What are the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards?

• The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards recognize student achievement in the visual and literary arts in 29 categories, including painting, novel writing, mixed media, poetry, digital art, journalism, and more.

• Since the program’s founding in 1923, the Awards have fostered the creativity and talent of millions of students, including renowned alumni who have gone on to become leaders in their fields such as Ken Burns, Derek Fordjour, José Parlá, Kay WalkingStick, Sylvia Plath, Andy Warhol, Charles White, Amanda Gorman, Tschabalala Self, Joyce Carol Oates, and Tracy Reese. 

• A Scholastic Award signifies to parents, teachers, the community, and colleges that a student is an accomplished artist or writer.

• The Awards offer opportunities for creative teens to earn recognition, exhibition, publication and scholarships.

• In the 2025 program year, 16 high school seniors received the Gold Medal Portfolio Award, which includes a $12,500 scholarship. 

• Each work of art and writing is anonymously adjudicated without knowledge of the student's biographical information, such as gender, age, ethnicity, and school. Works are first judged locally through the more than 100 affiliates of the Alliance. Top works are then judged nationally by panels of judges comprised of renowned artists, authors, educators and industry experts. 

• Works are judged on originality, technical skill, and emergence of a personal voice or vision. 

• To learn more about the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and to read the full rules, visit: https://www.artandwriting.org/awards/how-to-enter/

What is the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers?

• The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers is the national nonprofit organization that presents the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and provides additional opportunities for creative teens to be recognized for their talents and to earn scholarships for their education.

• The Alliance’s mission is to identify teenagers with exceptional artistic and literary talent and bring their remarkable work to a national audience.

• The Alliance also serves as a source of information for organizations and individuals who wish to support the creative development of our nation’s teenagers.

Gold Portfolios, Art

Jack Adams, Birmingham, AL 

Luke Haring, Lexington, OH 

Joyce Kim, Suwanee, GA 

Zoey Kim, Kensington, MD 

Jaden Poole, Fleming Island, FL 

Naisha Simon, Miami, FL 

Sea Sombar, Pittsburgh, PA 

Graham Zeppernick, Mount Pleasant, SC 

Gold Portfolios, Writing 

Niamh Carmichael, North Charleston, SC 

Tika Gill, Harrison City, PA 

Ananya Kharat, Downers Grove, IL 

Isabella Lyons, Chesterfield, VA 

Adelaide Sendlenski, Brooklyn, NY 

Karmiah Smith, West Palm Beach, FL 

Kurn Sundaram, San Jose, CA 

Annabelle Taghinia, Newtonville, MA 

The Alliance and its regional Affiliates exhibit select works in museums, galleries, and arts institutions across the country, including the New York City regional exhibition, hosted by The Metropolitan Museum of Art; the annual National Exhibition; and our nationwide traveling exhibition. 

What is the National Student Poets Program?

• The National Student Poets Program (NSPP) is the highest and most prestigious honor for teen poets presenting original work. NSPP was created in 2011 to support the country's youth poetry ambassador program. Every year, the Alliance selects five extraordinary poets from a pool of Poetry winners in the Scholastic Awards. These National Student Poets receive $5,000 in scholarships and perform poetry-based community service projects across the country for one year. Since the program’s founding, 65 young poetry leaders have served their local, regional, and national communities and left a lasting cultural imprint. 

• Video: What is the National Student Poets Program?

• Information on the Program, students and upcoming events can be found at www.artandwriting.org/programs/national-student-poets-program/