PBS Reno Proudly Announces 2024 Writers Contest Winners
Annual contest invites local students in kindergarten through third grade to
write, illustrate, and submit their own stories
RENO, NV (June 5, 2024) — PBS Reno is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2024 PBS Reno Curiosity Classroom Writers Contest featuring the theme of WONDER. PBS Reno received 2,777 entries this year from students in eight northern Nevada counties: Washoe, Carson City, Douglas, Elko, Lyon, Humboldt, Storey, and White Pine County. Entries were received from children who attend public, private, charter and parochial schools, along with individual entries and entries from homeschoolers.
| Grade | Place | Story Title | Author | School |
K | 1st | “Astro Wonders” | Uriah | North Star Online School |
| 2nd | “I Wonder About Nature” | Eleanor | Poulakidas Elementary School | |
| 3rd | “The Tasty Clouds” | Allistair | Bohach Elementary School | |
1st
| 1st | “Maddy Has a Solution” | Sophie | Coral Academy of Science |
| 2nd | “I Wonder...” | Maya | Honors Academy of Literature | |
| 3rd | “The Pickle Jar” | Emerie | Yerington Elementary School | |
2nd
| 1st | “A Rainbow Rock” | Ivan | Coral Academy of Science |
| 2nd | “How Chameleon Got His Color Changing Skin" | Reagan | Hall Elementary School | |
| 3rd | “An Adoption Story” | Ava | Individual Entry | |
3rd
| 1st | “The Adventure in Space” | Kelsey | Coral Academy of Science |
| 2nd | “The Wonder Land” | Claire | Westergard Elementary School | |
| 3rd | “Finn Goes to Taylor” | Winston | Taylor Elementary School | |
“The stories submitted in this year’s PBS Reno Writers Contest were Wonderful!” said Nancy Maldonado, PBS Reno Vice President of Education. “This year’s theme of Wonder engaged students’ creative power. Each year the young writers in northern Nevada amaze me with their original, imaginative stories. Thank you to our young authors, teachers, and parents for making the PBS Reno annual Writers Contest so much fun!”
The winning stories will be published into hardcover books, and will also be featured on PBS Reno on the air and on the station’s website. All 2,777 children who submitted a story will receive a special certificate of participation from PBS Reno.
"Wow, this year’s stories were fantastic!” said Joy Foremaster, PBS Reno Director of Education. “Every year I am amazed by the young authors in our community and their creative voices. The judges had a hard time deciding on the winners because the volume of excellent stories was great. I want to encourage all the participants to keep writing because they truly have talent.”
About PBS Reno 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 Renown Children’s Hospital, Margaret Burback, Allegra Printing of Reno, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Rotary Club of Reno, Western Nevada Supply, Sara and Leonard Lafrance, HB Workplaces, and Daughtery Foundation.
About PBS Reno
As of February 2024, PBS Reno is enjoyed by more than 288,000 monthly viewers in northern and central Nevada and northeastern California across several platforms including three broadcast channels (PBS Reno 5.1, Reno Create 5.2, and PBS KIDS on PBS Reno 5.3), a YouTube channel, YouTube TV, online, livestreams, and digital platforms. PBS Reno provides PBS national programming and award-earning, locally-produced content, with many local segments 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 September 29, 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