SCHOLASTIC WRITING AWARDS ANNOUNCED

Writopia Lab, in partnership with the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and Manhattanville College, held the 2017 Scholastic Writing Awards Ceremony for the H2H Writing Region last weekend. The ceremony, to celebrate the creative excellence of writers in grades seven through 12 took place March 5 at the Reid

Room of Manhattanville’s O’Byrne Chapel. More than 300 recognized student works submitted from September 15 to December 15, 2016 were honored. Ellie Rostan, an eighth-grader at Nyack Middle School, won the Village Bookstore of Pleasantville, NY’s middle school prize for Flash Fiction. Her recognized

piece, “As I Watch and Smell,” was also awarded a Gold Key, and will be considered for a national medal.  Another notable Rockland County writer is Riley Levine, whose poetry has won two Gold Keys, two Silver Keys, and an Honorable Mention. Both Ellie and Riley are dedicated participants in creative writing workshops at Writopia Lab.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards are the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades 7 through 12. Former honorees include Truman Capote, Sylvia Plath, and Joyce Carol Oates. Manhattanville College’s Creative Writing MFA students and faculty have been instrumental in adjudicating the awards this year.

Writopia Lab is a national nonprofit focused on fostering joy, literacy, and critical thinking through creative writing. Among their 18 sites nationwide, they have four labs across Fairfield, Westchester, and Rockland counties. This is Writopia Lab’s fifth year of administering the Awards for the Hudson-to-Housatonic Writing Region.