PBS Reno Announces Winners of 2025 Writers Contest
Annual contest invites local students in kindergarten through third grade to
write, illustrate, and submit their own stories
RENO, NV (June 4, 2025) — PBS Reno is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2025 PBS Reno Writers Contest. PBS Reno received 3,206 entries this year, a 13% increase from the 2024 PBS Reno Writers Contest. This year’s theme is Someday.
| Grade | Place | Story Title | Author | School |
K | 1st | “Dear Charlie” | Charlie | JWood Raw Elementary |
| 2nd | “Someday” | Sadie | Individual Entry | |
| 3rd | “Someday Traveling” | Sosefina | Lena Juniper Elementary | |
1st | 1st | “Gerald the Caterpillar” | Uriah | North Star Online School |
| 2nd | “Someday I want to be an Astronaut Cat” | Eli | Sonoma Heights Elementary | |
| 3rd | “The Pickle Jar” | RJ | Hidden Valley Elementary | |
2nd | 1st | “Maybe Someday... in the Future” | Sparrow | Poulakidas Elementary |
| 2nd | “Someday” | Fin | Scarselli Elementary | |
| 3rd | “Someday I will be a Baker” | Ella | Lenz Elementary | |
3rd | 1st | “Hope Acts Now” | Violet | Mamie Towles Elementary |
| 2nd | “Courage” | Grant | Gomm Elementary | |
| 3rd | “The Time Machine” | Edwin | Caughlin Ranch Elementary | |
“This year’s stories took me on an emotional rollercoaster,” said Joy Foremaster, PBS Reno Director of Education. “I found myself smiling, laughing, and even tearing up. Reading children’s writing is so special and unique. This contest is one of my favorite things we do at PBS Reno.”
Students participated from seven northern Nevada counties: Washoe, Douglas, Pershing, Elko, Lyon, Humboldt, and White Pine County.
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 3,206 children who submitted a story will receive a special certificate of participation from PBS Reno.
“Each year we receive so many wonderful stories,” said Nancy Maldonado, PBS Reno Vice President of Education. “This year’s theme of “Someday” attracted even more writers than in previous years. The 3,206 entries submitted meant we needed to add more judges to read through the many creative, fun stories. One judge commented, “It was difficult this year. These contestants were all so creative.” Thank you to our young authors, teachers, and parents for making the annual PBS Reno Writers Contest so much fun!”
The PBS Reno 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, Allegra Printing of Reno, Western Nevada Supply, Rotary Club of Reno, and Sara and Leonard Lafrance.
About PBS Reno
As of November 2024, PBS Reno is enjoyed by more than 540,000 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.
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 Curiosity Classroom 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.
Contact us:
Membership Questions: membership@pbsreno.org
Programming Hotline: programming@pbsreno.org
Phone: 775.600.0555
Address: 1670 N. Virginia St. • Reno NV 89503