Imagine this… Story Writing Contest

Meet Academic Content Standards for California schools through this creative writing contest!

Create a positive learning experience that promotes reading, writing and the arts, and furthers the understanding of agriculture in our lives by using this award-winning contest in your classroom.

Published Author!

State-winning authors will have their stories published in an illustrated book and will be distributed to school libraries and classrooms across the state!

Deadline: Nov. 1

Entries must be postmarked by November 1, annually.
Download entry form (PDF, 542 KB)

Ceremony

Watch the recent ceremony (March 24, 2010) that was broadcast live and view photos.

View photos from previous years:
2008
2007

Entry Details

• Select and submit up to five stories from each classroom
• Each story must have an entry form attached
• Individual grade categories: grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8
• Stories must be written by one student author; no group entries allowed
• Stories exceeding 750 words will not be selected as state winners
• Stories should not be similar in theme to winning entries from previous years' contests

Awards

Regional Level
Two stories from each grade level in each of the four regions will be chosen for regional recognition and awarded

• Plaques
• Children's literature book about agriculture
• Teacher resources

State Level
One story from each grade level will be chosen as the state winner for the contest and awarded

• Medals
• $100 savings bond
• Teacher resources worth $100
• Expense-paid trip to Sacramento for student, teacher and two parents/guardians for an Awards Ceremony during National Agriculture Week

Winning stories must be

• Titled and original, creative student work
• Fact or fiction
• Appropriate for classroom use
• Grammatically correct
• Related to California agriculture in a positive way
• Typed, preferably, or neatly handwritten
• Written without reference to registered trademarks
• Suitable for illustration (imagine your story published in a book!)