Since 1982, the Connecticut Writing Project at UConn has worked to improve writing instruction in Connecticut's schools. To that end, the CWP sponsors several opportunities for teachers to engage in quality professional development and for both teachers and K-12 students to publish their writing. Below are several forms for applying to some of these opportunities, including the Summer Institute, Connecticut Student Writers, and Letters About Literature. Click the icon above to visit our website, or email us at cwp@uconn.edu.
The Connecticut Student Writers Contest
The Connecticut Writing Project (CWP) sponsors Connecticut Student Writers (CSW), a magazine established in 1987 by the CWP to honor excellence in writing by students from kindergarten through high school. The highlight of the publication process is the Student Recognition Night, a celebration hosted by the CWP at UConn.
The contest, magazine, and CSW Recognition Night provide students with an opportunity to be published and for some students to present their work before a live audience. Through the CSW pages, Connecticut students recognize the importance of writing in their lives. For some, writing for others offers the stepping stone for further literary endeavors.
Annually, over 1,500 students from across Connecticut submit entries vividly demonstrating their passion for the craft of writing. From this large pool of poetry, essays, stories, and drama, submissions in Poetry, Prose Fiction, Prose Non-Fiction, and Art are chosen to be published or honored from each grade level.
Borrowing from the national Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, we are issuing awards in the categories of Platinum (which means it will be published in the magazine), Gold, Silver, and Honorable Mention. In general, six written works and 2-3 works of art are published per grade level. Depending on the volume of submissions, hundreds of students will receive some form of recognition short of publication (Gold, Silver, or Honorable Mention).
Thirteen writers, one per grade level, will be chosen to read their winning entries, and all writers who receive awards, featured artists, and their teachers will be honored with certificates. Copies of the magazine will be available in electronic format as a PDF that can be downloaded from the CWP Website.
Please note that all communication will be between the Connecticut Writing Project and whomever submits the student work. If a teacher submits the work, all emails will go to him or her. If a parent submits the work, all emails will go to him or her. If a student submits his or her own work, all emails will go to him or her. If you are the one hitting the submit button, it is your responsibility to communicate with others. Student school emails generally do not allow communication from outside the school, so older students making their own submissions are advised to use a personal email.
Please DO NOT make multiple submissions of any work. If you are unsure if you have submitted work correctly, email us at cwp@uconn.edu and ask us to check.
Please do not mail in any submissions. We do not have the human capacity to handle mailed in submissions. Word docs are preferred, but with art, JPGs and PDFs are fine. If you are concerned about child online safety, our procedures have been vetted and approved by the University's Office of Compliance to be in compliance with all relevant state and federal laws. If your school district will not allow teachers to create a digital footprint for students, please have parents make the submissions themselves.
Students will not receive feedback on their writing. Student submissions will not be returned.
Pending funding, the CSW Student Recognition Night will take place at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on the UConn-Storrs campus in the spring of 2026. We will post more information in Submittable and on the CWP website (https://cwp.uconn.edu/) as soon as it becomes available.
On behalf of the dedicated volunteer teachers from all over the state who serve on the Selection Committee and who read through the thousands of entries we receive every year, we proudly present this year's Connecticut Student Writers magazine.