NCTE offers two exciting opportunities for NEHS student members to have their writing recognized nationally: The Next Draft and the Achievement Awards in Writing. These awards provide an excellent opportunity for NEHS student members to develop their voices, experiment with different forms, and receive national recognition for their work.
The Next Draft
The Next Draft invites student members to consider how language and literature have shaped, and can continue to shape, the United States during its 250th anniversary. The contest is open to students in grades 9 – 12 throughout the 2026 – 27 school year who attend schools in the United States, US territories, or American schools abroad.
Students must be nominated by an educator; self-nominations are not accepted.
The contest includes two prompts, including a literary analysis option and an opportunity to create an original multimodal work.
Each prompt offers a $1,000 top prize and two $500 second prizes.
Entries are open June 29 – October 31, 2026, with winners announced in December.
Learn more about The Next Draft
Achievement Awards in Writing
The Achievement Awards in Writing encourage high school sophomores and juniors to write and publicly recognize the best student writing. Students are nominated by their school’s English department based on whether they demonstrate the power to inform and move an audience through language.
Sophomores and juniors in the current academic school year are eligible. Entries are accepted only from educators; self-nominations are not accepted. Eligible schools include those in the United States, US territories, Canada, and American Schools Abroad. Nominating schools must be US accredited.
Students submit writing based on the annual prompt developed by the Achievement Awards Advisory Committee. The themed writing may be up to 10 pages, and the student’s name must appear in the upper left-hand corner of every page. Students are encouraged to respond to the prompt in whatever form feels most authentic to them. Submissions might include personal narratives, collections of poetry, screenplays, photo essays, and other forms of creative and expressive writing.
Entries open October 20, 2026, and close February 15, 2027.
Find out more about the Achievement Awards in Writing
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