Category Archives: Other Events & Contests

Wonderverse Poetry Contest

Wonderverse is a poetry contest guaranteed to ignite your imagination. Enter the Wonderverse, where anything is possible and imagination and creativity come alive!

Closing Date: Friday Dec 20, 2024

What is Wonderverse? It’s an exciting world of poetry and anything you want it to be!

Dive into creativity to write a poem about any topic, using any style or technique. Write about incredible worlds or fantasy creatures, express their inner thoughts or emotions, describe their favorite people, places or hobbies, or write about your class topic.

Use these handouts to guide your writing

Student Guide

Poem Guide

Rules

To make sure your entries are valid, please follow the rules listed below:

Closing Date: Friday Dec 20, 2024

  • Only one entry per student.
  • There is no limit to the number of entries per school. Teachers please submit your entries altogether where possible!
  • Ask your students to write their poem (or an adult can scribe/type it), ensuring their name, age and school name are included.
  • Work can be on the entry form or a letter-size sheet of paper or typed (on a computer or in the Online Writing Portal).
  • Students’ poems must be their own work!
  • Please note on the entry if there is anything we need to take into consideration when reading the work.
  • No line limit
  • Poems can be written in any style
  • US entrants only.
  • Free to enter.
  • Ideal for 6-13 year-olds. (Students outside this age range are welcome to enter.)
  • Copyright remains with the author.

Reach out to the EY coordinator in your building if you need help with your poem or your submission.

 

Americanism Essay Contest-Deadline Dec. 15

“What Does Patriotism Mean To Me?”

Omaha Elks Lodge #39 of the Benevolent and Protective order of Elks is sponsoring an Americanism essay contest.

Who is Eligible?  5th-8th Grade

What are the Requirements?  300 words or less, typed or legibly printed in ink

What are the Prizes?  There will be a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each division with CASH prizes.

When is the Deadline?  December 15, 2024

More Information?  Click HERE

Scary Tales-Creative Writing Contest

Closing Date: Friday Nov 1, 2024

 

There is nothing better than reading a thrilling story, one that grips you so tightly and puts your senses on alert simply through the power of words. Spooky Sagas is a fantastic way to practice writing in this way by using tension, suspense, and atmosphere.

Write a mini saga (a story told in up to 100 words) can be funny or creepy, scary or odd, but must be your own work.

Read the student info page for more ideas.

Student Planning Sheet

Writing Samples

More information 

The contest closes on Nov 1. If you would like help with your submission, make sure to get your story to the EY teacher in your building before this date.

 

2024 Junior Library Guild Bookmark Contest: Due May 13

2024 JLG Bookmark Contest

The National Library Week theme for 2024 is “Ready, Set, Library!” and from now until May 13, readers are encouraged to submit their very own JLG bookmark design!  Click here to learn more about the contest.

Rules

  1.  All designs must be submitted by an adult (librarian, media specialist, teacher, etc.) to be considered
  2. Each bookmark must depict a JLG Selection (past, present, or upcoming titles)
  3. Only one entry per reader
  4. ANY reader can submit an entry, even if their library is not subscribed to JLG 

Contest Winners

One winner will be chosen from each age group: elementary, middle, and high school.  The winning libraries will receive a $250 JLG backlist credit and have their winning design professionally printed on bookmarks for their entire school! Winning libraries will be contacted via email in May.

Calling All Doodlers! Contest Closes March 14th, 2024

It’s time to start sketching, because this year’s Doodle 4 Google contest is open!

Doodles are the fun, surprising, and sometimes spontaneous changes that are made to the Google logo to celebrate holidays, anniversaries, and the lives of famous artists, pioneers, and scientists.

K-12 students are invited to bring their imagination to life in a doodle of the Google logo, using any medium they choose.

Check out the contest page to see past winners and to get some ideas! Start working on some sketches.

All information can be found  @ https://doodles.google.com/d4g/.

EY Badge link 

 

Essay Contest: Celebrate “Stars and Stripes Forever”

Attention 5th-8th Graders

On May 14, 1897, John Philip Sousa played his new march,

“The Stars and Stripes Forever.”

This song would become the national march of the United States on December 11, 1987.

Essay Contest:  Imagine it is 1897 and you are a newspaper reporter for The Philadelphia Times. Your newspaper editor has asked you to write an article about the new song performed that day. Your article needs to tell about Sousa’s life and the story behind the song. It is the first performance of the song, so make sure your article includes thoughts about the music and how the audience reacts to what was seen and heard that day.

Title of Essay: The Stars and Stripes Forever

Subtitle (optional)

Length:  Grade 5: 300-600 words and Grades 6-8: 600-1000 words

Entry Deadline: December 15, 2023

Type your essay in Google Docs and share it with your EY Coordinator so they can help you with formatting/submission of your essay.

#51: Write About Ancient Adventures

Take the excitement of history and mix it with your imagination to create ancient adventures! You can pick any person, place or event from history to inspire your mini-saga, a story told in just 100 words that must have a beginning, a middle & an ending.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your social studies mini spark recording page:#51: Write About Ancient Adventures.

2. Watch this introduction video about a writing contest that was held last year. It isn’t open for submissions at this time, but you can earn this social studies mini spark by creating your own mini story. Make a list of  at least 5 of the topics suggested in the video.

3. Check out some examples of other students’ mini-sagas!  Read 3 of these stories. Choose your favorite and explain what made it stand out.

4. From discovering a pharaoh’s tomb, or a soldier in the trenches, to being a president or an explorer it’s a great way to tie in creative writing with history to have a bit of fun, and to create an original short story.  Which era or person will get your creativity flowing? List 5 topics that will inspire you  to write with history! ***Note-Your teacher may choose a topic for you.

5. Download or Print this graphic organizer help you get started!

6. Choose one topic, and write your mini saga. You can be inspired by other stories, but your mini-saga must be written in your own words.

7. Add a copy of your story to your recording page.

8. Share your social studies mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.