Tag: Writers Contest

Winners Announced For The 2025 PBS KIDS Writers Contest At WVPB

The winners of the 2025 PBS KIDS Writers Contest at West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) have been announced. Eighteen stories written and illustrated by children in grades K-5 were chosen out of close to 120 entries from across the state.

[CHARLESTON, WV ]— The winners of the 2025 PBS KIDS Writers Contest at West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) have been announced. Eighteen stories written and illustrated by children in grades K-5 were chosen out of close to 120 entries from across the state.

“We are so impressed with every one of the submissions we received,” said WVPB Director of Education, Autumn Meadows. “The creativity of the stories and illustrations from the youngest to the oldest is very entertaining and imaginative. We thank all of the teachers, caregivers, and children for their time and effort to make sure these stories had an opportunity to be told and shared!”

A celebration for the winners will be held in Charleston on June 14 with special speakers and West Virginia authors, Ashley Belote and Adeline Boggs. Check wvpublic.org soon to see this year’s winning stories and select animations.

Thank you to West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute for sponsoring the 2025 PBS KIDS Writing Contest.

The PBS KIDS Writers Contest at WVPB is an annual competition that encourages West Virginia children in grades K-5 to explore the power of creativity by writing and illustrating their own stories.

For questions, please email WVPB Education at education@wvpublic.org.

See below for our 2025 winners:

2025 Writers Contest Winners

Kindergarten

1st place: “Haymes the Knight” by Caelum Groves

2nd place: “Lazy Fruits” by Cole McAvoy

3rd place: “Beau Finds a Family” by Luca Cassiadoro

1st Grade

1st place: “Cabby’s Great Adventure” by Hazel Hagler

2nd place: “The Best Boy” by Bowen Groves

3rd place: “The Family Vacation” by Maggie Stackhouse

2nd grade

1st place: “A Hungry Little Donkey Travels the World” by Helina Goodwin

2nd place: “Ms. Pickle Toes” by Rowan Bailey

3rd place: “Toto and His Friends” by Zean-Ying Eugene Thong

3rd grade

1st place: “Ella and the Typewriter” by Avonlea Cooper

2nd place: “The Absence of Life” by Isaiah David Umbel

3rd place: “Total Solar Eclipse” by Francesca Briar Shangler

4th grade

1st place: “The Adventure at The Eastern Blue River” by Ryman Dennison

2nd place: “Duckbilled” by Jonah Neil

3rd place: “We Have a Problem: How NASA (Accidently) Launched the First Cat into Space” by Elise Silber

5th grade

1st place: “Pickle Pete 2: A Curious Quest” by Lilly Stubbs

2nd place: “Marble Run” by Theresa ‘Reese’ McGowan

3rd place: “Nora and Ultima vs. The Ice Witch” by Emma Gladwell

About West Virginia Public Broadcasting:

The mission of West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) is to educate, inform, and inspire people by telling West Virginia’s story. WVPB is an indispensable resource for education, news and public affairs, emergency services and economic development. Learn more at http://www.wvpublic.org or find us on Facebook and Instagram.

WVPB Production Team Receives Three Anthem Awards

WVPB announced they have received three awards in the 3rd Annual Anthem Awards. This year’s Anthem Award Winners were selected from a pool of over 2,000 submissions from 44 countries by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS).

CHARLESTON, WV: WVPB announced they have received three awards in the 3rd Annual Anthem Awards. This year’s Anthem Award Winners were selected from a pool of over 2,000 submissions from 44 countries by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS).

Congratulations to our staff:

  • Read for the Record is the Bronze Anthem Winner in Education or Literacy Platform
  • West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Annual Writers Contest is the Silver Anthem Winner in Education or Literacy Program or Platform
  • Communities in Schools: Friends with Paws is the Bronze Anthem Winner in Film, Video, Television or Show

WVPB Director of Production Chris Barnhart says the team is honored to be recognized for another national level award. “It’s always special when the award is the product of multiple departments working together,” said Barnhart. “The award-winning shows were collaborations between the education, newsroom, digital and production teams.”  

Launched in 2021 by The Webby Awards, the Anthem Awards honors the purpose and mission-driven work of people, companies, and organizations worldwide. By amplifying the voices that spark global change, we’re defining a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires others to act in their own communities.

The Anthem Awards honors work across seven core causes: Diversity; Equity & Inclusion; Education; Art & Culture; Health; Human & Civil Rights; Humanitarian Action & Services; Responsible Technology; and Sustainability, Environment & Climate.

Anthem judges are intellectually diverse leaders from across the impact industry with expertise that spans across the Anthem cause areas.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting Announces PBS Kids Writers Contest Winners

West Virginia Public Broadcasting announced the winners of the 2023 PBS Kids Writers Contest at an awards ceremony Saturday, May 6 at the West Virginia Culture Center and State Museum.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting announced the winners of the 2023 PBS Kids Writers Contest at an awards ceremony Saturday, May 6 at the West Virginia Culture Center and State Museum. The event opened with interactive performances by Tony Music and Joey Stepp Magic. Additional entertainment was provided by WV authors Ashley Belote, author of Frankenslime and The Me Tree, and Diane Tarantini, author of The Brave Knight.

WVPB Education Director Maggie Holley encouraged all West Virginia students to stay creative.

“I am always in awe when I read the children’s stories,” Holley said. “There is so much talent here in West Virginia. I hope this event shows the kids that if they want to be an author or illustrator, that dream is within their grasp.”

Congratulations to our 2023 PBS Writers Contest Winners:

Kindergarten
First Place, Elias Cooper; Second Place, Grayson Walton; Third Place, Lena Martinez

1st Grade
First Place, Avonlea Cooper; Second Place, Franesca Shangler; Third Place, Arianna Thornhill

2nd Grade
First Place, Lilianna Quinn Shaw Lawson; Second Place, Elise Silber; Third Place, Aubree Miles

3rd Grade
First Place, Carly Osburn; Second Place, Isaiah Fitts; Third Place, Sophia Lacocque

4th Grade
First Place, Boone Schneeberger; Second Place, Rylee Erdlitz; Third Place, Lucille Rice

5th Grade
First Place, Colton Baisden; Second Place, Rhys Clum; Third Place, Lily Gard

(Photos: Boone Schneeberger (left) and Sophia Lacocque (right) were chosen to work with the WVPB production team to animate their stories.) 

Students in kindergarten through fifth grade were invited to submit stories with illustrations with the goal to encourage creativity and build literacy. Student teachers from Marshall University partnered with West Virginia Public Broadcasting to judge the entries.

Thank you to the West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute for sponsoring the 2023 WVPB PBS Kids Writers Contest. They work across our state and nationwide to build awareness and promote medication safety for children.

Check out the 2023 stories here.

'Warning: This Book Is Going To Be Funny!' – WVPB Animates Young Artist's Story

Charles Shelton III  won first place winner in the kindergarten division of WVPB’s 2020 Writers Contest with his story “The Funny Things In This Book”.  WVPB Videographer Daniel Walker recently animated the story, using the Charles’s drawings and voice. We think it turned out great!

His father said Charles, a homeschooled student from Kanawha County, was full of pride and joy sharing his book with us. Charles says he wanted to write a funny book that kids would enjoy reading, and he has some advice for aspiring young writers – stay calm, take your time, and think of funny things.

Congratulations, Charles, and thanks for participating!

WVPB hosts the Writer’s Contest for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Each year we are fortunate to read hundreds of original, illustrated stories.  For the past few years we have posted the winning stories on our website. 

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