Just for Fun
It feels great to reach a personal goal, and it's also nice when someone else recognizes your accomplishment. Motivation is key to achievement of any kind. Here are some contests and activities that could be motivating, fun and potentially lucrative!
Writing Contests
Ideas to Save the Earth
Do your students have ideas that will save the Earth? Have them enter the Youth Venture – Dr Seuss Lorax Challenge! We’ll give your students up to $1,000 to make their ideas reality. Plus, five Grand Prize winners get a FREE trip to the University of Florida for an Environmental Boot Camp! Deadline: May 31, 2008
Write for Author Mitali Bose Perkins
Want to have a published author read your work? Author Mitali Bose Perkins (Monsoon Summer; The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen) is asking you to submit an original, unpublished poem or story that reflects some of the joys and struggles of growing up between two cultures in America. She'll publish the best on her website. Deadline: June 1, 2008.
Claudia Ann Seaman Poetry Award for Young Writers
The Claudia Ann Seaman Poetry Award is open to all high school students across the country. Each young writer may submit two poems on any subject and in any form as long as their submission does not exceed 10 pages in length. The winner will receive $500 and have their poem published in Hanging Loose magazine. Deadline: June 1, 2008.
Teen Ink Contests
Teen Ink is a national teen magazine, book, and website featuring teen writing, information, art, photos, poetry, teen issues, and more. Everything is written by teenage authors! Teen Ink sponsors 11 different contests to give young authors and artists a chance to shine. No deadlines; entries are accepted throughout the year.
Other Word Play
Manga On Manga!
Take a look at Wired magazine's ten-page manga on — manga! This history of manga was written by Jason Thompson, a former manga editor, and is presented in Japanese page and panel order. Read it online or download a pdf and learn about how and why manga is so popular around the world. Deadline: N/A.
And if you want to help your teacher understand manga, this Comics in the Classroom interview with Jason Thompson will explain just what these Japanese comics are.
Fun & Games from GSN.com
Check out an assortment of online word games, including Ultimate Word Challenge, Chain Reaction, and Lingo. Deadline: N/A.
Speak Your Mind and Get Free Books
Lots of publishers offer free books and advance reader's copies — just for telling them what you think. Check out the opportunities for teens to read and review:
Fun with Technology
Do Something to Save the Earth
Just like Maximum Ride and the Flock, in the best selling book series by James Patterson, you have the power to change the world. Create a 60-second video with your ideas for helping the environment, and you could win $500 to do something in your community and you just might appear in a PSA with Fall Out Boy. Deadline: May 26, 2008
Attention: Aspiring Music Video Directors
Penguin is counting on musically talented teens for a contest tied in to Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway (Razorbill), which goes on sale today. Via a partnership with Votigo, Inc., which specializes in user-generated contests and promotions, Penguin is inviting teens to create a music video based on song lyrics at the center of the book's plot. (The book's heroine becomes famous when her ex-boyfriend writes a hit song about her.) Teens can submit and/or vote on videos on the contest's website. The grand prize winner, to be announced on August 10, will receive a $1,000 American Express gift card. Deadline: June 10, 2008
Creative Writing Comes to MySpace
HarperTeen's MySpace page has an all-new profile featuring a creative writing challenge, message boards so you can share your favorite books and authors with other MySpace users, and a new-and-improved blog with posts from HarperTeen authors and writing tips from the HarperTeen editorial team.
P is for Podcast
P is also for Pullman, Paolini, Pierce — authors Philip Pullman, Christopher Paolini, and Tamora Pierce that is. Listen to what they have to say about their characters and their influences and inspiration.
