2023 PBS Reno Curiosity Classroom Writers Contest Call for Entries
Annual contest encourages local children to write and illustrate their own stories!
RENO, NV (Jan. 9, 2023) — The annual PBS Reno Curiosity Classroom Writers Contest kicks off today and PBS Reno is inviting local students in kindergarten through third grade to submit their own illustrated stories! This year’s theme is ADVENTURE.
“ADVENTURE should be a very fun theme this year!” said Joy Foremaster, PBS Reno Director of Education. “I can't wait to see what our local young authors come up with. Every year, we are amazed at what talent and creativity we have in our community. Let's get writing!”
The PBS Reno Curiosity Classroom Writers Contest encourages children throughout northern and central Nevada and northeastern California to get creative by writing and illustrating their own original stories around the selected theme. Through this process, children build their creative voices and develop critical reading and writing skills.
“I know our local young writers will have some fantastic stories about ADVENTURE to write about,” said Nancy Maldonado, PBS Reno Vice President of Education. “I’m looking forward to reading the many creative, fun stories from students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade students. Encourage your children to start thinking about the ADVENTURE they want to share!”
The deadline to submit entries is Friday, March 10, 2023. Each story must include five pages, five illustrations, and a specific word count for each grade. Learn more here.
A team of dedicated educators and volunteers will go through an in-depth review process and select first, second, and third place winners from each grade. The winning authors will be honored in a variety of exciting ways, including having their stories will be published into hardcover books and being featured on PBS Reno on the air and on the station’s website.
Each student who submits a story will receive a special certificate of participation. In 2022, PBS Reno received 2,299 Writers Contest entries, thanks to 125 teachers who submitted entries from 46 different schools throughout six northern Nevada school districts: Washoe, Carson City, Douglas, Elko, Lyon, and Humboldt. Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District was also represented, along with 22 individual entries that were submitted through the PBS Reno website. Read the 2022 winning stories here.
About PBS Reno Curiosity Classroom Writers Contest
The PBS Reno Curiosity Classroom Writers Contest is produced by PBS Reno and is based on the Reading Rainbow® Young Writers and Illustrators Contest, a concept developed by WNED-TV, Buffalo. The contest is sponsored in part locally by Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Western Nevada Supply, Audi Reno Tahoe, Allegra Printing of Reno, Boys and Girls Club of Western Nevada, Reno Public Market, and Sara and Leonard Lafrance.
About PBS Reno Curiosity Classroom
PBS Reno Curiosity Classroom uses on air, online, and print resources to help parents, caregivers and childhood educators prepare children for success. Locally, PBS Reno is bringing these resources to communities in northern Nevada and northeastern California through PBS Reno Curiosity Classroom workshops. PBS Reno Curiosity Classroom workshops are based on the standards and mission of the PBS Ready To Learn initiative. PBS Reno offers free CuriosityClassroom workshops specifically developed for Pre-K through 4th grade students for educators and community educational organizations. An engaging video clip, a read-aloud, and fun hands-on activities are integrated into each workshop. Lessons are aligned to the Common Core Standards, Next Generation Science Standards and Nevada Academic Content Standards. All materials are supplied and a trained facilitator will lead the 45 to 60-minute workshop. An assessment of our Ready To Learn service (conducted in conjunction with the University of Nevada, Reno) indicates there is significant value in spending time in our workshops as they maximize greater learning outcomes through novelty instruction. Learn more here.
About PBS Reno
As of February 2022, PBS Reno Channel 5.1 is watched weekly by more than 113,000 people in approximately 62,000 households in northern and central Nevada and northeastern California, with viewership on multicast channels Reno Create 5.2 and PBS KIDS Reno 5.3. PBS Reno channels are also available on cable, satellite services, and via livestream on YouTube TV. PBS Reno provides PBS national programming and award-earning, locally-produced content, with local content posted weekly to PBS Reno’s YouTube Channel. PBSReno.org provides engaging interactive content, including the video portal at watch.PBSReno.org that streams all locally-produced content and most PBS national content. PBS Reno serves students, teachers, parents and caregivers through immersive educational services including Curiosity Classroom Workshops that bring classroom lessons to life with standards-based lessons and activities. Through the support of local corporations and foundations, as well as thousands of individual members, PBS Reno has been delivering public television and educational services to the communities it serves since 1983.
Contact us:
Membership Questions: membership@pbsreno.org
Programming Hotline: programming@pbsreno.org
Phone: 775.600.0555
Address: 1670 N. Virginia St. • Reno NV 89503