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Winners announced in Arkansas PBS KIDS Writers Contest

Posted 28 May 2020

CONWAY, Ark. (Arkansas PBS) — Arkansas PBS has announced winners of the 2020 Arkansas PBS KIDS Writers Contest. Students in grades K-3 across Arkansas submitted 145 entries for this year’s contest, and all 12 winning stories can be viewed at myarkansaspbs.org/writerscontest. Winners will also be featured reading their original stories beginning Thursday, June 4, at 2 p.m. and each following Thursday throughout the summer at facebook.com/arkansaspbs, youtube.com/arkansaspbs and myarkansaspbs.org/writerscontest.

To keep students creating, writing and illustrating throughout the summer, Arkansas PBS LearningMedia offers a collection of online resources for parents and educators that demonstrate the elements of story writing to students. Resources can be found at myarkansaspbs.pbslearningmedia.org.

Winners include:

• Kindergarten – First place, Ellie Rodriguez of Cabot for “The Magic of a Swing”; second place, Emma Morgan of Conway for “Army Army”; and third place, Madison Collingsworth of Van Buren for “Emmalee and the Magic Jewel.”
• First grade – First place, Cooper Henderson of Sheridan for “Dogs Save the World”; second place, Gunner Duck of Omaha for “Ninja Puppy and the Donut Avalanche”; and third place, Kailey Wright of Centerton for “The Abandoned House in the Woods.”
• Second grade – First place, Savannah Ali of Cabot for “A Pumpkin, A Lake, A Hill, A Splash”; second place, Caroline Kay of Rogers for “A Problem with Litter”; and third place, Jaelle Dennis of Siloam Springs for “Rescue Team.”
• Third grade – First place, Drew Mabry of Mena for “Amazing Andrew – The Wheels Fall Off”; second place, Hadley Landers of Cave City for “Panda P.I.”; and third place, Maggie Sims of Conway for “Dragon Big and Strong.”

Entries were judged on originality, creative expression, storytelling and integration of text and illustrations. Each winner will receive an Arkansas PBS prize pack. In addition, first place winners will receive a PBS KIDS Playtime Pad, which comes preloaded with educational games, music and videos.

The Arkansas PBS KIDS Writers Contest is designed to promote the advancement of children’s literacy skills through hands-on, active learning. The contest empowers children in kindergarten through third grades to celebrate creativity and build literacy skills by writing and illustrating their own stories.

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.

Arkansas PBS is Arkansas’s only statewide public media network, which enhances lives by providing lifelong learning opportunities for people from all walks of life. Arkansas PBS delivers daily, essential, local, award-winning productions and classic, trusted PBS programs aimed at sharing Arkansas and the world with viewers through multiple digital platforms, including on-demand services and YouTube TV, and the distinct channels Arkansas PBS, Arkansas PBS Create, Arkansas PBS KIDS, Arkansas PBS WORLD and Arkansas PBS AIRS on SAP. Members with Arkansas PBS Passport have extended on-demand access to a rich library of public television programming. Arkansas PBS depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering quality programming. Additional information is available at myarkansaspbs.org. Arkansas PBS is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro) and KETZ (El Dorado).