Virginia Young Writers

The more you write, the better you get.
- - Ellen Levine

Local Councils can apply for a $500 grant to be used to promote writing in their local area. Applications for the grant must be submitted by December 15.

Download the Writing Project Grant

Alice Herrin, Virginia Young Writers Chair

Planning a Writer's Conference or Celebration

Web Resources

Children's Writers in Virginia

2008 Virginia Young Writers Grant Awards

The 2008 winner of the $500.00 Young Writers Grant is the Portsmouth Reading Council, accepting the award is Robin Meents.

One hundred ten third grade students will participate in creating a book integrating the Standards of Learning. The students will use the process of creating, writing, and illustrating a book. The students will write stories, letters, simple explanations, and short reports across all content areas.

Special Grant Award Winners are: Hampton Reading Council, Karen Jackson - $50.00 Award, Isle of Wight Reading Council, Jennifer Smith - $50.00 Award, Newport News Reading Council, Sherry Edbauer- $50.00 Award and Roanoke Valley Reading Council, Donna Osborne - $50.00 Award.

Congratulations to all the winners.

2007 Virginia Young Writers Award Winners

Shenandoah Valley Reading Council, Mark Hogan, is the proud winner of the Virginia Young Writers $500.00 Grant Award. Special Grant Award Winners are: John Tyler Elementary School, Vera Short, $75.00 Award; Churchland Primary & Intermediate School, Betty Sherrill, $75.00 Award; and Portsmouth Reading Council, Amaoge Okoye, $50.00 Award.

Shenandoah Valley Reading CouncilThis trainer-of-trainers staff development will focus on the development of thoughtful literacy environments within grades three through five. Participants, from eight school divisions within the Shenandoah Valley Reading Council, will be trained in skills and strategies to develop thoughtful literacy environments that focus on writing as an extension of critical thinking. The participants of this project will become trainers within their own schools.

Congratulations to all the 2007 winners.

Winner of the 2006 Virginia Young Writers Award

Twelve students from each of thirty-five elementary schools in Norfolk are selected to display and share their writing with their peers, parents, teachers, building and district administrators, as well as members of the community. Students will be exposed to various genres and encouraged to write in a genre of their choice. Jerald L. Hoover, author of My Friend, My Hero and He Was My Hero Too, will be invited to share some of his work and to give students insight into the life of an author and his motivation for writing. Since Mr. Hoover has school and familial ties to the Norfolk and Hampton Roads area, his message will have a momentous affect on Norfolk Public Schools students. Norfolk Reading Council’s Teacher of the Year will read the book that inspired her as a writer and have small groups of students read their books to her.

Congratulations to Norfolk Reading Council and Celeste Jones is the proud winner of the VSRA Writing Project Grant in the amount of $500.00.