The Promising Young Writers Program was established to stimulate and recognize students’ writing talents and to emphasize the importance of writing skills among eighthgrade students. Students currently in the eighth grade who are nominated by their schools may participate in the program. Schools in the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Canada, as well as American schools abroad and the Virgin Islands, are eligible to nominate. The number of nominees from each school is determined by the eighth-grade average daily enrollment with one nominee per 100 students. Each state is allowed one winner for each member in the House of Representatives in the U.S. Congress. This is the twenty-first year for the program.
This year, 656 students were nominated. Of that number, 221 received Certificates of Recogniton and 435 received Certificates of Participation. Each student submitted two pieces of writing, which were read by teams of teachers at the state level. Papers were judged on content, purpose, audience, tone, word choice, organization, development, and style. Students who submit papers receive either a Certificate of Recognition or a Certificate of Participation to recognize their efforts.
The National Council of Teachers of English and the Promising Young Writers Advisory Committee expresses its appreciation to all who took part in the 2006 Promising Young Writers Program, which the National Association of Secondary School Principals has placed on its advisory list of national contests for 2005–2006. The National Association of Secondary School Principals has placed this program on its NASSP National Advisory List of Student Contests and Activities for 2005–2006.
The 2006 Impromptu Writing Prompt was as follows:
Everyone has an opinion about growing up. Write about what it means to be an adult and how you feel about becoming one.
Click on the links below to see results for each state.
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