Scholastic Art & Writing Awards - Alliance for Young Artists & Writers

The Scholastic Awards are the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens.

Each year, more than 100,000 teens across the U.S. and Canada (excluding Quebec) enter their art and writing for a chance at recognition, exhibition, and scholarships!

The exact program dates for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards change on a year-by-year basis. Review the Calendar page for exact information on the current competition season.

Entry deadlines range from December to January and vary by region. To find your regional deadline, visit the My Region page. You might have different deadlines for art and for writing.

There are no pre-defined prompts. Some scholarships are presented to teens whose work fits a particular theme.

Young artists and writers are free to explore any and all topics. No work is ever disqualified from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards because of the nature of its content.

As of October 1, 2026, entry fees are $15 for an individual entry and $40 for a portfolio entry.

Entry fees can be paid by the teen and their family or their educator/school.

For more guidance on how to complete entry fees, see the Payment section below. You may also view our Classroom Resources and Teen and Educator walkthrough videos on YouTube.

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, as of July 1, 2025:

• The Scholastic Awards permit the use of AI technologies to aid in the artistic process during the creation of an entered work, such as brainstorming or outlining.
• The Scholastic Awards do not permit and will deem ineligible any entered work 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.

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 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?

All work entered into the Awards must be original, meaning you create the work based on your own ideas. By entering work to the Awards, you agree that you created it and did not copy it from any other person, business, school, or organization. Any work that infringes anyone’s intellectual property rights will be disqualified.

For more information about the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards’ Copyright & Plagiarism policy, review the links below.

Participation Terms

Copyright & Plagiarism Guide

How to Be Original

Yes, if they do not hold exclusive rights to your work. In the case that your work receives a Scholastic Award, it must be free to use in our publications or exhibitions under the non-exclusive license described in our participation terms.

You may enter the work to other scholarship programs or contests or license it to others for non-exclusive publication.

If you plan to enter work to another awards program or publication, review their rules first to confirm that they will not hold exclusive rights to your work. In the case that your work receives a Scholastic Art & Writing Award, it must be free to use in our publications or exhibitions under the non-exclusive license described in our participation terms.

You don’t have to submit a consent form. However, you, not the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers (the presenter of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards), are responsible for getting any necessary consents or releases from people, places, or property depicted in your work. By entering work to the Awards, you certify that the work is yours and does not infringe on anyone else’s intellectual property rights.

The Alliance is proud to promote the exceptional work of young artists and writers to a wide audience of educators, students, program partners, and the general public through exhibitions, special events, print and online publications, and social media.

To do these things, we need permission from you. The non-exclusive license allows us to use, copy, change, publish, publicly perform, distribute, exhibit, or add to your work without further permission or approval from you as part of our mission to promote creative self-expression among young people.

All displays or publications will attribute you to your work.

This non-exclusive license also means that you can enter the same work you entered into the Awards to other scholarship programs or contests, keep the work in your portfolio, and license it to others for non-exclusive publication.

To participate in the Awards, you must be a teen in grades 7–12, age 13 and up, and residing in the United States, U.S. territories or military bases, or Canada (excluding Quebec).

To participate in the Awards, you must:

1. Create an account by visiting portal.artandwriting.org.
2. Pick a category for your art or writing.
3. Upload your work.
4. Complete payment or use a fee waiver.

Guidelines and deadlines vary by region. To find your region’s deadline, visit the My Region page. You may have a different deadline for art and writing entries.

For additional instructions, visit the How to Enter page and view our walkthrough video series on Navigating Your Scholastic Awards Account.

To create your account, you’ll need:

• Your Name
• Date of Birth
• Your Grade
• School Name
• A Valid Email Address
• Phone Number
• Parent/Guardian Name and Email

We’ll also ask for some additional information, but those fields are not required.

To learn more, view our walkthrough video on Creating a Teen Account.

