Welcome to the new Awards year!

As of September 12, 2019, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are open for submissions! 2019 was a banner year for RAL in the Scholastic Awards. We are so proud of all the RAL artists and writers who bravely chose to share their work with the Awards. All students who submit to the Awards, regardless of whether or not they received an award, achieved a remarkable accomplishment by completing their piece and choosing to share it with the world.

Before we start preparing for the 2020 Awards, let’s take a moment of reflection, and celebrate a few of our many spectacular RAL artists and writers recognized through the 2019 Awards. Then, keep reading for important updates and pro-tips for submitting to the 2020 Awards!

Brandy Gonzalez, Southeast Art RAL, 2019 Painting Gold Medalist

Brandy was featured in the September 2019 issue of Scholastic Art Magazine! Check out the full piece on Brandy to hear from the artist herself. To see more from Scholastic Art Magazine, check out their website here.

Jonathan Olivares Paramo, West Art RAL, 2019 Art Portfolio Gold Medalist

Jonathan received a National Gold Medal and a $10,000 scholarship for his art portfolio, Vida Mexicana. Through Jonathan’s photo series, he captures the lives of his neighbors in Vista, and of daily life in Tijuana, reflecting Mexican culture. See Jonathan’s full portfolio in the Scholastic Awards online gallery.

Taylor Fang, West Writing RAL, Class of 2019 National Student Poet

Taylor received a Gold Medal in 2019 for her poem Homeland, and went on to apply for the Class of 2019 National Student Poets Program. In July of 2019, Taylor was inducted as a National Student Poet alongside four of her peers. She serves as literary ambassador for the West region for the coming year. See more of Taylor’s poetry here.

Julie Dawkins, Southwest Writing RAL, Class of 2019 National Student Poet

After receiving a Gold Key in RAL, Julie went on to receive a Gold Medal in the 2019 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for her poetry collection, Aviophobia, In My Neighborhood Wal-Mart, God is Your Mother Who Creates Miniatures. Like Taylor, Julie is now serving as the Southwest regional literary ambassador as a member of the Class of 2019 National Student Poets Program. See more of Julie’s poetry here.

Now that we’ve relived some greatest hits of 2019, it’s time to look ahead and get ready for the 2020 Awards!

First things first: what’s new?

• The deadline! Region-at-Large submissions for Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, West, and International regions are due on Tuesday, December 3, 2019 at 11:59 PM EST. Midwest Region-at-Large submissions are due Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 11:59 PM EST. Do not wait until the last minute! Log onto your dashboard today to get started. For students and educators who may not be in Region-at-Large for art or writing, please note that you may have a different deadline in your other region. Check the My Regional Program links in your dashboard for deadline and submission information in your region(s).
• RAL has gone digital! We’re saving paper (and stamp money) this year by moving to completely digital submissions! All submission forms, payments, and fee waivers submitted to RAL must be completed digitally via the student or educator dashboard. Mailed-in submission forms, fee waiver forms, and cash or check payments will not be accepted. The only exception to this policy is for educators covering the submission fees of multiple students. These educators may mail in a single check for the cost of their fees. Click here for more information on mailing a bulk payment check for Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, West, and International RAL programs. Only checks submitted with the required information will be accepted. Checks must arrive in the mail by Tuesday, December 3, 2019 to be considered eligible.
• The submission fee is now $7 for an individual submission, and $25 for a portfolio submission. Students for whom the submission fee poses a barrier to participation are invited and encouraged to complete a fee waiver form in place of the submission fee payment. All fee waiver forms must be submitted by digital upload through the student account.
• American Voices & Visions Awards are now available through Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West RAL programs! Five Gold Key works of art and writing from each of the above RAL regions, from across all categories and grades, will be nominated to receive the highest regional honor, the American Voices & Visions Medal. The Medal, a national award, will be awarded to one artist and writer from each region. All submissions in Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West RAL will be considered for this honor.
• National Awards & Scholarship Opportunities: The Scholastic Awards offer additional opportunities for recognition and scholarship through special, sponsored achievement awards. One of these awards, the New York Life Award, offers $1,000 scholarships to six national medalists whose original art or writing explores personal grief, loss, and bereavement. New this year, the New York Life Award will also offer special awards to students from Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, and New Mexico. Learn more about the New York Life Award, and other special achievement awards, on artandwriting.org before completing your submission.

Why should I submit?

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards offer opportunities for recognition, publication, exhibition, and scholarships for creative teenagers around the country, and the world! Throughout this Awards year, you’ll meet some of the amazing organizations and individuals responsible for reading, viewing, and judging each and every piece of work submitted to the Awards. Imagine your short story in the hands of a published author from California! Or the painting you’ve painstakingly and lovingly prepared on display to the public at Parsons School of Design, in Greenwich Village in New York City!

Need more inspiration? Don’t take our word for it! Hear from a couple of our Awards alumni about why they participated in the Awards, and how the Awards impacted their creative futures.

This is SO LONG, I simply cannot. What should I remember about the 2020 Awards?!

1. Visit artandwriting.org to log in or create your student or educator account.
2. Check your deadlines and regional submission information by logging into your account and visiting the My Regional Program links. All RAL submissions (except Midwest RAL!) are due by 11:59 PM EST on Tuesday, December 3, 2019 (but you may not be in RAL for both art and writing, so be sure to check your account!).
3. Follow the instructions in your account to complete your submission.
4. Do not mail us anything! We don’t want it, and we won’t look at it.*

*Educators paying for the submissions of multiple students may mail in a single check covering the cost of all submissions. Checks must be mailed with a complete list of students whose submissions are covered by the check, as their names appear on their submission form. Submission forms for these students must still be submitted via digital upload. In order for payment to be accepted, follow the specified mailing instructions listed here.

I want to submit! What next?

Visit artandwriting.org to create your account and get started. We can’t wait to see what teen artists and writers are creating this year! Have additional questions? Review our RAL FAQ to prepare for the submission process.

Want to know whose reviewing your work and what they’re looking for? Keep an eye on the blog! Beginning this month, the RAL blog will feature posts written by our illustrious RAL adjudication partners. Learn about the judges behind the scoring process, the vibrant literary and visual art communities surrounding these judges, and hear what they’re looking for in the 2020 Awards!