100 Years of Talent

One day in 1923, a young man named Maurice R. Robinson was visiting a school. As he looked at walls decorated with trophies celebrating the school’s athletic victories, he noticed something was missing. Robinson wondered why creative students weren’t recognized in the same way, and he realized it was a problem he could solve.

Just three years after he founded the publishing company Scholastic, Robinson created the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. In the 100 years since, this prestigious program has recognized countless middle and high school students across the United States for their talent and creativity in art and writing. Since 1923, the Awards have grown. That first year, students submitted approximately 300 entries. This year more than 100,000 students submitted more than 300,000 works. Here’s to another century of celebrating creative teens!

• Judging: The jurors don’t know the student’s age, gender, ethnicity, or hometown when they review the submissions.
• Winning Combination: Jurors consider three criteria when reviewing each work: originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal vision or voice.
• Who’s Who of Jurors: Notable jurors have included Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, Judy Blume, David Sedaris, Lesley Stahl, Wangechi Mutu, and Kiki Smith.