The Young Writer's Award was established in 1995 by the Arkansas Elementary School Council. The purpose of the award is to encourage and acknowledge young, creative writers across Arkansas.
Fourth, fifth, and sixth graders submit fiction or nonfiction stories or poetry for judging at the local level. Qualifying entries are forwarded to the educational cooperatives and then the state level for further review and judging. The same scoring rubric is used at each level of review.
The winners of the Young Writer's Award are honored at the "Celebration of Young Readers and Writers," held each September.
A scoring rubric and award guidelines are available from the Arkansas Department of Education.