CWC Mt. Diablo Branch is proud to partner with the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers once again for the PY2026 contest.
The national Scholastic Art & Writing Awards opened in September 2025 and Judging will commence on December 17, 2025.
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is a national contest that was started in 1923.
Regional Awards: All entries are first considered regionally for Gold Key, Silver Key, Honorable Mention, American Voices Nominee, and American Visions Nominee awards. These are presented to students along with celebration ceremonies and exhibitions in each region.
National Awards: Gold Key-awarded entries are automatically considered for national awards, including Gold Medal, Silver Medal, and scholarship awards.
National Ceremony: National Medalists and their educators are honored with a star-studded ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Judging Categories (Writing Only):
- Poetry Collections
- Critical Essay
- Science Fiction and Fantasy
- Personal Essay and Memoir
- Flash Fiction
- Novel Writing
- Humor
- Writing Portfolio
- Short Story
- Dramatic Script
- Journalism
CWC Mt. Diablo PY2026 Judges/Jurors (to be updated):
- Quynh-Uyen Trinh, Chair
- Al Garrotto
- David George
- Dore Ripley
- Barry Hampshire
- Fran Cain (Wotj)
- AnneMarie Gouveia
- Brian Shea
- Linda Harttman
- Jill Hedgecock
- Ken Kerkhoff
- Lucinda Jackson
- Mary Ann Turner
- Senait Abraha
- Richard Black
- Suzy Orpin
- Michael Barrington
- Lori Armstrong
- Phyllis Wachob
- Marlene Dotterer
PY2026 Dates to Remember:
- Nov. 5 – 3 PM EST – Juror Training
- Nov. 12 – 3 PM EST – Juror Training
- Dec. 08: Juror Invitations emailed to Activate/Setup Juror Account
- Dec. 15: CWC Juror Notices emailed with instructions for judging and a new rubric guide
- Dec. 17: Judging period BEGINS
- Jan. 4: CWC Mt. Diablo Judging period ENDS at MIDNIGHT Sunday night
- Jan. 5-6: Chair to close out Judging period for Mt. Diablo Branch Scholastic Awards
- Jan. 7: Chair to submit final judgments to the Alliance/Scholastic
- Jan. 12: CWC Mt. Diablo Debrief – highlights, pros & cons
BECOME A JUROR: If you would like to be a Judge/Juror for the CWC Mt. Diablo Branch, contact this year’s contest Chair, Quynh at NQQ.TRINH@gmail.com no later than Dec. 1st, 2025.
