With winter approaching, it’s a good time to revisit that unfinished poem or short story—creative writing season is in full swing!
As a poet who has navigated through high school writing competitions, summer programs, and literary magazine submissions, I’ve compiled a list of opportunities for fellow students to develop their craft.
Competitions
- Scholastic Art & Writing Awards: Have a piece you’re proud of? Students in Grades 7–12, ages 13+, can enter. Canada’s writing deadline is reportedly December 2, 2026.
- Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Prize: One poem, one page! Canadian citizens and permanent residents in Grades 7–12 can submit by April 30, 2027.
- Poetry In Voice: Share your poems for a chance at publication and a $100 monthly prize. Open to Canadian students in Grades 7–12, ages 18 and under. Submit by the 15th of each month through February; eligible senior students may also be shortlisted for FutureVerse’s poetry intensive (feel free to ask me if you have any questions!)
Programs
- Iowa Winter Online: Build a writing habit from home over six weeks. You’ll need a personal statement, teacher recommendation, transcript, and parental permission, but no portfolio. Apply by November 4, 2026.
- Kenyon Winter Online: Spend your Saturdays writing and sharing ideas with other young writers. Apply with a 300-word response and transcript—no separate portfolio—by December 10, 2026.
- Iowa Summer: Spend two weeks surrounded by fellow writers. Current Grade 10–12 students need up to ten pages of creative writing, a statement, and recommendation. Apply by February 7, 2027.
- Adroit Summer Mentorship: Work closely with a mentor to develop your poems or prose online. 2027 details are pending; last year required 4–5 poems or 8–12 prose pages, plus three essays.
- Kenyon Summer: Try new genres in a two-week campus workshop. You’ll need a 300-word response, transcript, and recommendation, but no separate portfolio. Apply by March 1, 2027.
- Kelly Writers House Summer: Explore personal essays and other genres during ten days at Penn. 2027 details are pending; last year required an 8–10-page writing sample, essay, transcript, and recommendation.
- Magazines
- Blue Marble Review: Ready to share your work beyond the classroom? Writers aged 13–22 can submit poetry and prose for free starting December 1.
- Polyphony Lit: Get editorial feedback alongside a chance at publication. Free general submissions for ages 14–18 close November 30, or earlier if capacity is reached.
- Teen Ink: From poems to personal essays and reviews, there’s room for plenty of interests. Ages 13–19 can submit for free, year-round.
Whether you’re filling notebooks or still finding the courage to call yourself a writer, I hope something here gives you a reason to keep going. Return to that unfinished draft, trade feedback with a friend, and consider sending your work out into the world. You never know who might find something of themselves in your words.
