Copyright & Plagiarism

Be You! Be Original!

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards may be an awards program, but first and foremost, it’s a celebration of you: Your hard work, your unique talents, and your originality! Entering the Scholastic Awards is your chance to be taken seriously as an artist or a writer. This recognition can only be granted when the work that is evaluated is yours.

All we ask is that you be yourself! Originality is one of the three core values of the Scholastic Awards, and this means no awards can be given to work that is not your own.

There is no formula to receiving an Award. We want you to surprise us, challenge us, let us into your world. In more than 100 years, there’s only one thing we’ve never seen: You! Before entering any work to the Awards, make sure it adheres to the plagiarism and copyright guidelines below.

A Guide on Plagiarism and Copyright for Teens & Educators

Work that is entered into the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards must be original work created by the participant. By participating in the Awards, teens agree to the Scholastic Awards participation terms.

If an entered work is found to have been copied from another artist or writer, or generated by AI, the work will be disqualified from the Scholastic Awards.

Review these guidelines before entering your work.

How do I know if my work is original?

An original work is one that is new and different from what others have created. This means that you are the author of the work, and the work is not copied from someone else’s original work.

If a classroom assignment involves any copying of another artist or writer’s work, even if it’s just for the purpose of practicing and learning, please do not enter these works into the Scholastic Awards. Entries that are heavily influenced by the work of other artists, even if no materials are directly copied, may not be considered original and should not be entered into the Awards. Work that is AI-generated is not eligible for the Awards. Please continue reading for the Scholastic Awards’ current policy on AI.

We understand that artists and writers sometimes create work that references other artists, writers, and popular culture in original and meaningful ways. If your work transforms some sort of source material, then it may be considered original.

We define transformative work as a new work that adds value, substantially changes, comments on, or gives a new expression or meaning to the source.

Here are some examples of work that should not be entered:

A pencil drawing that directly copies a portrait that was taken by another artist or a piece of writing that simply rearranges the words of someone else’s writing is NOT transformative.
Changing the medium or visual style of another artist’s work is NOT considered transformative. For example, a painting or drawing of a photograph taken from the internet or a magazine is not considered original and should not be entered to the Scholastic Awards.
Creating a painting or digital artwork based on a photo that was taken by someone else, or creating a poem by rearranging the lyrics to a song—does NOT make the work transformative.
Cropping or resizing an image that a friend created or that you found on the internet does NOT make the work transformative.
Changing the order of the lines in a poem or adding a few words to a sentence written by another author is NOT transformative.
Fan art (such as a painting or drawing of an actor, musician, or preexisting character) or fan fiction is NOT considered original work and should not be entered.
A critical essay that copies or paraphrases passages from another piece of writing without citing the source is NOT original work. Paraphrasing, which is restating text by another writer using other words, does NOT make the work transformative.
Even if you have permission to use a work or if the work is in the public domain, the work that you submit to the Scholastic Awards must represent a new, original work.
AI-generated art and writing is NOT original (read more on our AI policy below).

The scenarios listed above are only a few examples and are not meant to represent all instances of non-transformative work.

What if I cite my sources? Can I use another person’s work if I give them credit?

You may use limited portions of another’s work if you cite your source and if the final product is still an original idea.

Written works that take quotations from other pieces of writing should properly cite all sources, whether the source is protected by copyright or not. There is no required format for the Works Cited. Feel free to use MLA, ALA, Chicago, etc.

There is no formula, specific number of words, or percentage of someone else’s work that is acceptable to use when entering your work to the Scholastic Awards. What is important is that your finished work is something new and different from your source.

In this ever-evolving technological landscape, it is highly encouraged that all artists and writers document their creative process—this can include (but isn’t limited to) saving outlines and drafts of written work, or photographing/downloading an artwork in early, unfinished, or in-process phases. As part of entering a work, you will be prompted and encouraged to include a process photo as part of materials uploaded. In the event of a concern over a work’s originality, the ability to provide the Scholastic Awards with documentation of your creative process is hugely beneficial.

If you have any doubt about whether an entry is original, we advise that you choose not to enter that work.

What is an AI-generated work? Can I use AI at all?

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards acknowledge that many artists and writers are using AI technologies as a tool to engage in the making of original work, and therefore:

The Scholastic Awards permit the use of AI technologies to aid in the artistic process during the creation of an entry, such as brainstorming or outlining.
The Scholastic Awards do not permit and will deem ineligible any entries for which the final product is itself AI-generated.

The Scholastic Awards define AI-generated work as a work that is automatically created based on prompts or other inputs, with minimal or no human interaction. These types of works do not meet the Scholastic Awards’ standards for originality. If a teen enters an AI-generated work, we will consider that a violation of our Copyright & Plagiarism Policy and it will be subject to the same consequences. That is, it will be rejected as ineligible for an award or, if it has been selected for an award and is later determined to be AI-generated, the award will be taken back or canceled.

As previously mentioned, it is highly encouraged that all artists and writers document their creative process. In the event of a concern over a work’s originality, the ability to provide the Scholastic Awards with documentation of your creative process is hugely beneficial.

As part of the entry process, you will be asked to indicate whether and how you’ve used AI-technologies during the creation of your work. If you’ve used it in accordance with our policy, this will NOT influence your eligibility or chances of winning. Examples of permissible uses of AI-technology (permissible means that it is allowed):

Using AI-powered tools to produce ideas, prompts, or suggestions early in the creative process
Using AI-powered search functions for research purposes
Using applications and software in which AI-powered features are embedded (e.g., Adobe Photoshop, Procreate) to edit or enhance an original work

Examples of impermissible uses of AI-technology (impermissible means that it that violates the Scholastic Awards’ originality terms):

Providing input such as datasets or text prompts to an AI-tool that automatically generates an image or piece of writing as the final product
Any work for which the artist or writer is unable to demonstrate and articulate their creative decision-making process

Questions to ask yourself if you’re unsure:

Who made the key artistic and creative decisions—a human, or a machine? Is this my own unique voice and vision?
Did I apply artistic skills and techniques, and can I articulate them if asked?
Can I provide the sources for any works cited?
What could I show as evidence if there are concerns about my work’s originality?
How does my work compare to something created without the use of technology?
Would I feel that I am being truthful if my work is recognized for its originality?

Consequences of Copyright & Plagiarism Violations

If the Alliance has reason to believe that an entry violates the participation terms, an investigation into the entry will be opened, which could lead to disqualification. In this event, the Alliance may refuse or revoke an award, and take such other measures, including the recall or removal of all awards for works entered during the program year, as the Alliance deems appropriate in its sole discretion.

This policy is in the interest of both the participant and the Alliance, since the display or distribution of an infringing entry could result in serious consequences, including potential legal liability.

What if I find a work that was entered into the Scholastic Awards that isn’t original?

If you suspect that a work was plagiarized, please contact us. We will investigate to determine if the work violates our participation terms. Because of teen privacy concerns, we are not able to provide any information on the outcome of our investigation.

Copyright & Plagiarism Definitions

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers uses the following definitions for Copyright and Plagiarism:

Copyright is a form of legal protection prohibiting others from copying one’s creative work without permission. A copyright is an intellectual property right. Copyright law grants the creator of an original work the exclusive rights for its use and distribution.
Plagiarism is an ethical violation resulting from failure to cite sources and engaging in the act of passing someone else’s work or ideas off as one’s own. This applies even if you have only copied a part, rather than the whole, of another’s work.