, D.C.
📍 Mt. Pleasant, MI (State Finals)📅 December🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Southern Cities Student Coalition (SCSC) / Minnesota State Arts Board
Poetry Out Loud Minnesota
A statewide recitation competition in which high school students memorize and perform classic and contemporary poems, advancing from regional competitions to a state championship, with the Minnesota champion representing the state at nationals in Washington, DC.
📍 Regional sites and state championship, Minnesota📅 December🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Missouri Arts Council
Poetry Out Loud Missouri
A national poetry recitation competition for high school students, in which participants memorize and perform poems, advancing from school-level competitions through seven regional contests to the Missouri state championship and national semifinals.
📍 Regional contests in Cape Girardeau, Columbia, Hannibal, Kansas City, St. Joseph, St. Louis, and Springfield📅 Fall🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Nebraska Arts Council
Poetry Out Loud Nebraska
A free national poetry recitation program for grades 9-12 where students memorize and perform poems, advancing from classroom and local competitions to the Nebraska State Finals and a chance at the national competition in Washington, D.C.
📍 Statewide Nebraska; State Finals in Kearney, NE📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
New Mexico Arts (NM Department of Cultural Affairs) / National Endowment for the Arts / Poetry Foundation
Poetry Out Loud New Mexico
A statewide poetry recitation competition in which New Mexico high school students memorize and perform published poems, advancing from the classroom to state finals and on to nationals.
📍 Albuquerque, NM (state finals at the National Hispanic Cultural Center)📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
North Carolina Arts Council / Children's Theatre of Charlotte
Poetry Out Loud North Carolina
A statewide poetry recitation competition for grades 9-12 (NEA/Poetry Foundation program) in which students master public speaking and literary heritage through memorization and performance, advancing from classroom to state finals to nationals in Washington, D.C.
📍 Charlotte, NC (state finals at Children's Theatre of Charlotte)📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Tennessee Arts Commission (with The Porch)
Poetry Out Loud Tennessee
A national poetry recitation competition for Tennessee high school students that begins at the classroom level, where students memorize and recite poems before advancing toward the Tennessee state finals.
📍 Statewide, TN📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Texas Commission on the Arts
Poetry Out Loud Texas
A poetry recitation competition where students memorize and recite poems from the Poetry Out Loud anthology, advancing from school contests to a statewide competition in February. The state finals are held in person in Austin.
📍 Austin, TX (statewide school contests)📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Virginia Commission for the Arts / Wayne Theatre
Poetry Out Loud Virginia
A poetry recitation contest for high school students that moves from classroom and independent competitions to virtual semifinals and a state final, with the state champion going to the national competition in Washington, D.C.
📍 Waynesboro, VA📅 December🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA)
Poetry Out Loud Washington
A poetry recitation competition for Washington high school students that runs from classroom and school contests through regional finals to a state final, with the state champion advancing to the National Finals.
📍 Washington (state final at Tacoma Little Theatre, Tacoma, WA)📅 November🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Wyoming Arts Council
Poetry Out Loud Wyoming
A free poetry recitation contest for Wyoming high school students; school champions advance to the state finals and the state champion competes nationally. Also includes Poetry Ourselves, a companion program for original student writing.
📍 Casper, WY📅 December🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Polygence
Polygence Scholars (Financial Aid)
1:1 research mentorship with PhDs across any field. Full financial aid for qualifying students.
📍 Remote (nationwide)⏱ 10-20 weeks📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Polyphony Lit
Polyphony Lit Editorial Internship
International literary magazine staffed by high school students; editors and writers worldwide.
📍 Online⏱ Academic year📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Pratt Institute
Pratt PreCollege Intensive Program
Live and learn on Pratt’s Brooklyn campus! Spend four weeks taking two courses, building a portfolio, and experiencing life as a college student in New York City. This immersive program pushes students creatively while preparing them with college-ready work.
📍 Brooklyn, New York🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
Princeton University
Princeton Ten-Minute Play Contest
Annual playwriting contest for 11th-grade students judged by Princeton's Lewis Center faculty.
📍 Online⏱ Self-paced📅 Spring🎓 Grade 11
Selective
Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority
Promote Your School Scholarship
A Kentucky student entering junior year submits a short essay about their school or the role of education in community life for a chance to receive a $500 scholarship and be featured in KHEAA publications.
📍 KY🎓 Grade 11
Selective
Susquehanna University
Publishing & Editing Institute
Publishing/writing pre-college institute.
📍 PA🎓 Grades 10, 12
Moderate
The Telling Room
Publishing Workshop
Students work through the real editorial and production process to create and publish an anthology while learning book publishing, communication, writing, and leadership skills.
📍 ME🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
The Putney School
Putney School Summer Arts Teen Program
Two- or four-week residential arts workshops for ages 14-17 in visual arts, filmmaking, animation, creative writing (fiction and poetry), acting, dance and songwriting.
📍 Putney, VT📅 June🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Royal Commonwealth Society
Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition
The world's oldest international schools' writing competition; open to any student in the Commonwealth aged 18 or under.
📍 Commonwealth countries📅 June🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Connecticut Bar Foundation
Quintin Johnstone Statewide High School Essay Contest
Connecticut students research a contemporary constitutional/legal issue and write an analytical legal memorandum for statewide judging.
📍 CT🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
East Central University
R. Darryl Fisher Creative Writing Contest
Statewide poetry and short-fiction competition associated with the Scissortail Creative Writing Festival.