The Awards will email you important information regarding entry deadlines, award notifications, and additional opportunities. Be sure to enter an email address you check frequently. It might be helpful to use a personal email address, not a school email address, especially if you are graduating soon.

Teens enrolled in online, virtual schools, or other distance learning programs should add the school to their profile just as they would add any other school. If your primary school is a distance learning program, you will be assigned a region based on your home zip code instead of your school zip code. We want you to be recognized first in your local community.

For more information on selecting your school, view our walkthrough video on Creating a Teen Account.

Teens are required to create an account linking their day school and will be able to add one or more out-of-school programs to their account and works after account creation as Other Educational Programs (OEP).

The Awards are not in a position to determine what constitutes an OEP because many of the educational spaces in which teens are creating work outside of school are not easily defined.

For more guidance on selecting your OEP and educators, view our walkthrough videos on Uploading Art Work and Uploading Writing Work.

Please contact us to request to have your school added to our system. Our team will review your request, which will take around five business days to complete. During peak times, it may take longer to process your school request. You will receive an email when your request has been accepted. Do not wait until the deadline to make this request, as we may not be able to complete your request before the deadline has passed.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are divided into regional programs run by local partners, such as museums or universities. These regional partners handle the Awards in a specific area. They collect entry fees, recruit jurors, run judging, and some even put on ceremonies and exhibitions! We couldn’t run the Scholastic Awards without them.

When you create your account, you are automatically put into two regions: one for art and one for writing. You can see what regions you’re in on the homepage of your account or by using our Region Locator tool.

Teen accounts are assigned to a regional program based on their school zip code. Teens who are homeschooled or attend a virtual school are assigned to a regional program based on their home zip code. Teens are never assigned to a regional program based on the zip code of their Other Educational Program.

Educator accounts are assigned to a regional program based on the zip code of the organization where they teach (either the school or the Other Educational Program listed in their account). Homeschool and virtual school teachers will be assigned to a regional program based on their home zip code.

If you forget your password, click on the “Forgot Password” link on the login page.

The account login is always an email address. If your primary email address does not allow you to retrieve your password, please contact us for assistance.

If you have updates to your profile, including name or address changes, please make those as soon as possible. Changes made to your profile after the entry deadline may not be reflected in awards materials you may win, but the sooner you make the changes, the more likely it is that we will be able to include them.

You can list, aka “credit”, one educator per work. This can be an educator from school who helped you with your entry, or from any other educational institution (Other Educational Program).

To do so, first you must create an entry using the Add Work button. Under “Your Educator”, you will see all the educators who have active accounts at your school. Select your educator’s name from the list or “I did not find my educator” or “I do not want to credit a specific educator.”

By crediting an educator on this work, you are giving them permission to edit and submit this entry on your behalf. If your school is covering your entry fee(s), you must list your educator here. Talk to your educator about how they plan to support your entry.

Credit is given on a work-by-work basis. If you have multiple entries, you can list different educators on each work.

Crediting an educator is optional. But, if you did work with an educator, we highly encourage you to list them so that they receive recognition for their guidance!

For more help on selecting your educators, view our walkthrough videos on Uploading Art Work and Uploading Writing Work.

The most common reasons a participant can’t find their educator are:

1) The educator hasn’t created their account yet; and/or
2) If the teen and educator are each registered to different schools or OEPs.

First, confirm with your educator that they’ve created their account.

Then, compare the school each of you registered with when you created your accounts. This is listed under “Schools/Programs” in the navigation bar on the left side of the screen.

If you are both listed at the same school or program, but you still don’t see them as an option on your work entry page under “Your Educator”, there may be a duplicate of your school in our system.

If this is the case, send us a message via Contact Us. Select “School and Educator” and then “I still have questions.” In the form, include your name and email, your educator’s name and email, and your shared school.

