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Winners announced in AETN PBS KIDS Writers Contest

Posted 01 May 2014

The Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN) has announced winners of the AETN PBS KIDS Writers Contest. AETN received more than 200 entries from students across Arkansas for this year's contest, and all 12 winning stories can be viewed at aetn.org/writerscontest.

Arkansas winners include:

• Kindergarten - first place, Talia Augustine of Conway for "The Three Friends;" second place Kylie Woodworth of Harrison for "Baby Choking;" and third place, Tyler McMahen of Harrison for "Baby Goats - Too Big!"
• First grade - First place, Kall'el Houston of Little Rock for "Super Circle Saves Shapeville;" second place, Kolby Stoner of Rogers for "How my Dad Works;" and third place, Jacquelyn Cuellar of Nashville for "The Day at the Circus."
• Second grade - First place, Hailey Emerson of Mena for "Bird and Worm;" second place, Jameel Wesley II of Maumelle for "James Learns the Game;" and third place, Michael McLean of Booneville for "The Best Story You Ever Read Because it's Written by Me."
• Third grade - First place, Mabel Wise of Rogers for "Cloudy and the Busy Street;" second place, Kaleb Young of Batesville for "The Adventures of Captain Cross;" and third place, Patrick Gentry of Hensley for "Norman."

All first place Arkansas winners have been entered in the national PBS KIDS Writers Contest where they will compete against other state winners from across the country. National winners will be announced in July. Entries were judged on originality, creative expression, storytelling and integration of text and illustrations.

Building on the success of the 15-year Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest, the PBS KIDS Writers Contest was launched in 2011 in an effort to continue to encourage young children in kindergarten through third grades across the country to illustrate and write their own stories.

The local-national contest is designed to promote the advancement of children's reading skills through hands-on, active learning. AETN is pleased to congratulate the Arkansas winners and share PBS KIDS' commitment to opening up worlds of words for all young children across the state and the nation.

The PBS KIDS Writers Contest is produced by PBS and based on the Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest, a concept developed by WNED-TV, Buffalo. National sponsors include LeapFrog and Highlights for Children. More information on participating local stations, general entry rules and contest resources can be found on pbskids.org/writerscontest.

PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online, mobile and community-based programs. Kidscreen- and Webby-award winning pbskids.org provides engaging interactive content, including the PBS KIDS video player, now offering free streaming video accessible on computer- and mobile-device-based browsers.

The Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN) is Arkansas's statewide public television network that enhances lives by providing lifelong learning opportunities for people from all walks of life. AETN delivers local, award-winning productions and classic, trusted PBS programs aimed at sharing Arkansas and the world with viewers. AETN depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering quality programming. For more information, visit aetn.org, or follow the AETN blog at aetn.org/engage. AETN is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro), and KETZ (El Dorado).