📍 OK🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Ralph Munn Creative Writing Contest
An annual creative writing contest for high school students (grades 9-12) in Allegheny County, accepting short prose (fiction/nonfiction up to 4,000 words) and poetry (up to two pages), with up to two entries per student.
📍 Pittsburgh, PA (Allegheny County)📅 April🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Denison University
Reynolds Young Writers Workshop
Selective residential creative-writing workshop with small-group instruction in poetry, fiction and nonfiction and one-on-one contact with professional writers.
📍 OH🎓 Grades 11–12
Moderate
RISCA / NEA
Rhode Island Poetry Out Loud
Poetry recitation and public speaking, school to state contests.
📍 RI🎓 Grades 9, 12
Selective
Rhodes College
Rhodes Summer Academy - Crafting Stories: Writing Fiction and Nonfiction Narratives
A two-week residential Rhodes Summer Academy course for students entering grades 10-12 studying the elements essential to writing sophisticated literary fiction and nonfiction narratives, earning two transferable college credits.
📍 Memphis, TN📅 Varies🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
Writers in the Schools (WITS) / Rice University Glasscock School
Rice Creative Writing Camp
Writing camp with interactive activities across poetry, prose, and creative nonfiction, including peer review and instructor feedback. The Rice University sessions are for students entering grades 6-12.
📍 Houston, TX📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
State of Iowa / Iowa Department of Education
Robert D. Blue Scholarship
Iowa high-school seniors planning to attend an Iowa college or university can compete for $500–$1,000 awards based on academics, financial need, recommendations, and a 500-word essay.
📍 IA🎓 Grade 12
Highly Selective
South Carolina Governor's School
SC Governor's School Summer Programs
Free arts and STEM intensives for top SC students.
📍 SC⏱ 3 weeks (summer)📅 January🎓 Grades 9–11
Selective
Alliance for Young Artists & Writers
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
The longest-running recognition program for creative teens in the US — writing, visual art, photography, film.
📍 Remote (nationwide)⏱ Year-long competition📅 December-January (regional)🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Alliance for Young Artists & Writers / School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards - Massachusetts Writing Region
The Massachusetts regional affiliate of the nation's longest-running writing recognition program for teens, through which students in grades 7-12 submit work in categories like poetry, short story, and personal essay for regional and national Scholastic Awards.
📍 Massachusetts (regional partner: School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, Boston)📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Red River Valley Writing Project at NDSU
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards - North Dakota Writing Region
The North Dakota regional affiliate for the writing categories of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, open to students in grades 7-12 submitting poetry, flash fiction, journalism, screenwriting, and other original writing.
📍 Fargo, ND📅 December🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Visual Arts Center of Richmond (VisArts) / Alliance for Young Artists & Writers
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards - Richmond Region (VisArts)
VisArts is the regional affiliate that receives art and writing submissions from students at schools in Richmond City, Hanover, Henrico and Chesterfield; Gold and Silver Key work is exhibited and Gold Keys advance to the national awards.
📍 Richmond, VA📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Harris County Department of Education
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards (Houston Region)
The Houston-area regional round of the national Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, where students submit original art or writing across 28-29 categories for regional Gold Key, Silver Key and national recognition.
📍 Houston, TX📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Scholastic Art & Writing
Scholastic Art & Writing Programs (Exhibitions and workshops)
Exhibitions and workshops for teens, along with professional development for educators.
📍 Various📅 December🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Scholastic Art & Writing
Scholastic Art & Writing Scholarships
Information about scholarships available through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
📍 remote📅 December🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Alliance for Young Artists & Writers
Scholastic Writing Awards
Regional and national recognition for student writers in 11 categories. Need-based fee waivers available.
📍 Regional + national⏱ Self-paced📅 Sept-Dec by region🎓 Grades 7–12
Moderate
Eudora Welty House & Garden / Alliance for Young Artists & Writers
Scholastic Writing Awards - Mississippi Region
The Mississippi regional affiliate of the national Scholastic Writing Awards, where students in grades 7-12 submit original work across ten categories including critical essay, poetry, short story, and journalism.
📍 Jackson, MS (Eudora Welty House & Garden awards ceremony)📅 January🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
NYT / Hult
School of The New York Times Summer Academy
Need-based scholarships available; commuter and residential pre-college journalism courses in NYC.
📍 New York, NY⏱ 1-3 weeks📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
University of Montana Davidson Honors College
Schwanke Honors Institute
Selective pre-college honors experience for students entering senior year, combining university coursework and residential learning in Montana settings; recent offerings have included environmental creative writing and ecology/conservation.
📍 MT🎓 Grade 12
Highly Selective
Indiana University Cinema Academy
Screenwriting Academy
Students develop screenplays using professional story-development practices and receive instruction in writing for film.
📍 IN🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
George Mason University Mason Community Arts Academy
Screenwriting Workshop (Mason Community Arts Academy)
A summer workshop for ages 13-18 on writing for the screen, led by George Mason film and video studies faculty at the Art and Design Building.
📍 Fairfax, VA📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
South Central Service Cooperative / Minnesota State University, Mankato
SCSC Writing Contest
K–12 students from south-central Minnesota submit fiction, nonfiction, or poetry around an annual theme. Selected writers are recognized through the contest and authors reception; the 2026–27 theme is "History Then and Now."
📍 MN🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Seattle Arts & Lectures (Writers in the Schools)
Seattle Youth Poet Laureate
Annual honor for a young Seattle-area poet committed to poetic excellence and civic engagement, with a stipend, mentorship, a published chapbook, public readings and eligibility for regional and national competitions.