High traffic can cause any platform to slow, lag, or throw errors, and our portal is no exception. We experience extremely high traffic in the final 24 hours leading up to major regional deadlines. This can cause issues in the portal, particularly with creating new accounts, uploading entries, and paying for work. If you don’t know your regional deadline, check it with our region finder and plan to enter early. We do not accept entries through any alternative form, so please plan accordingly.

If you experience technical difficulties, keep trying. Closing other tabs, changing browsers, restarting your computer, and clearing your browser cache may help speed up your portal. Some statuses such as ‘entered for judging’ or ‘parent approved’ may be slow to update. If you have paid for your work and have the receipt(s), please be patient and do not pay a second time.

We do not accept entries after the deadline has passed. We realize that some teens run into delays or other upload errors when trying to enter their work—especially near deadlines. Higher traffic to the portal tends to occur during these windows, which can cause delays and upload errors. This is one of the reasons why we always encourage participants to enter as early as possible.

If you were not able to enter your work, and you are still eligible to enter next year, we encourage you to enter when we reopen next fall. There are no requirements for when work has to be created.

Works cannot be entered as a group collaboration. Only one teen will be officially attached to a specific entry; however, you may add collaborator information, such as names, to the Work Sources fields during the work upload process. This includes works in the Film & Animation category.

Please use your best judgment when determining which teen involved in a project enters the work. The teen that enters the work will receive credit if the piece is awarded. A work cannot be entered multiple times by different teens.

We also recommend reaching out to your regional Affiliate. Attribution for collaborators might vary by region.

You do not need to list an educator when entering your work. However, if you did work with an educator, we highly encourage you to list them so that they receive recognition for their guidance.

For more help on selecting your educators, view our walkthrough videos on Uploading Art Work and Uploading Writing Work.

Previously awarded works can be re-entered only as part of a portfolio.

Works that did not earn a regional or national award in previous years may be re-entered to individual categories only if they have been edited significantly.

While there are no size limitations for art entries, regional exhibitions may not be able to display oversized works. Check your region’s guidelines for details.

Check out our tips for documenting your work! Each art category has specific requirements; be sure to review the category descriptions for complete details.

Uploaded images should have a print resolution of 300 dpi and the file size should be around 3MB–5MB. Upload the best quality image you have.

Yes, word limits vary depending on the category. If your work exceeds the word limit of a category, please enter a shortened version of the work.

Writing work should be entered into the text box located in the upload section of the entry journey. You can type directly into this field or use copy + paste. Be mindful of your work’s formatting—a work will appear to jurors similar to how it appears in the text box. This is inclusive of features like line breaks or spacing.

We do not allow the submission of PDF documents for writing entries.

Yes! You can edit your work until your regional deadline.

No, teens and educators cannot edit works after the entry deadline.

Generally, there is no limit to the number of works you may enter, with the exception of Photography and Portfolio. Each participant is allowed to enter 16 works in the Photography category, and two art and two writing portfolios. The Portfolio category is open to teens in grade 12 only.

Teens may enter different works into multiple categories but are not allowed to enter the same work into more than one category.

Entry guidelines may vary for art and writing in each region. Please visit the My Region page to find your regional webpage with specific guidelines and deadlines.

As of October 1, 2026, entry fees are $15 for an individual entry and $40 for a portfolio entry.

Entry fees can be paid by the teen and their family or their educator/school. You may also view our Classroom Resources and Teen and Educator walkthrough videos on YouTube.

Fee waivers are available for individual teens/families who cannot afford the entry fee, to ensure those teens are able to participate in the Scholastic Awards.

When entering your work, you will have the opportunity to certify your need for a fee waiver, which confirms that your personal financial situation requires it. We trust you to be honest about your financial need. You do not need to provide any proof of financial need at this step. Some Regional Affiliates may request additional documentation. If you receive instructions from your Regional Affiliate, please follow them.

If paying the fee would not be a hardship for you and your family, please pay it. If you are entering as part of a class assignment or school project, talk to your educator about the possibility of your school covering your entry fee.

