NJCTE High School Writing Contest

NJCTE High School WritingNJCTE High School Writing Contest invites New Jersey students in grades 9-12 to submit ONE entry in each category:

  • Poetry (one poem, 50-line max.) –FREE CHOICE (no theme)
  • Short story (5-page max. double-spaced) – FREE CHOICE (no theme)
  • Personal essay* (5-page max., double-spaced) – RESPOND TO PROMPT BELOW

See website for details.  Click here to register for the contest.

Have the following items ready to submit:

  1. Your sponsoring teacher’s name – Make sure to ask the teacher’s permission to use his/her name since each teacher can only sponsor 10 students per genre.
  2. Your teacher’s email address
  3. Your poem, short story or essay in pdf or MS Word format – The name of the file must match your title.
  4.  Make sure your name and personal information do NOT appear on the document you are submitting.
  5. Please refer to the writing contest flyer for length limitations.

2017 Personal Essay Writing Prompt — STICKS and STONES:

“Sometimes one or two words have a tremendous impact.  This may be true of words we have uttered or words that have been spoken or written to us.  We may have observed someone close to us afflicted or strengthened by words directed at them.  Write about a time when a word or a set of words had a powerful effect. (See, for example, Countee Cullen’s  “Incident”.) Did this word/these words have a long-term effect on your life or the life of someone close to you?  If the words inflicted pain, how and why? Did an insult ever make you stronger? Did a word haunt you for days or weeks later?  Did a word of praise ever come to your rescue?  Were you motivated to act decisively or change your ways by something someone said to you?  Bring readers into your story and help them think about the power of words.  Make us understand your thoughts, feel your pain, or share your joy.”

How to enter:

  1. Visit our web-site at njcte.com and follow the instructions provided. You must be a New Jersey high school student to enter.
    2017 NJCTE HS Writing Contest Flyer.doc
    Microsoft Word Document 40.0 KB

    You must complete a registration form for each genre you plan to submit.

Tips to Avoid Disqualification:

  1. The file submitted must be anonymous. Files with student name, school or class on them will be disqualified.
  2. Each student may submit a maximum of one entry in each category (i.e. only one poem, one short story and one essay).
  3. Each teacher may submit up to ten entries for their students in each genre. Surplus entries will be disqualified in order of submission date.

Awards:

  • Genre Winners (poetry, short story, personal essay): Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals.
    • Gold medalists are eligible for the Governor’s Awards in Arts Education (GAAE).
    • Gold, silver, and bronze poets read at the Dodge Poetry Festival in 2014 and 2016.
  • School/District Winners:
    • Honorable Mention: Top scoring students
      • From schools with qualifying entries from at least 10 different students sponsored by at least three different teachers
    • Certificates of Merit – Top scoring students
      • From schools which submit qualifying entries from at least three different students.

DEADLINE: December 16, 2016. Questions: njctewritingcontest@outlook.com.

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