📍 Seattle, Washington📅 April🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
University of the South
Sewanee Young Writers' Conference
A rigorous two-week writing workshop where students live at Sewanee: The University of the South and work with acclaimed authors.
📍 Sewanee, TN⏱ 2 weeks📅 January 15🎓 Grades 10–12
Highly Selective
Wofford College
Shared Worlds Writing Camp
A two-week residential science-fiction and fantasy writing camp at Wofford College for rising 8th-12th graders, where campers build an imaginary world with published genre authors and workshop their own fiction set in it.
📍 Spartanburg, SC📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
SIU Young Writers' Conference
Two-day writing workshop for high school and junior college students to hone prose and poetry skills under published authors, capped at 30 participants with a 'Best of the Conference' award.
📍 Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL📅 June🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
Purchase College, SUNY
Songwriting & Introduction to Music Production
Students write original music while learning recording and digital production techniques.
📍 NY🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Berklee College of Music
Songwriting Workshop
Students age 15+ develop original songs through instruction in melody, lyrics, chord progressions, structure, feedback, and performance.
📍 MA🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Sorbonne Université
Sorbonne Université Summer School
Short summer courses in French language, humanities, and science in Paris.
📍 Paris, France⏱ 2-3 weeks📅 June🎓 Grades 11–12
Highly Selective
Coastal Carolina University / National History Day
South Carolina History Day
The state affiliate of National History Day, where students in grades 6-12 research a historical topic and present it as a paper, exhibit, performance, documentary, or website, competing to advance to the national contest.
📍 South Carolina (varies by year)📅 April🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Southern Nevada Writing Project / UNLV
Southern Nevada Writing Project Student Writing Programs
Student writing camps and workshops are taught through the Southern Nevada Writing Project; the current UNLV page includes a September 2026 college-essay workshop for high-school students.
📍 NV🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
State Bar of New Mexico
State Bar Student Essay Contest
New Mexico juniors and seniors write an original essay on an annual legal issue; attorneys and sitting judges evaluate finalists.
📍 NM🎓 Grades 11–12
Selective
The Telling Room
Statewide Writing Contest
Maine youth submit poetry, fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, playwriting, songwriting, or other creative writing. A grand-prize winner and county winners are selected, and submissions can be considered for publication.
📍 ME🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Stone Soup
Stone Soup Magazine
Magazine of writing and art by children and teens up to age 14.
📍 Online⏱ Year-round📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 5–9
Selective
StoryCon
StoryCon 2027 (Teen Track)
Two-day writing and storytelling convention with a dedicated teen track on February 5-6, 2027, plus masterclasses, agent and editor sessions, and writing contests with nationally known authors as keynote speakers.
📍 Salt Lake City, UT (Salt Palace Convention Center)📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts
StoryLab: The Writing Process Across Genres
Students explore poetry, short fiction, screenwriting and creative nonfiction through reading, journaling, guided writing and peer feedback.
📍 AR🎓 Grades 9–10
Selective
New York State School Music Association
Student Songwriters Showcase
Student songwriters submit original work for adjudication, coaching and possible performance at the statewide conference.
📍 NY🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
The Backlot: Film School and Studio
Summer Camps: Filmmaking & Creator/YouTube
In-person film production camps for ages 13-18 where students write a screenplay, shoot with professional cameras, lighting, and sound equipment, and edit using Adobe Creative Suite, or develop their own YouTube/content-creator projects, each culminating in a premiere screening.
📍 Catonsville, MD📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
The Writers Circle
Summer Creative Writing Intensives for Teens
Three one-week creative writing intensives for teens held at Drew University, with full days of genre workshops (fiction, poetry, and rotating forms) taught by published authors, free-writing time, editorial conferences, and a Friday student reading, with work eligible for publication in The Writers Circle's online journal.
📍 Drew University, Madison, NJ📅 March🎓 Grades 8–12
Highly Selective
IUP Cook Honors College
Summer Honors Program: Design, Build, Play
A dual-enrollment summer course (HONR 281) combining a week of on-campus residential instruction with online learning before and after, covering games and storytelling with an English professor and creative engineering in the STEAMSHOP with a math professor.
📍 Indiana, PA (Indiana University of Pennsylvania)📅 May🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities (SCGSAH)
Summer Programs (Creative Writing, Dance, Drama, Film, Music, Visual Arts)
Residential, arts-intensive summer programs in Greenville for students in grades 6-11 (7-11 for most disciplines) to study creative writing, dance, drama, film, music, or visual arts alongside professional artists.
📍 Greenville, SC📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–11
Moderate
Mississippi State University
Summer Scholars On Stage — Writers & Technical Theatre Tracks
Writers collaboratively create an original musical's script and songs while technical-theatre participants learn stagecraft and help design and build the production. The three-week residential program culminates in a staged performance.
📍 MS🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
George Mason University Mason Community Arts Academy
Summer Songwriting Workshop (Mason Community Arts Academy)
A summer workshop in which students ages 13-18 write and develop original songs, ending with a performance for friends and family.
📍 Fairfax, VA📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Kelly Writers House, University of Pennsylvania
Summer Workshop for Young Writers
A 10-day intensive for rising high school juniors and seniors combining a personal essay/memoir morning workshop with afternoon guest-led craft sessions in poetry, fiction, and screenwriting, plus visits to Penn's campus and Philadelphia.