The Scholastic Awards are run by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, a nonprofit organization, and our regional partners. Entry fees help make this opportunity available to you and all creative teens!

If the Scholastic Awards team has a concern about fee waiver use, we reserve the right to follow up with participants. Fee waivers are made possible, in part, by BLICK Art Materials.

If you paid by credit card and believe your credit card was charged erroneously—such as a duplicate charge for the same entry, or due to credit card fraud—please Contact Us so we can help you resolve the issue and provide any necessary refunds. Please include as much information as possible in your inquiry, such as transaction date, last four digits of your credit card, cardholder’s name, and cardholder’s email address, to help us resolve your issue as quickly as possible.

Some, but not all, regions also accept cash and check payments, at the discretion of the Regional Affiliate. When this is the case, cash and check payments are handled directly by Regional Affiliates (find yours here). If you have concerns about a payment made by cash or check, please contact them directly as a first step towards resolving the issue.

Regardless of payment method, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards cannot provide refunds for a submitted entry that you then later choose to withdraw (regardless of the reason), or for entries that do not receive an award.

Educators can only view students and edit works that have been connected to an educator’s account. Students attach educators to an individual entry on the Basic Information page in the entry process. After this, educators will be able to see the teen on their account and edit the specific work they’re connected to, including adding the upload. Check out our video on Editing a Student Work from an Educator Account for further assistance.

It’s possible you’re viewing the incorrect region in your account. The dropdown menu on the left side of your portal dashboard can be used to switch between regions. This includes switching between your art and writing regions.

Yes! As long as you and your teen are connected to the same educational program (school or OEP), they are able to assign you as an educator on a work. After they’ve attached you to an entry, their region will appear on the regional dropdown menu in your account. When you select their region, their works and account will appear on your portal. There is no limit to the number of regions you can connect to.

Educators can only view students and edit works that have been connected to your account. Your student will need to go into their account and connect you to either a new or existing entry. After this, you’ll be able to see the teen on your account and edit the work, including adding the upload! On the Work tab of the portal, click on the pencil icon located next to the work you want to edit.

Check out our video on Editing a Student Work from an Educator Account for further assistance.

Educators can pay for entries via the Portal for any work where they are the credited educator. All educators can pay using a credit or debit card.

Some regions also allow for educators/schools to pay by check on behalf of their students. Visit your Region Page to see what payment options are available to you.

To pay by card, go to Manage>Works or Manage>Portfolios via the navigation bar on the left side of your Portal account. You will see a list of works on which you are the credited educator and their state of completion.

Then, select the works you would like to pay for, click the “Change Payment” button at the top of the table, and select your payment option.

As of October 1, 2026, educators are able to pay for works that are still incomplete. This allows works to be judged as soon as the teen completes the entry, rather than risking delay or exclusion from judging due while a school processes the check.

Entry fees to the Scholastic Awards are nonrefundable. We recommend only paying for incomplete works that you are sure your students will complete on time.

Some regions allow for educators/schools to pay by check on behalf of their students, in addition to card. Visit your Region Page to see what payment options are available to you. If your region allows for educators/schools to pay by check, you will also see an “Invoice” section in the navigation bar on the left side of your Portal account.

Invoices can be generated two ways:

1) You, the educator, generate an invoice addressed to your school for the works on which you are the credited educator. Under Manage>Invoice, select “Unpaid by School” to begin an invoice.

Under “Bill-To”, put the contact information for whoever at your school will be responsible for payment—this can be you, your department head, your principal, etc. They will receive an email with the invoice attached. For due date, reference instructions on your Region Page.

2) Your Regional Coordinator may generate an invoice addressed to your school for all eligible works from your school. This is done at your Regional Coordinator’s discretion and as their capacity allows. If you and your school wish to pursue this option, contact your Coordinator directly via your Region Page.

Once an invoice has been generated, any completed works on that invoice will be considered “Ready for Judging.” This will allow judging to proceed while payment is being processed.

