Western Reserve Public Media Invites Children to Enter Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest

Children in grades K-3 are invited to submit their original stories for judging

Encourage your children to put their creative minds in motion! Western Reserve Public Media invites children to discover the fun and power of imagination by entering the 14th Annual Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest. The contest encourages children in four grade levels — kindergarten, first, second and third grades — to submit their original stories and illustrations to Western Reserve Public Media for local prizes and a chance to compete at the national level.

To obtain an entry packet, parents, teachers and students can call Western Reserve Public Media at (330) 677-4549 or 1-800-554-4549. Entry forms and other contest information can also be downloaded from the Western Reserve Public Media Web site at www.WesternReservePublicMedia.org. Follow the Reading Rainbow Contest links. Entry packets also are available in local libraries. Contest entries must be postmarked by Saturday, March 15, 2008.

Western Reserve Public Media will name a grand-prize, second-place and third-place winner in each of the four grade levels. Local winners will be announced on Saturday, April 15 at 11:30 a.m. at the following locations: Summit Mall in Akron as part of the Western Reserve Public Media/Summit Mall Family Expo and Fellows Riverside Gardens at Mill Creek Metroparks as part of the Youngstown Area Book Fair. Western Reserve Public Media will also announce winners on air on Monday, April 7, preceding and following the 10 a.m. broadcast of Reading Rainbow. Winners will be notified by phone, mail or e-mail as well.

A panel of Western Reserve Public Media staff members, local children’s librarians and teachers will judge the entries based on originality, creative expression, storytelling and integration of text and illustrations. The grand-prize submissions in each category will be entered into the National Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators competitions. All entrants will receive a Reading Rainbow Certificate of Achievement signed by the show’s host, LeVar Burton.

Local Prizes
Each grand-prize winner will receive a DVD player and a Reading Rainbow backpack and DVD. Local winners of second place will receive a set of art supplies and a Reading Rainbow backpack and DVD. Third-place winners will receive a Borders Books and Music Gift Card and a Reading Rainbow backpack and DVD. Honorable mentions will receive a Reading Rainbow backpack and DVD.

National Prizes
Western Reserve Public Media’s grand-prize winners in each category will be entered in the national Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators competitions. National contest winners will be announced in June 2008. The national grand-prize winner in each grade level will receive a laptop computer.

 

About Reading Rainbow
Reading Rainbow, the Emmy Award-winning PBS children’s series starring LeVar Burton, takes viewers on unforgettable learning adventures to nurture a lifelong love of reading. Western Reserve Public Media airs the show weekdays at 10 a.m.

About Western Reserve Public Media
Western Reserve Public Media is owned and operated by Northeastern Educational Television of Ohio, Inc., a private, nonprofit corporation. A trusted community resource, Western Reserve Public Media uses the power of noncommercial television and related services to enrich the lives of people through high-quality programming and educational services that teach, illuminate and inspire. For more information about Western Reserve Public Media, visit www.WesternReservePublicMedia.org or call 1-800-854-4549.