PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest 2013 Winners

The Community Idea Stations (WCVE PBS, WHTJ PBS), along with our Ready To Learn program, held its annual PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest designed to promote the advancement of children’s literacy skills through hands-on, active learning. Children in kindergarten through third grade were invited to enter the contest by illustrating and writing original stories. Local winners were selected in the spring of 2013 and each winner recorded their stories in front of a studio audience of friends and family.

2013 Winners:
 

The Contest, made possible in part by financial support from Virginia College Saving Plan, encourages children in grades K-3 to celebrate creativity by submitting their own original stories and illustrations.

How the Contest Works
The Community Idea Stations invited children in kindergarten through third grade to join in the fun. The Community Idea Stations then select local winners and awarded prizes in the spring of 2013.

The local winners will then be entered into the national contest where a panel of esteemed judges will rank the top 12 entries. National winners will be announced during the summer of 2013 and the winning stories will be featured on pbskids.org/writerscontest.

The national winners will receive prizes, including tablets, e-readers and MP3 players. Additionally, Highlights for Children has joined the Contest as a new promotional partner and all participants will have the option to receive a print or digital version of Highlights magazine.

What is the PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest and Who Can Enter?
It is a contest open to kids in the kindergarten to third grade in central Virginia who want to write and illustrate their own stories. Kids can submit a story for judging and a chance to win a first, second or third place award. Winners from each grade level will be invited to the studios of the Community Idea Stations for an awards ceremony honoring their achievements. Because the goal of the contest is to encourage, challenge and reward effort, every child who submits an original story will be recognized for their participation with a Certificate of Achievement.

Want to see stories from other Contest years to get ideas for the 2014 Contest?
You can see all stories from previous years, going back to 2001, by visiting Story Central. What do they have in common? It seems they all have things like:

• a beginning, middle, and end
• a central event like a conflict or discovery
• characters who change or learn a lesson
• illustrations that help tell the tale

PBS LearningMedia is also offering a collection of online teacher resources for use in classrooms nationwide.