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A new young adult novel titled "The Secret Astronomers" captures a slice of life in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. This debut novel by author Jessica Walter tells the story of a friendship between two high school students as they unravel a decades-old mystery. Inside Appalachia host Mason Adams spoke with Walker before the book was released a few months ago.
Winners have been notified and have received their awards by mail. Their full stories will be published on our Education page in the coming days and all first-place stories will be featured in WVPB’s Education Newsletter. Please, stay tuned and go here to sign up to get the newsletter!
Kelly Griffith is the Education Director for WVPB. “It’s an honor to highlight the talent of our young writers in West Virginia,” Griffith said. “This contest provides an opportunity to showcase their creativity, imagination and beautiful artwork. We are thrilled to continue our tradition of encouraging children to build literacy skills by supporting our local schools and teachers.”
First-place winners in Grades K-5 will be given the opportunity to record their stories, and one special winner will have his or her story animated by one of our talented television producers!
Here are all of our winners:
The first-place winners in Kindergarten through Fifth Grade in the 2020 PBS Kids Writers Contest presented by WVPB.
Winners in our 2020 PBS Kids Writers Contest presented by WVPB.
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On this West Virginia Week, the state budget is headed to Gov. Patrick Morrisey, a statewide public camping ban bill moves forward, and Inside Appalachia visits Good Hot Fish.
Shane Healy, a social studies teacher at Capital High School in Kanawha County, earned WVPB’s December 2025 Above and Beyond Award. As part of the recognition, Healy received a monetary award and a signature Blenko Glass apple paperweight. The West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office, presenter of the SMART529 college savings program, proudly sponsors the award.
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.
Stephanie Fryer, a special education teacher at South Man Elementary in Logan County, earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s November 2025 Above and Beyond Award. Fryer is known for creating a nurturing and inclusive classroom environment where every child feels valued and supported. She works persistently to meet students’ academic, social and emotional needs.