📍 Philadelphia, PA📅 March🎓 Grades 11–12
Moderate
Maryland Writing Project / Towson University
Summer Writers Camp (Maryland Writing Project)
A week-long in-person creative writing camp for grades 8-12 with icebreakers, writing-strategy instruction, dedicated writing time, and one-on-one conferences with experienced writing teachers.
📍 Towson, MD📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Susquehanna University
Summer Writers Workshop
Creative writing/literature pre-college institute.
📍 PA🎓 Grades 10, 12
Moderate
Belin-Blank Center, University of Iowa
Summer Writing Online
Students participate in a three-week synchronous writing residency featuring fiction, poetry, screenwriting, seminars, critiques, author talks, and workshops led by University of Iowa writers. Admission is rolling and the program costs $295, with financial aid available.
📍 IA🎓 Grades 9–11
Highly Selective
TheatreSquared
SummerStage
Eight-day immersive theatre program where students work with professional playwrights, poets, musicians, actors and directors to devise and perform an original production.
📍 AR🎓 Grades 10–12
Highly Selective
Susquehanna University
Susquehanna Advanced Writers Workshop
One-week residential workshop in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, publishing.
📍 Selinsgrove, PA⏱ 1 week📅 May🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
TED-Ed
TED-Ed Student Talks
Free, self-run program that helps students discover, develop, and share their own ideas in TED-style talks; open to schools and clubs anywhere in the world.
📍 Remote (Global)⏱ Self-paced club📅 Rolling · anytime🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
The Young Authors Foundation
Teen Ink
An award-winning monthly print and online magazine by and for teens.
📍 Online / Jersey City, NJ📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
New York Jewish Week
Teen Journalism Fellowship
NYC-area Jewish teens report and publish professional journalism while receiving editing and mentorship; fellows receive compensation for published stories.
📍 NY🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
826michigan
Teen Leadership Lab
High-school students mentor younger writers, complete professional-development activities, develop and workshop their own writing, and receive support toward publication. Participants who complete the program receive a stipend. Fall 2026 enrollment is open.
📍 MI🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
GrubStreet
Teen Summer Writing Fellowship
A three-week intensive fellowship for Boston-area teen writers to generate new work across fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenwriting, with daily mentorship, guest author visits, and a culminating public performance showcase.
📍 Boston, MA (GrubStreet)📅 March🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum
Teen Takeover Contest
North Dakota teens submit an original artistic creation plus a short written explanation inspired by state history and museum collections.
📍 ND🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
The Loft Literary Center
Teen Writing Project — Fall Edition
Students ages 15–18 spend 12 weeks workshopping fiction, studying craft, revising manuscripts, and participating in literary-community projects such as an anthology editorial board and youth writing blog. The fall 2026 fee is $444.
📍 MN🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Telluride Film Festival / Artemis Rising Foundation
Telluride Film Festival City Lights Project
A festival-funded program that brings six students and two teachers from two selected high schools to attend the Telluride Film Festival, screening 10-12 films and meeting filmmakers over five days.
📍 Telluride, CO📅 March🎓 Grades 11–12
Highly Selective
Austin Peay State University / Humanities Tennessee
Tennessee Young Writers' Workshop
An overnight summer camp for students ages 14-18 offering workshops in a wide variety of creative writing styles and genres taught by professional instructors, alongside community-building camp activities.
📍 Clarksville, TN📅 May🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Amy Lowell Trust
The Amy Lowell Poetry Traveling Scholarship
One of the most valuable writing scholarships for high school seniors, based on a portfolio.
📍 Online📅 January 21🎓 Grade 12
Selective
Susquehanna University
The Apprentice Writer
National literary magazine of high school student writing published by Susquehanna.
📍 Online⏱ Self-paced📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
The Brodsky Prize / New Hampshire journalism community
The Brodsky Prize
New Hampshire high-school students submit journalism-oriented writing addressing news, media and public affairs. The program awards a $5,000 prize.
📍 NH🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
The Daphne Review
The Daphne Review
An independent literary journal specifically for middle and high school writers and artists.
📍 Online📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
The Concord Review, Inc.
The Emerson Prize
A prize awarded to authors published in The Concord Review, recognizing exemplary historical research and writing.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Mississippi School of the Arts
The Phoenix Literary Journal
Mississippi School of the Arts students may submit poetry, fiction, memoir, essays, visual art, photography, and collaborative work each spring for publication. Senior Literary Arts students manage submissions, layout, and production.
📍 MS🎓 Grades 11–12
Selective
The Weight Journal
The Weight Journal
An online literary magazine that curates the best of student writing in various genres.
📍 Online📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Montclair State University
Theatremaker: Writing and Directing Intensive
Students develop theatrical material through writing and directing.
📍 NJ🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
America250 Idaho (Idaho's 250th Anniversary Commission)
Thomas Jefferspud Writing Contest
A statewide essay/short-story contest for Idaho students ages 12-18 about a revolutionary-era figure instrumental in the nation's founding and why they should still be honored today, tied to America's 250th anniversary.
📍 Idaho (online/mail submission)📅 March🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Trinity College Dublin
Trinity College Dublin Summer
Undergraduate summer courses across humanities and STEM at Ireland's top research university.
📍 Dublin, Ireland⏱ 3 weeks📅 June🎓 Grade 12
Highly Selective
University of Connecticut, Department of Journalism
UConn Journalism Multimedia Summer Camp
A one-week residential camp at UConn Storrs where high schoolers ages 15-18 get a crash course in news reporting, interviewing, photography, video storytelling, and podcasting, taught by working journalists and faculty, with need-based scholarships available.