Be sure to follow any and all instructions about sending in payment from your Regional Affiliate.

While educators may waive the entry fees of works they are connected to, the decision to use a fee waiver is ideally made by the teen and their family.

When a teen is able to afford the entry fee—independently, with support from their parents/guardians, or with school/district-level support—they are expected to pay. The Scholastic Awards are administered by a small nonprofit organization and our regional partners—this means any money goes right back into making the Scholastic Awards possible. The entry fees make this opportunity available to your students and all creative teens!

We understand that financial need can be a sensitive topic for educators to navigate with their students. We recommend that educators take one of the following approaches:

1) Advise students to discuss the choice with their families and make their payment or fee waiver selection independently (not as part of group work).
2) Work with their school or district administration to explore opportunities to cover entry fees for some or all entries within your class, school, or district.

Please use your personal and professional knowledge about financial need in your classroom and school community when deciding how to instruct students about payment options.

There are walkthrough videos and informational guides available to support you and your students in completing payment, and the entire Scholastic Awards Portal entry process overall.  You can always check the Alliance’s YouTube page, Frequently Asked Questions, and Classroom Resources for the most updated resources, tips, and instructions.

Some policies may vary by region. Visit your Region Page to learn more.

We strongly encourage all educators to create a Scholastic Art & Writing Awards account, though they are not required to do so. Educators with accounts have the ability to edit, view, and monitor the progress of their participants online.

We also use educator accounts to distribute materials, such as medals, to the educators of National Medalists.

Educators of National Medalists will not be able to reserve National Ceremony tickets or receive their educator award if they do not have an account.

For guidance on creating and navigating an educator account, view our walkthrough video series.

You do not need multiple accounts. Educators can connect to multiple schools and/or “Other Educational Programs” in the portal, even if these schools and programs are in different regions.

If you have multiple accounts from previous years, please reach out at artandwriting.org/contact to request that duplicate accounts be deleted. To prevent students from connecting to an incorrect account while you wait for deletion, we recommend changing your name in the Profile section of the account(s) to avoid confusion.

Educators can recuse themselves from a student’s entry, and sever that connection, by going to the Works section of their portal; selecting the entry in question; then editing the first section, General Information>School and Educator Information. If your student selected the wrong educator from your school, and you see the correct one on the list, you can choose that new educator. Otherwise, select “I did not find my educator”.

Once you save this change, you will no longer be associated with this entry and no longer be able to edit or view it. This action must be taken per entry, and can only be done before your regional deadline.

To check when regional award recipients will be announced, review our calendar page.  Some regions announce their winners earlier, so please check with your local regional partners. To find your local regional partner, visit the My Region page.

Gold Key, Silver Key, Honorable Mention, American Visions Nominee, and American Voices Nominee.

Yes! Your Scholastic Art & Writing Award is an achievement, and many colleges will take your Award into consideration when determining admissions and scholarships. Be sure to mention it on your college application or resume.

Regional programs determine which works are included in their exhibitions and publications. Please contact your regional program for more information.

All recipients of regional awards (Gold Keys, Silver Keys, Honorable Mentions, and American Voices & Visions Nominees) can download a digital certificate and an official Letter of Awards through their online account. Distribution of additional materials varies depending on your region. Visit your local program’s webpage to learn more.

Gold Key works automatically advance to national judging. National jurors review Gold Key works from across the country.

Review our calendar for information on announcement dates.

Regional scholarship opportunities vary. Check your region’s webpage to learn about potential scholarships or award opportunities.

Gold Key works are also automatically considered for National Medals and sponsored scholarships.

Review our calendar for information on announcement dates.

National awards include:

• Gold Medal
• Silver Medal
• Gold Medal Portfolio Award
• Silver Medal Portfolio Award
• Honorable Mention Portfolio Award
• American Voices & Visions Award
• Best-in-Grade Award
• The Herblock Award for Editorial Cartoon
• New York Life Award

National Medalists receive certificates and medals and are considered for national exhibition, publication, and scholarship opportunities. Gold Medalists will be invited to the National Ceremony in New York City at Carnegie Hall in June. Review our calendar for information on program dates.

