Youngstown State University English Festival

Youngstown State University English Festival Each year, Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, sponsors the YSU English Festival.

An annual 3-day program that promotes and cultivates reading and writing, reaching out to about 2,500 students in Northeastern Ohio and Northwestern Pennsylvania. This is a unique annual program reaching out to approximately 3,000 junior and senior high school students from Mahoning, Trumbull, and Columbiana counties in Ohio, and Mercer and Lawrence counties in Pennsylvania, their teachers and parents, area librarians, and other members of the community who are interested in promoting and cultivating reading and writing. Though the English Festival occurs in the spring, its effects are felt throughout the year. Each fall nearly 200 middle and high schools in the greater Youngstown area receive invitations to bring students to the YSU English Festival. To attend, students must read seven books, and teachers monitor their reading progress throughout the year. As the Festival approaches, several hundred students will write essays for the Candace Gay Memorial Essay Contest. Others will prepare original artwork for the Festival Art Contest. Thousands of students will read the seven books for their age group. Meanwhile, the teachers prepare for their jobs as writing judges or session leaders. The week before the Festival, over 200 teachers, parents, and librarians will come to campus to receive final Festival materials and to be trained in holistic and analytic trait methods for assessing writing (used to judge students’ writing efforts) or to be oriented to their jobs as session leaders or monitors, and then Festival week will begin. The YSU English Festival is so large that it takes three days to complete. Separate groups of nearly 1,000 students (10th–12th graders on one day, 7th–9th graders on two others) attend on each day, filling every available room in the University’s student center and several campus auditoriums. They will listen to a noted author or authors of some of the books they have read, write impromptu essays, collaborate on workshop activities, attend dramatic or artistic performances, participate in “insight” book discussions, and try their skills at language games and “not-so-trivial pursuit” competitions.

Here is the 2027 YSU English Festival Booklist. Happy Reading! * More information to come *
08/25/2026

Here is the 2027 YSU English Festival Booklist. Happy Reading!
* More information to come *

https://ncte.org/awards/student-writing-awards/achievement-awards-in-writing/?utm_source=National+Council+of+Teachers+of...
07/22/2026

https://ncte.org/awards/student-writing-awards/achievement-awards-in-writing/?utm_source=National+Council+of+Teachers+of+English&utm_campaign=00051d0d0b-Inbox_NM_LF_07_22_2026&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-3f940cc6cc-2016220 "Purpose
To encourage high school sophomores and juniors to write and to publicly recognize the best student writing."

The prompt is live. The application is open. It's time to nominate students for the 2022 Achievement Awards in Writing! The deadline to apply is February 21, 2022.

https://ncte.org/awards/student-writing-awards/promising-young-writers/?utm_source=National+Council+of+Teachers+of+Engli...
07/22/2026

https://ncte.org/awards/student-writing-awards/promising-young-writers/?utm_source=National+Council+of+Teachers+of+English&utm_campaign=00051d0d0b-Inbox_NM_LF_07_22_2026&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-3f940cc6cc-2016220 "Purpose
To stimulate and recognize the writing talents of eighth-grade students and to emphasize the importance of writing skills among eighth-grade students."

The Promising Young Writers Program works to stimulate and recognize the writing talents of eighth-grade students and to emphasize the importance of writing skills among eighth-grade students. For additional information contact [email protected].

Read along with the committee this summer as we prepare for the 49th English Festival in 2027.
07/14/2026

Read along with the committee this summer as we prepare for the 49th English Festival in 2027.

https://ncte.org/awards/2026-national-writing-award-usa-at-250 From the NCTE newsletter:NCTE and the National Humanities...
06/29/2026

https://ncte.org/awards/2026-national-writing-award-usa-at-250

From the NCTE newsletter:

NCTE and the National Humanities Alliance, with support from The Teagle Foundation, invite students to participate in The Next Draft, a writing contest celebrating language and literature’s role in shaping our understanding of the past and future of the United States.

Students in grades 9–12 who are enrolled in a US-based school may enter the contest by responding to one of two prompts, opting to submit a written Literary Reflection or a Multimodal Creation. Winners will receive up to $1,000 each.

Prompt One: Literary Reflection
Identify an existing literary work and describe how it has shaped your understanding of our country. How does this work enrich your understanding about our shared past, present, or future in the United States? What does this work inspire you to consider for the future of the United States?

Prompt Two: Multimodal Creation
Create an original multimodal work (e.g., photo or video essay, digital story, etc.) that celebrates what the United States means to you and/or inspires you to share about future possibilities for the United States.

The contest deadline is September 30. Entries must be submitted by an educator or guardian.

06/10/2026

https://writetheworld.org/competitions Write the World's free monthly competitions for teen writers (ages 13-19) offer opportunities to explore a variety of exciting genres, from poetry, fantasy, and flash fiction to environmental writing and journalism. Young writers of all levels are welcome to join our vibrant community and share their work with peers from around the globe who are eager to read their words.

Write the World

05/11/2026

https://ysu.edu/news/ysu-department-art-offers-summer-art-camp-teens

Summer Art Camp June 22–26, 2026, welcoming students ages 13–18 for a week of studio instruction, creative exploration and professional feedback on the YSU campus. Registration and payment are due by June 5, 2026.

The Youngstown State University Department of Art will host its annual Summer Art Camp June 22–26, 2026, welcoming students ages 13–18 for a week of studio instruction, creative exploration and professional feedback on the YSU campus. Registration and payment are due by June 5, 2026.

https://yopass.org/know-before-you-go/ Looking for some fun this summer? Collect badges by visiting Youngstown area muse...
05/07/2026

https://yopass.org/know-before-you-go/ Looking for some fun this summer? Collect badges by visiting Youngstown area museums.

Know Before You Go Before exploring, make sure the site you’re visiting is open. Details about parking and other important information to help you plan your adventure can be found here. Downtown Destinations SMARTS(Students Motivated by the Arts) Click here to visit their websiteAddress: 25 E Boar...

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Youngstown State University
Youngstown, OH
44555

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