📍 UConn, Storrs, CT📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
University of Mississippi Writing Project
UM Writing Competition
Students submit original essays, poetry, or short stories responding to the annual theme. Winners receive recognition, Summer 2027 academic-competition scholarships, and publication opportunities in the annual Celebrations literary magazine.
📍 MS🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
University of Mississippi Pre-College Programs
UM Writing Competition (Celebrations)
An annual literary competition for grades 7-12 in poetry, short stories, and essays tied to a yearly theme, with winners published in the Celebrations literary magazine and awarded summer-program scholarships.
📍 Oxford, MS (University of Mississippi)📅 January🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
UT Austin Department of Radio-Television-Film
UT Austin Film and Media Camps
Summer camps for high school students in screenwriting, cinematography, filmmaking, 2D animation, advanced filmmaking, and post-production, plus a virtual DIY filmmaking course. Sessions run one to three weeks.
📍 Austin, TX📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
UW-Stevens Point Media Studies and Continuing Education
UWSP Filmmakers' Camp (Teen Session)
A four-and-a-half-day day camp run by UWSP Media Studies where campers write, shoot and edit short films, with a teen session for ages 13-17 and a closing film festival.
📍 Stevens Point, WI📅 Varies🎓 Grades 8–12
Moderate
Vermont Humanities
Vermont Humanities Camps
Week-long, project-based humanities summer camps run by schools, libraries and community partners across Vermont, built around reading, writing projects, field trips and outdoor activities.
📍 Vermont (multiple host sites)📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Vermont Arts Council and the Flynn
Vermont Poetry Out Loud
Statewide poetry recitation contest for high school students; school winners advance to a spring state final and the champion goes to the national finals in Washington, DC.
📍 Burlington, VT📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Brattleboro Museum & Art Center
Vermont Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Vermont regional affiliate of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for grades 7-12, with entries in 27 art and writing categories and Gold Key, Silver Key and Honorable Mention awards exhibited at BMAC.
📍 Brattleboro, VT📅 December🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Sundog Poetry (with Urban Word, the Flynn, Ruth Stone House and Young Writers Project)
Vermont Youth Poet Laureate
A statewide contest in which teen poets submit three original poems plus community and civic engagement information; the Laureate receives a cash prize, public readings in Vermont and an invitation to the regional competition of the National Youth Poet Laureate Program.
📍 Vermont (online submission at youthlaureate.org)📅 February🎓 Grades 8–12
Selective
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Arkansas
VFW Voice of Democracy - Arkansas
An annual audio-essay scholarship contest for grades 9-12 on a patriotic theme; students record a 3-5 minute essay and submit it through a local VFW post, competing for state and national scholarships.
📍 Local VFW posts statewide, Arkansas📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of California
VFW Voice of Democracy - California
An audio-essay scholarship contest for grades 9-12 on a patriotic theme, entered through local VFW Posts, with over $2 million awarded in scholarships nationally each year.
📍 California (submitted through local VFW Posts statewide)📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Kentucky
VFW Voice of Democracy - Kentucky
An annual audio-essay scholarship competition for grades 9-12 in which Kentucky students record a patriotic essay on a set theme through their local VFW Post, competing for a share of over $2.3 million awarded nationally, including a $35,000 top scholarship.
📍 Submitted through a participating VFW Post in Kentucky📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Montana
VFW Voice of Democracy - Montana
An audio-essay scholarship competition for grades 9-12 on a patriotic theme, judged at the local VFW Post level with winners advancing to state and national competition.
📍 Submitted through local Montana VFW Posts statewide📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Department of North Dakota
VFW Voice of Democracy - North Dakota
A patriotic audio-essay scholarship competition for grades 9-12; students record a 3-5 minute essay on an annual democracy/veterans theme, with winners advancing from the local VFW Post to department and national judging.
📍 Statewide, ND (entries submitted through local VFW Posts)📅 November🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of South Dakota
VFW Voice of Democracy - South Dakota
An audio-essay scholarship competition for grades 9-12 on a patriotic/democratic theme, run nationally by the VFW since 1947 with nearly 40,000 student participants a year; South Dakota's Department first-place winner receives at least $1,000 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. for national judging.
📍 Statewide, SD📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Colorado
VFW Voice of Democracy (Colorado)
An audio-essay scholarship competition for students in grades 9-12 who record and submit a patriotic-themed essay through a local VFW post via the Scholars App.
📍 Entry through local VFW posts statewide📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of New York
VFW Voice of Democracy (Department of New York)
An audio-essay scholarship competition for high school students who record a 3-5 minute essay on an annual patriotic theme; New York's 2026-2027 entries are due to local VFW posts by October 31, 2026. The national grand prize is a $35,000 scholarship, with nearly 80,000 students competing nationwide.
📍 New York (submit through local VFW posts)📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of North Carolina
VFW Voice of Democracy (Department of North Carolina)
An audio-essay scholarship competition for high school students on an annual patriotic theme, administered through local NC VFW posts with entries due October 31, followed by District judging by December 15 and Department judging by January 10. The national grand prize is a $35,000 scholarship.
📍 North Carolina (submit through local VFW posts)📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Georgia
VFW Voice of Democracy (Georgia)
Voice of Democracy is an audio-essay competition in which Georgia students in grades 9-12 write and record a 3-5 minute essay on an annual patriotic theme, with entries submitted through a local VFW Post.
