Congratulations 2026 Hudson-to-Housatonic Scholastic Writing Awards recipients!

View the full list of works recognized in the 2026 Hudson-to-Housatonic Writing Region of the Scholastic Writing Awards below!

A panel of professional novelists, editors, teachers, poets, librarians, journalists, and other literary professionals selected these works from 2,586 works submitted this year.

• 327 Honorable Mentions awarded to promising works
• 212 Silver Keys awarded to distinguished works
• 103 Gold Keys awarded to the most accomplished works
• 4 American Voice Nominees selected as the strongest regional works

Gold Keys are automatically forwarded for consideration at the national level of the Scholastic Writing Awards.

To recognize their outstanding work, this year's Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mention recipients are invited, along with their guests, teachers, and our esteemed jurors, to the 2026 Awards Ceremony for the Hudson-to-Housatonic Region of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards!

• Date: Sunday, March 8th, 2026
• Time: 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM ET
• Place: The Barbara Walters Campus Center at Sarah Lawrence College, 1 Mead Way, Bronxville, NY 10708
• RSVP form link

American Voices Nominees

• Joshua Greenbarg of Irvington High School, for Boca Brag and Schmear (Personal Essay & Memoir)
• Suzuran Draper of Greens Farms Academy, for Cape May, A Different Year (Poetry)
• Lindsay Miao of Hotchkiss School, for Lessons from Iraq: Why U.S. Regime Change in Venezuela Would Repeat Past Failures (Critical Essay)
• Emma Yeon of Bronxville High School, for The Craters (Poetry)
• Emma Yeon of Bronxville High School, for The Unicorn (Personal Essay & Memoir)
  

The Tricia Baldes Prizes

Sponsored by local author Joe Wallace

Tricia Baldes, a beloved 8th-grade teacher at Somers (NY) Middle School, inspired countless young people to tell their stories bravely, honestly, and with a true love of the craft of writing. Given in her memory, these special prizes celebrate middle schoolers who demonstrated exemplary skill and promise in their Scholastic entries, and also (as Tricia always did) seek to encourage all young people to keep writing.

• Miranda Cameron, Greens Farms Academy: "Vergiftigd Paars" (Personal Essay & Memoir)
• Tiffany Chainam, New Paltz Middle School: "Tongues of Two Worlds" (Poem)
• Benny Harkey, Greens Farms Academy: "Watch Her" (Poem)
• Xi Huang, School name TK: "The Unexpected Trip" (Flash Fiction)
• Hollis Koch, Sacred Heart Greenwich: "My Five Memories" (Personal Essay & Memoir)
• Henry Marzullo, New Paltz Middle School: "The Goblin and the Witch's Hat" (Speculative Fiction)
• Brielle Moon, Rumsey School: "Scaredy-cat" (Personal Essay & Memoir)
• Selima Ortiz, Rippowam Cisqua School-Upper: "I'm Still Here" (Poem)
• Camille Reid, New Paltz Middle School: "An Ocean" (Short Story)

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We are also hosting a free 3-hour Submissions Party on Sunday, April 26! This will be a time to connect with other young writers, learn how to identify and submit to literary magazines and writing contests, and receive guidance from published authors on revising and submitting your work.

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