Evenings
Do you remember those September evenings we spent together in the playground?
The shiny rock we put in our pockets and the ugly little rocks that got lodged in our heels.
Young Writers Project
The Daily Read
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the man the sea forgot.
I saw the waves
crash over the sand
where you once sat.Your ashes sink
into the waters
you once sailed.Others desecrate
the land
you once found holy. -
New Forest
In the forest of all things new,
Our mother says there is no food
The rabbits are gone,
The squirrels are too,
All that's left are the big brown bears,
All comfortable in their dens
Gallery
Challenges
Visual Art
Deadline
Desert
Imagine a desert. Draw, paint, or use any other visual arts medium to make an image of this desert.
Writing
Deadline
Valentine's Day
Valentine’s Day celebrates love––any kind of love. Think about all the people you love and the different kinds of love in your life. Friends, family, pets, etc. Write an ode to them to celebrate the love you all have for one another.
Writing
Deadline
Shoes
Shoes carry us everywhere we go, through everything we experience, even shaping our feet as we grow. Write a short story from the shoes’ perspective or an ode to your shoes.
Visual Art
Deadline
Winter 2026 Art Contest
With your artist's eye, observe, interpret, and create. Choose a subject — an everyday object, a person, a landscape — and give yourself time and space to study it. Use the medium of your choice to convey the subject the way you uniquely see it.
Writing
Walk for Peace
Share your thoughts about the Buddhist monks who walked from Texas to Washington — 2,300 miles over 108 days — to raise awareness about peace and compassion.
Writing
America?
The fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents on the streets of Minneapolis have induced fury, disbelief, sadness, and an overwhelming sense of betrayal. This isn't America. Is it? Share your thoughts.
News & Events
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'Mountains of Strength'
Thank you to everyone who donated so generously to our Annual Appeal, and for the messages of support and encouragement for the YWP community, such as this one: "We're sending you mountains of strength and abundant appreciation for everything!"
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Tomorrow Project: January 2026 Award
Congratulations to Goldenrose, the January 2026 award winner in YWP's monthly Tomorrow Project contest!
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2026 Vermont Youth Poet Laureate
Vermont writers: You could become the 2026 Vermont Youth Poet Laureate!