📍 Submitted via local VFW Posts statewide📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Iowa
VFW Voice of Democracy (Iowa)
An annual audio-essay scholarship competition for grades 9-12 on a patriotic theme, with Iowa's state winner advancing to the national contest for a shot at a $35,000 top scholarship.
📍 Submitted through local VFW Posts, Iowa📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Texas
VFW Voice of Democracy (Texas)
An audio-essay scholarship competition for high school students expressing their views on democracy through a recorded essay. Entries go through a local VFW post, with state and national scholarship prizes.
📍 Texas (statewide)📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Arizona
VFW Voice of Democracy Arizona
Audio-essay scholarship competition for students in grades 9-12 on an annual patriotic theme, judged from the local VFW post level up through the department and national levels.
📍 Statewide, AZ📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
VFW Department of Virginia
VFW Voice of Democracy Audio Essay Contest (Virginia)
A 3-5 minute audio essay contest for grades 9-12 on the theme "What a Veteran Taught Me About America," judged from local VFW Posts up to the Department (state) level.
📍 Virginia (entries through local VFW Posts)📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Delaware
VFW Voice of Democracy Delaware
Audio-essay scholarship competition for grades 9-12 on an annual patriotic theme, submitted through local Delaware VFW Posts, with the state winner earning a trip to the Spirit of America Youth Leadership Program.
📍 Delaware (submit via local VFW Post)📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
VFW Department of Illinois
VFW Voice of Democracy Illinois
Annual audio-essay scholarship competition for grades 9-12 built around a patriotic theme (2026-2027: 'What A Veteran Taught Me About America'), progressing from local VFW posts through district and state competition.
📍 Illinois (entries submitted through local VFW posts)📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Missouri
VFW Voice of Democracy Missouri
An audio-essay scholarship competition, established in 1947, letting Missouri students in grades 9-12 record a patriotic-themed essay; the 2026-27 theme is 'What a Veteran Taught Me About America.'
📍 Submitted through local sponsoring VFW Posts statewide📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
VFW Department of New Hampshire
VFW Voice of Democracy Scholarship (New Hampshire)
An audio-essay competition for grades 9-12 on a patriotic theme, with NH winners advancing to compete for a share of the national program's $2.1 million in scholarships.
📍 Statewide, NH (recorded essay submission)📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
VFW Department of Nevada
VFW Voice of Democracy Scholarship Contest
An annual audio-essay patriotic scholarship contest for high school students in grades 9-12, who record and submit a 3-to-3.5-minute essay on an assigned theme through their local VFW post.
📍 Statewide (submitted through local VFW posts)📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Virginia High School League (VHSL)
VHSL Creative Writing Contest
VHSL accepts student creative writing entries from member high schools for statewide evaluation and recognition, with published entry guidelines and an entry form.
📍 Virginia (entries submitted by member schools)📅 March🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
The College of New Jersey
Video Production Camp
Students learn professional camera, lighting, audio, scriptwriting, editing and directing while producing original media.
📍 NJ🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Virginia War Memorial / Virginia Department of Veterans Services
Virginia War Memorial Veterans Day Student Essay Contest
An annual essay contest for Virginia middle and high school students writing 500-750 words about a Virginian who served in the U.S. military and inspires them; one high school and one middle school winner are chosen.
📍 Virginia (online submission)📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Virginia Writers Club
Virginia Writers Club Teen Nib Contest
A statewide writing contest for Virginia high school students in fiction, nonfiction and poetry, with winning entries eligible for publication in the Golden Nib and Teen Nib Journal.
📍 Virginia (email submission)📅 May🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Idaho
Voice of Democracy
An audio-essay scholarship contest for grades 9-12 on a patriotic theme ('What a Veteran Taught Me About America' for 2026-27), entered through local VFW posts across Idaho.
📍 Idaho (entries via local VFW posts)📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
VFW Department of South Carolina
Voice of Democracy - South Carolina
An audio-essay scholarship competition for high school students who record a patriotic-themed essay responding to an annual prompt, submitted through a local VFW Post, with South Carolina's state winner advancing toward national scholarships up to $35,000.
📍 Submitted through local VFW Posts statewide, South Carolina📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
VFW Department of Indiana
Voice of Democracy — Indiana
A free audio-essay scholarship contest for students in grades 9-12 who write and record a 3-5 minute broadcast script on an annual patriotic theme, submitted through a local VFW post.
📍 Statewide, Indiana📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Oregon
Voice of Democracy (Oregon)
An annual audio-essay scholarship competition for grades 9-12 responding to a patriotic theme, with Oregon's top entrants receiving a minimum $1,000 scholarship and a shot at the $35,000 national first-place award.
📍 Statewide, OR📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
VFW
Voice of Democracy Audio-Essay
Audio-essay scholarship competition with $35,000 top prize.
📍 Online⏱ Annual📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
VFW Department of Hawaii
Voice of Democracy Audio-Essay Program (Hawaii)
Annual patriotic-themed audio-essay competition for grades 9-12, with entries judged at the Post, District, state, and national level for a share of over $2 million in scholarships.
📍 Statewide (entries submitted via local VFW Posts)📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Department of New Mexico
Voice of Democracy Audio-Essay Scholarship Program - New Mexico
Annual nationwide audio-essay scholarship contest inviting high school students to record a patriotic-themed essay (2026-27 theme: "What a Veteran Taught Me About America"), submitted through a local New Mexico VFW Post. The national first-place winner receives a $35,000 scholarship, and every department (state) winner receives at least $1,000.
