Check out the winners of the 2015 WQED Kids Writers Contest

Earlier this year, over 900 children from Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New Jersey submitted original stories to the WQED Kids Writers Contest.

Hosted by WQED in partnership with WLVT, WITF, WVPB and the EQT Foundation, this annual competition invites children in kindergarten through third grade to submit original stories—prose or poetry—for judging by a team of local experts. Contestants are also asked to include five original illustrations, such as drawings, collages, three-dimensional pieces or photographs.

Winners are then chosen based on the quality of both the writing and the illustrations with special emphasis placed on originality, creativity, story structure and use of literacy devices.

The 2015 WQED Kid’s Writers Contest ran from January 6 to March 31 and winners were announced last month. The creative talent of these young children is remarkable and we are proud to share the submissions of the first place winners—all from the Pittsburgh area—below:

Kindergarden Winner—Brock M. of Amos K. Hutchinson Elementary in Greensburg

1st Grade Winner—Mason S. of St. Louise de Marillac Catholic School, Upper St. Clair

2nd Grade Winner—Elly S. of South Fayette Elementary School, Bridgeville

3rd Grade Winner—Beatrice K. of St. Edmund’s Academy, Pittsburgh

These first place winners have automatically been entered into the national PBS KIDS Writers Contest, where a panel of some of America’s foremost children’s authors, illustrators, producers and media creators serve as judges. The national winning submissions will be announced this summer.

The winners’ stories, narrated by them, will be broadcast nightly on iQKidsRadio from 8 to 10 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday nights and 9 to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. They will also be featured on Saturday Light Brigade Radio throughout summer 2015.