The sponsored scholarships are awards that highlight work that aligns with certain themes or content. Review our scholarship page for more information.

The process for applying for sponsored scholarships is the same as for regular entries. In the participant’s account, there is a step in the work entry process titled Cash Awards. Here, the participant can click a checkbox indicating which scholarship they want their work to be considered for and enter a personal statement on why they are applying (50 words minimum). The entry deadline for scholarships is the same as the deadline in your region.

For more guidance on applying for sponsored scholarships, view our walkthrough videos on Uploading Artwork and Uploading Writing Work.

Seniors can apply for portfolio scholarships through their online dashboard. On the entry page of their account, there is an option to create an individual entry or a portfolio entry. All completed portfolio entries are automatically considered for scholarships. There are no further steps required.

Portfolio scholarships are for graduating seniors only.

Teens should enter works that best exemplify originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal vision or voice. These works should demonstrate versatility, diversity in techniques and styles, and a developed, cohesive voice or vision.

Please read the category descriptions for specific portfolio entry criteria. For more guidance and advice from jurors, view our Art Portfolio Panel and Writing Portfolio Panel.

Yes, teens may enter a work to both portfolio and individual categories. To enter a work that is part of a portfolio, you will need to create a separate individual entry for the piece. The Portfolio category is only available to participants in grade 12.

Portfolio entries consist of six works that can come from one category or any combination of multiple categories. Art portfolios may only contain works from art categories, and writing portfolios are limited to writing categories. Teens may enter two art portfolios and two writing portfolios, but all works must be unique. The same work cannot be entered in multiple portfolios.

Portfolios are judged without knowledge of the participant’s gender, age, or hometown by artists and industry professionals. The top-ranking portfolios are then presented to a scholarship committee, which awards sixteen $12,500 Gold Medal Portfolio scholarships (eight writing and eight art). Additional $2,000 scholarships are given to students earning Silver Medal Portfolios.

The committee consists of Alliance staff, board members, and national partners. The committee will review the personal statements that were submitted in addition to the six works. They consider a number of factors that combine the recognition of talent and the representation of diverse mediums, viewpoints, and backgrounds of Award recipients when selecting scholarship recipients.

The Alliance is dedicated to showcasing student work and raising awareness about the incredible talent, originality, and voice of teens through traveling exhibitions and special events. One way we accomplish this is through an extensive calendar of events, which includes the National Exhibition in New York City and the National Touring Exhibition (locations vary)

Works that are selected for exhibition may be held for up to two years. This takes into account the timing of these events and the delivery and receipt of the work, as well as its photographing and/or framing.

Regional Exhibitions: Please contact your Affiliate Partner regarding art return from a regional exhibition.

National Exhibition: National Medal works may be requested and held by the national office of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers for up to two years for additional exhibition possibilities. The work will be returned to the participant’s home address, so please notify us if you move.

Note that if the Alliance is not able to return physical works to a participant for any reason, we may hold the work up to three years from the date of the national award notification. If the work is not retrieved, we may continue to store the physical work, donate it, or destroy it.

A selection of works by National Medalists will be included in the National Exhibition in New York City. The exhibition includes works that received an American Voices & Visions Award, Gold Medal Portfolio Award, Silver Medal Portfolio Award, Gold Medal Award, and/or sponsored scholarship awards. We can’t exhibit works that are oversized. Due to space limitations, we are not able to exhibit the works of all Medalists.

A selection of National Medalist works will be included in the Awards’ publications of teen art and teen writing. Participants are notified when their work is being considered for publication and will receive a copy of the publication in which their work appears.

If your work receives a National Medal and you do not want it to be displayed in our gallery or in publications, please contact us and include the title and category of your work.