📍 New Mexico (submit recorded essay via a local VFW Post)📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
West Virginia Wesleyan College
Wesleyan Summer Gifted Program
A two-week residential summer program for gifted students taught by college professors in math, physics, computer science, creative writing, history, environmental science and the creative arts.
📍 West Virginia Wesleyan College, Buckhannon, WV📅 June🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
West Virginia Humanities Council
West Virginia Book Festival
A one-day statewide literary festival with panel discussions, readings, author signings and workshops at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center, open to readers of all ages.
📍 Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center, Charleston, WV📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia / West Virginia State Bar Women in the Profession Committee
West Virginia Law Day Contest
Statewide contest where K-12 students submit posters, essays, digital art, poems or original songs on the annual Law Day theme, with winners honored at the Supreme Court.
📍 Charleston, WV📅 April🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History / WVDE
West Virginia Poetry Out Loud
Students in grades 9-12 memorize and recite poems in school and local contests leading to the state finals at the Culture Center in Charleston and the national finals in Washington, D.C.
📍 Charleston, WV📅 December🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
WVU Department of English
West Virginia Writers' Workshop
A summer writing workshop at WVU with craft talks, writing exercises and readings in fiction, poetry and nonfiction that welcomes high school writers.
📍 West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Central West Virginia Writing Project at Marshall University / WV Department of Education
West Virginia Young Writers Contest and Young Writers Day
A statewide prose-writing contest (fiction, nonfiction, narrative, memoir or essay) judged at school, county and state levels, with state winners honored at Young Writers Day at the University of Charleston.
📍 Entries through county schools; Young Writers Day at University of Charleston, Charleston, WV📅 February🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
The Boston Globe
Will McDonough Sports Writing Contest
A free nonfiction sports-writing contest for grades 9-12 students in Maine and New England, judged on writing quality, reporting, and use of journalism practices, with entries capped at 700 words.
📍 Open to Maine residents (New England-wide contest)📅 May🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Wisconsin Arts Board
Wisconsin Poetry Out Loud
A poetry recitation contest for Wisconsin high school students who memorize and perform poems from an anthology through classroom, school, regional and state rounds, with the state champion advancing to the National Finals.
📍 Wisconsin (state final in Madison)📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Wonderworks Houston / University of Houston
Wonderworks: Moving Pictures (Filmmaking)
An introduction to filmmaking covering production, editing, screenwriting, and cinema analysis, where students collaborate on short narrative projects using digital technology. Includes daily film screenings with faculty discussion.
📍 Houston, TX📅 June🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Wonderworks Houston / University of Houston
Wonderworks: Story Lines (Fiction and Creative Writing)
A reading-intensive summer program exploring fiction, films based on literature, and creative writing. Students discuss assigned readings in morning seminars and watch thematically paired narrative films in the afternoons.
📍 Houston, TX📅 June🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
The Telling Room
Works in Progress
Students ages 12–18 developing longer writing projects meet regularly for structured peer workshop, feedback, revision, and creative development.
📍 ME🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
School One / Write Rhode Island
Write Rhode Island Fiction Contest
An annual short fiction competition, founded in 2016, that invites Rhode Island students to write original prose (under 2,500 words) weaving in the state's people, places, history, or spirit, with free accompanying writing workshops.
📍 Rhode Island (statewide; awards ceremony at Newport Art Museum)📅 December🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
University of New Hampshire
Writers Academy
High-school students develop original writing through intensive instruction and peer collaboration. UNH offered separate high-school Writers Academy sessions in summer 2026.
📍 NH🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Writers at Harriman (Idaho Commission on the Arts / Harriman State Park)
Writers at Harriman
A residential creative-writing camp at Harriman State Park where high school students ages 14-18 with advanced writing skills work closely with four published, teaching writers, with special outreach to students from small Idaho towns.
📍 Harriman State Park (Island Park / Ashton, ID)📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
University of Washington Youth & Teen Programs
Writers Workshop for High School (UW Youth & Teen Programs)
An introductory creative writing workshop exploring poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, spoken word and multimodal work, with peer feedback, a final portfolio and a class reading.
📍 UW Seattle campus, Seattle, WA (one session online via Zoom)📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Carnegie Mellon University
Writing & Culture
Pre-College Writing & Culture program at Carnegie Mellon University.
📍 PA🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
University of Pennsylvania (Penn Summer / Penn LPS)
Writing and Research in the Age of AI Academy
An immersive three-week academy introducing high schoolers to research-informed writing and responsible AI use in preparation for university-level study, with daily drafting, peer feedback, and a completion certificate.
📍 Philadelphia, PA📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–11
Highly Selective
Purchase College, SUNY
Writing for Film
Students develop screenplay concepts, characters, dialogue and film narratives. 2026 tuition was approximately $1,200.
📍 NY🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Wyoming Historical Society
Wyoming Historical Society Young Essay Awards
Annual essay awards on Wyoming history with a separate high school division (grades 9-12, 1,200-2,500 words); winning essays are published in The Wyoming Historian. First place receives $150 and runner-up $100 per age group.
📍 Wyoming (submitted online)📅 April🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Film at Yale / Yale Student Film Festival
Yale Student Film Festival — Connecticut High School Category
A dedicated Connecticut high school competition category within the Yale Student Film Festival, open free of charge to filmmakers 18 or under currently enrolled in a CT high school, for films under 10 minutes, with winners recognized alongside college entries.
