Deadline for poetry, prose contest is March 30

PHOTO: English literature students Kathryn Nightingale and Kate Richards are among those organizing a poetry and prose contest for middle and high school students across Maine. (Submitted photo)

WATERVILLE – Maine middle school and high school students can win prizes for their writing in the Thomas College Lunder School Poetry and Prose contest, which takes place this month.
The contest is open to students in fifth to 12 grade with four categories fifth- sixth, seventh-eighth, ninth-10th, 11th-12th. The top prize for each category is $100 and second place $25. Both prose and poetry are accepted, with a maximum of 10 pages for prose and three pages for poetry.
Submissions are due by March 30 and can be submitted online by clicking here.
The contest is being organized by Thomas College Education professor Katie Rybakova’s 21st Century’s Literature class.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for fifth to 12th-graders in Maine– they have the possibility of earning some money, but more importantly, they get a chance to get real feedback from college students at Thomas regardless of whether or not they win an award,” Rybakova said.
Two student organizers, Kathryn Nightingale and Kate Richards, are part of the class of Thomas College students who are putting together this contest.
“As a preservice teacher, I am excited to have the opportunity engage with fifth to 12th-graders across the state, as I have helped plan the writing contest and will review the entries,” Nightingale said.
Richards added, “This contest is a great way to let students share their creative ideas and show off their talents while getting feedback from Thomas College students. This will help us build connections throughout the education community.”
For more information, please contact Dr. Rybakova at katie.rybakova@thomas.edu.