The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. It has an impressive legacy dating back to 1923, when Scholastic Founder Robbie Robinson started the program as a way to honor the creative achievement of high school students.
Some things have changed with the Awards over the years, but a few things have not. First is freedom of expression. The Scholastic Awards places no limitations on content and places a high priority on work that challenges boundaries and can communicate new and interesting ideas; students are free to pursue any idea or topic in their art and writing. Blind adjudication has also been a core tenet of the awards since day one. Work is evaluated on its own merits, with jurors having no information on the identity of the young artist or writer. And lastly, the three criteria used to select work: originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.
As a local affiliate, the MN Writing Region facilitates the participation of all writing submissions from the entire state. This year, that included 665 submissions—all of which are read and scored by three different readers—and a team of 44 volunteer judges. Awards at the regional level include Gold Key (top 7%), Silver Key (top 8–10%), and Honorable Mention (top 11–15%). Five Gold Key winners are then selected as the American Voices nominees, which is the top regional award. All Gold Key pieces are automatically submitted to the national level which uses the same awarding system.
MCTE is proud of the accomplishments of the young writers in our state. We are excited to present a selection of works awarded Gold Keys in the 2024 MN Writing Region of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
*All authors of pieces awarded Gold Keys were invited to submit their work for publication.
CRITICAL ESSAY
- Biting the Apple: a Look Into Figurative Language and The Dismissive Nature of Misogyny by Helen Maher | Breck School
- Examining the Effect of Free Will on Utopian and Dystopian Worlds by Boone Tutterow | The Blake School, Minneapolis
- The Effect of Abuse on Perception by M. A. Sostek | Breck School, Golden Valley
- The Immorality of the Death Penalty by Emilia Malet Harvey | Minnetonka High School, Minnetonka
- Who Are You: Discovering One’s Identity in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Binti by Abigail Hudson | Minnetonka High School
FLASH FICTION
- Friendly Family Feud by Alyssa Wang | East Ridge High School, Woodbury
- Golden Toy by Isaiah Jacob | The Blake School, Hopkins
- I want to tell her I will see her tomorrow, by Caroline Zhang | East Ridge High School, Woodbury (American Voices Nominee)
- If Only by Isabella Valdesolo | Blake School, Hopkins MN
- The Harbor by Leighton Matney | Blake School – Hopkins, MN
JOURNALISM
- What Did You Learn In School Today?: Addressing a Broken Education System in the US by Lexi Aryeequaye | Rosemount High School, Rosemount MN
NOVEL WRITING
- Hemlock Steeped in Gold by Keira Davies | Minnetonka High School, Minnetonka
PERSONAL ESSAY & MEMOIR
- Draw by Siri Wilkes | Mounds View High School, Arden Hills
- Nature Is Our Home by Hope Fletcher | Anoka High School
- On the Bus Ride by Talia Loes | Benilde-St. Margarets, Minneapolis
- The Flame of Shabbat by Phoenix Flamenbaum | Breck School
- Where is Spring by Faith Zhao | The Blake School, Minneapolis
POETRY
- All Boys Die In Spring by Gabriella Sofia Olson | Carondelet Catholic School, Minneapolis (American Voices Nominee)
- Bathsheba knelt at her bath by Kaylee Davis | PiM Arts High School, Eden Prairie.
- Because She’s a Girl by Annika Strand | St. Michael-Albertville High School, St. Michael
- Compass by Grace Loonan | Visitation School, Mendota Heights
- dad, what is happening? by Meryl Rosenberger | the Blake School, Minneapolis
- Ghost Chains by Gabriella Sofia Olson | Carondelet Catholic School, Minneapolis
- My Family’s Hands by Evangeline Johnson | Lakeville North High School, Lakeville
- My Promise by Evangeline Johnson | Lakeville North High School, Lakeville
- of terra firma by Nadyne Sattar | Mounds View High School, Arden Hills (American Voices Nominee)
- Our Language by Rhea Farhan | The Blake School, Minneapolis
- safety pins counting stories by Meryl Rosenberger | the Blake School, Minneapolis (American Voices Nominee)
- symptoms (of the human condition) by Nadyne Sattar | Mounds View High School, Arden Hills
- The First Line of Every Note In a 16-Year-Old Girl’s Notes App by Marylove Ogunro | Breck School, Golden Valley
- The Ghost by Peyton VeDepo | Rosemount High School, Rosemount
- The Moon and Me by Lila Coval | Kennedy Senior High School, Bloomington
- unearthliness by Nadyne Sattar | Mounds View High School, Arden Hills
- Wingtips by Adelaide Miller | Perpich Center for Arts Education, Golden Valley
PORTFOLIO
- Selections from “Change Through the Eyes of a Change Adversary” by Liesl McCallum | Minnetonka High School, Minnetonka
- From Hater to Belieber (Personal Essay & Memoir)
- New Couch Smell (Personal Essay & Memoir)
SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY
- I am Not Insane by Eliana Auerbach | Eden Prairie High School, Eden Prairie
SHORT STORY
- O, Mother by M. A. Sostek | Breck School, Golden Valley
- Sunday by Rowan Hilden | Perpich Arts Highschool, Golden Valley
- The Little House by Eliana Auerbach | Eden Prairie High School, Eden Prairie (American Voices Nominee)
- The Sky is Crying (can’t you see?) by Talia Loes | Benilde-St. Margarets, St. Louis Park
- to where the Light takes us by Alvin Liu | The Blake School – Northrop Campus, Minneapolis
- You Are Going to Die by Maitreya Reeder | St. Anthony Village High School, St. Anthony Village
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