📍 Yale University, New Haven, CT (submissions via FilmFreeway)📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Montana State University
Yellowstone Writing Project Youth Writing Camp
Week-long writing intensive with a dedicated grades 9–12 cohort. Students experiment with multiple genres, participate in writing activities and develop work in a supportive community of writers and educators.
📍 MT🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Young Musicians & Artists (hosted at Willamette University)
YMA: Young Musicians & Artists
A two-week residential summer arts camp on the Willamette University campus offering tracks in music, visual art, theatre, and writing for creative students aged 10 through the summer after high school graduation.
📍 Salem, OR📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
Arizona State University / Central Arizona Writing Project
Young Adult Writing Program (YAWP)
Young writers develop poetry, short stories, autobiographical pieces, comics, argument writing, and other forms in collaborative workshops and can publish work in the annual camp anthology.
📍 AZ🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
NC State University Pre-College Programs
Young and Teen Writers Workshop
A two-week summer afternoon program for ages 9-19 to develop creative-writing skills in fiction, genre fiction, poetry, and dramatic writing, with work submitted for a published anthology and a final performance.
📍 Raleigh, NC📅 June🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Young Diplomats Society
Young Diplomats Forum
Global essay and forum program engaging teens with foreign policy questions.
📍 Various⏱ Varies📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 10–12
Selective
The Telling Room
Young Emerging Authors (YEA) Fellowship
Four Maine young writers are selected for a free, paid 15-month fellowship to write, revise, and professionally publish their own books with one-on-one mentorship from published authors.
📍 ME🎓 Grades 9–11
Selective
New Hampshire Film Festival
Young Filmmakers Workshop
Weekend-long filmmaking intensive where high-school students work in teams with industry mentors to write, produce, act in, direct and edit an original short film that is screened at the festival closing ceremony. Registration is currently open for October 16–18, 2026.
📍 NH🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
The Telling Room
Young Writers & Leaders
A selective nine-month program for high-school students with international and multicultural backgrounds featuring writing instruction, one-on-one coaching, public readings, publication, and paid participation.
📍 ME🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Nebraska Writing Project, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Young Writers Camp
Students write fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and other forms alongside writers and educators, with participant work compiled into the program's annual anthology. The 2026 camp cost $50 and scholarships were available.
📍 NE🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Young Writers Project
Young Writers Project
Free online community based in Burlington where teen writers and visual artists post work, answer weekly challenges and are published in The Voice and local media.
📍 Online (Burlington, VT)📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
UNC Wilmington
Young Writers Workshop
Residential writing intensive with daily exercises, craft lectures, peer workshops and readings led by published writers and MFA students.
📍 NC🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Ohio State University Department of English
Young Writers Workshop
Selective residential workshop for 30 high-school writers studying fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry with OSU faculty and MFA writers.
📍 OH🎓 Eligibility not confirmed
Moderate
Washington College, Rose O'Neill Literary House
Young Writers' Studio
A one-day creative writing program for high schoolers featuring generative workshops in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, a literature seminar with English faculty, and a celebratory open mic; successor to the Cherry Tree Young Writers' Conference while it is on construction hiatus.
📍 Chestertown, MD📅 June🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
State Historical Society of Iowa
Young Writers' Workshop
Students use museum collections and historical material as inspiration for a three-day writing experience. The 2026 workshop cost $200.
📍 IA🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Kansas State University Department of English
Young Writers' Workshop
Students spend a week producing original fiction, poetry, essays, and other writing with experienced teachers and published writers. The program is free, with preference for Kansas students.
📍 KS🎓 Grades 9–10
Selective
National YoungArts Foundation
YoungArts
Free national arts competition. Winners receive cash awards, mentorship, and the chance to perform at YoungArts Week in Miami.
📍 Miami + regional⏱ 1 week📅 October🎓 Grades 10–12
Selective
National YoungArts
YoungArts at Oberlin: A One-Day Summer Intensive for High School Artists
A one-day summer intensive program at Oberlin Conservatory of Music for high school artists.
📍 Oberlin Conservatory of Music📅 Annual — 2027 dates not yet announced🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
National YoungArts Foundation
YoungArts Awards
National competition in writing, visual arts, design, music, theater, film for 15-18 year olds.
📍 Miami, FL⏱ Year-round📅 October🎓 Grades 10–12
Selective
National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists
YoungArts National Arts Competition
One of the nation's most prestigious honors for high school students in the visual, literary, and performing arts.
📍 Miami, FL / Nationwide📅 December 1🎓 Grades 10–12
Selective
Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey
Your Song! Your Voice! Shout Down Drugs
NJ high-school students write and perform original music and lyrics about preventing substance misuse and impaired driving; the statewide winner receives a performance contract/prize.
📍 NJ🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
George Mason University Mason Community Arts Academy
Your Story on Stage: Devised Theater Intensive (Mason Community Arts Academy)
An art, writing and acting camp for middle and high school students that builds an original devised theater piece culminating in a premiere performance.
📍 Fairfax, VA📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Greater Madison Writing Project, UW-Madison
Youth Press Corps (Cap Times and UW-Madison)
Five-day summer camp in the Cap Times newsroom where students learn interviewing, journalistic writing and ethics from journalists and educators, and can publish a story in The Cap Times.
📍 Madison, WI📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate

Creative Writing programs for high schoolers.

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