This blog post was written by Program Coordinator Emily Yost.
For over a decade, Girls Write Now and the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers have partnered to increase opportunities for the next generation of women writers through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. This year, Girls Write Now rounded up from our mentees a total of 229 submissions!
Among the 300,000 New York City regional submissions judged by panelists throughout the literary arts community, only 10-15% of student works are awarded Honorable Mentions, 7-10% Silver Keys, and 5-7% Gold Keys. We are excited to announce that Girls Write Now mentees from both the Writing & Mentoring Program and the Digital Media Mentoring Program earned a total of 45 awards, including Gold Keys, Silver Keys, and Honorable Mentions.
Out of all the Gold Key award winners in New York City, the Scholastic judges select five American Voice Nominees as the “Best in Show” to represent the region on a national level. Our very own mentee, Romaissaa Benzizoune, wrote two of those.
We are very proud of all our mentees and equally thankful to their mentors for guiding them through the creative process. All of the winning Gold and Silver Key winners have been invited to attend the Regional Ceremony at Tishman Auditorium at The New School on Sunday, March 31. Gold Key winners move forward to be considered for National Writing Awards, which are announced March. Stay tuned!