During a pandemic, where do you give birth? Also, we’ll have the story of a family that cultivated an heirloom tomato in West Virginia. It took a lot of work. And, a musical tradition brought people together — even when they couldn’t gather in person.
The Writers Contest is an annual tradition for WVPB. This year there were a record number of entries submitted, from students in kindergarten through fifth grade. There was an incredible range of entries from both in-state and out-of-state, entries from entire schools, from homeschoolers, from library and afterschool programs and from our PBS Kids who learned of the contest and wanted to write a story.
It is always exciting to read the stories and marvel at the orignial artwork. We are pleased to be able to share these stories with you.
The Writers Contest provides an opportunity to showcase student works, it also provides an educational laboratory opportunity for students in Marshall University’s Education program to examine and evaluate student work, the education majors serve as judges. The experience provides them real experience of working with a rubric and to see a wide cross section of student work. Marshall Professor Mindy Backus has integrated this event into her class assignments.
We hope you enjoy looking at the fiction and non-fiction stories. The adventures of people and the adventures of animals. To those who submitted stories we thank you and hope youkeep on writing.
West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 Reader’s Choice Awards for this year’s PBS KIDS Writers Contest. Every year, WVPB picks a select number of stories out of all the submissions to win the Reader’s Choice Awards. Those stories are either animated or adapted into live action shorts.
Rebecca Walters, an English teacher at Fairmont Senior High School in Marion County, earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s May 2025 Above and Beyond Award, which honors the excellence and creativity of Mountain State teachers.
Shannon Silverman, an astrophysicist at the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences in Charleston, West Virginia, guides us through the cosmos above the Mountain State.
Ashley Clark, a music teacher at Williamstown Middle/High School in Wood County, earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s April 2025 Above and Beyond Award, which honors the excellence and creativity of Mountain State teachers.