KIDS & FAMILY | PBS KIDS GO! WRITERS CONTEST

PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest 2012Writers Contest

Children in kindergarten through third grade are invited to submit their originally written and illustrated stories in the PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest.

The local contest, sponsored by the Educational Communications Board and Wisconsin Public Television (WPT), gives youngsters an opportunity to expand their creative skills in the areas of storytelling, writing and drawing.

Prizes are awarded in each grade level for achievement in writing and illustration, and all local first-place winners will be sent to the national competition. Every child who submits a story for judging will receive a certificate of participation.

Local winners will be honored at an awards ceremony Saturday, May 5 at the Sun Prairie Public Library. Winners will be notified two weeks before the awards ceremony.

Entries are due by Friday, March 23, 2012.

Please read the rules below and fill out this entry form and submit it with your entry.

Please submit entries to:

Bethany Schumacher
Wisconsin Public Television
975 Observatory Dr
Madison, WI 53706-1321

Questions?
Contact Bethany Schumacher at bethany.schumacher@wpt.org or by calling (608) 265-5035


Check out winning stories from past years!


Learn more about the national PBS Kids GO! Writers Contest to find resources such as the Writing Guide for parents and teachers.


PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest Rules

The PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest is produced by PBS. The Contest begins on or about January 16, 2012 and ends with the announcement of national winners on or about July 13, 2012. Contact your local PBS station for exact local Contest dates. These contest rules are subject to modification by PBS. This promotion is void where prohibited.


Eligibility & Entry Guidelines

Entrants must be in kindergarten, first, second or third grade.
Children of employees of PBS, PBS stations or their affiliates, sales representatives, subsidiaries or parent companies, advertising/sales promotion agencies, and judges are not eligible.
To be eligible, an entrant must be a legal resident of the United States. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify ineligible entries; such entries will not be returned.
Only one entry per person will be accepted; all subsequent entries will be disqualified.
Only single author stories qualify (no co-authored stories).
Stories can be fact or fiction, and prose or poetry.
Any failure to adhere to these Contest Rules may result in disqualification from the contest.
No purchase is necessary.


Word Count

Kindergarten and first grade stories must have a minimum of 50 words and a maximum of 200 words.
Second and third grade stories must have a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 350 words.
The word count includes “a,” “an,” and “the,” but not the words on non-story pages such as the title page or those that enhance the illustrations.
Text must be printed or written legibly or typed.
Children who cannot write may dictate their story to be printed, written legibly or typed.
Text may be integrated into the illustration pages or on separate pages.
Non-English text must be translated on the same page and the translation text must adhere to word count.
Invented spelling is accepted.


Format & Illustrations

Stories must have at least 5 original, clear and colorful illustrations.
Original art can include drawings, collages, and 3-D created by the author or photographs taken by the author.
Stories submitted by mail must be created on one side of the paper and numbered on the back of each page.


Official Entry Form

Each entry must include the official PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest Entry Form, with the required signature of a parent/guardian (and, if appropriate, the optional signature of the sponsoring teacher), confirming that the story and art are original, and granting certain rights to the entry materials.
The entry form must be complete and legible.


National Judging, Awards & Notification

Entries will be judged on originality, creative expression, storytelling and integration of text and illustrations. The sponsoring PBS station will judge local submissions and send its first place winners to the national Contest. All decisions of the judges are final and not subject to appeal or review. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received. National winners will be notified in June 2012. Each national winner’s story will be posted on the Contest Web site at pbskids.org/writerscontest in summer 2012. National prizes include tablet computers for 4 first place winners (~$500), e-readers (~$150) for 4 second place winners, and MP3 players (~$100) for 4 third place winners. PBS reserves the right to substitute any prize for a prize of equal or greater value, at the sole discretion of PBS. Prize recipients must allow a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks from notification to delivery. Prizes are non-transferable.


Return of Entries

The Contest administrators will make every effort, but are not required, to return mailed entries only if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope of an appropriate size. PBS, and or its affiliates, are not responsible for late, lost, stolen, misdirected, damaged, mutilated, incomplete or illegible entries, or postage-due mail.


Rights Associated with Contest

Submission of the Entry Form constitutes permission for PBS to use the participants’ name, likeness, biographical information, information and materials contained in the Entry Form, photographs, and any statements or remarks made about the Contest in advertising and promotion without further compensation or permission, except where prohibited by law. All entries, and any copyrights therein, become the sole property of PBS. By entering, entrants agree to abide by the above stated rules, and warrant that their entry is their original work and does not infringe upon or violate rights of any third party, and grant to PBS the right to edit, publish, promote, and otherwise use their entry materials without permission, notice or compensation. No royalties will be paid at this or any time.

By submitting an entry and Entry Form, each participant (and parent or guardian) assigns all right, title, and interest in and to the entry and Entry Form to PBS and warrants that the participant (and parent or guardian) have the authority to assign such right, title, and interest. In the event that any applicable law requires certain formalities to be fulfilled to effectuate such grant of rights, each participant (and parent or guardian) agrees to cooperate with PBS to achieve fulfillment of such formalities.

By submitting an Entry Form, each participant (and parent or guardian) agree to be bound by these Contest Rules. Each participant (and parent or guardian) agrees to release and hold PBS, and its employees, officers, directors, shareholders, agents, representatives, subsidiaries, parent companies, or other affiliated companies harmless from any and all damages, losses, claims and liabilities arising out of participation in the Contest or resulting from acceptance or claiming of any prize hereunder. PBS reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to terminate, suspend or otherwise cancel the Contest at any time. Income and all other taxes are the responsibility of the prize recipient. PBS is not responsible for any expenses incurred in connection with participation in the Contest.

Sponsor: PBS (2100 Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA 22202).


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