Arkansas PBS announced winners of the 2022 Arkansas PBS KIDS Writers Contest. Students in grades K-3 submitted 93 entries for this year’s contest, including one 2nd-grader in Benton who won first place in his grade.
In addition to being published to the Arkansas PBS website, these young authors will have the opportunity to read their stories for special segments during “Rise and Shine,” a six-week summer learning broadcast series produced by Arkansas PBS and the Arkansas Department of Education beginning July 6th.
Entries were judged on originality, creative expression, storytelling and integration of text and illustrations. Each winner will receive an Arkansas PBS prize pack. In addition, first place winners will receive a PBS KIDS Playtime Pad, which comes preloaded with educational games, music and videos.
The winners this year include:
Kindergarten
- 1st place – Faith Ford of Luxora for “Love Makes Everything Better”
- 2nd place – Harper Porter of Bentonville for “The Baby Who Ate Trees”
- 3rd place – Penelope Posadas of Rogers for “Once Upon a Dino Birthday Surprise”
First grade
- 1st place – Abigail Wharton of Conway for “The Playful Pony and the Swimming Swordfish”
- 2nd place (tie) – Sadie Montgomery of Rison for “The Lonely Giant” & Emerson Gitz of Batesville for “Peppa and Emmy’s Big Adventure”
- 3rd place – Beau Corley of Malvern for “The Blue Tornado and the Aliens”
Second grade
- 1st place -Elijah Smith of Benton for “The Droid 8E8 and the Giant Space Worm”
- 2nd place – Henley Ritchie of Mountain Home for “The Girl Who Loves Books”
- 3rd place – Bennett Yochum of Rogers for “The Camping Buds”
Third grade
- First place – Isabella Posadas of Rogers for “Lying Lizzy”
- 2nd place – Charlotte Granderson of Fayetteville for “Sammy Salamander”
- 3rd place (tie) – Gunner Duck of Omaha for “Ninja Puppy in China” and David Archer McKnight of Sherwood for “The Badger and the Telekinetic Kangaroo”
All 14 winning stories are available to read online at myarpbs.org/writerscontest.
The Arkansas PBS KIDS Writers Contest is designed to promote the advancement of children’s literacy skills through hands-on, active learning. The contest empowers children in kindergarten through third grades to celebrate creativity and build literacy skills by writing and illustrating their own stories.
Support for the Arkansas PBS KIDS Writers Contest is provided by the June Hoes Williams Endowment.
PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online, mobile and community-based programs. Kidscreen- and Webby-award winning pbskids.org provides engaging interactive content, including the PBS KIDS video player, now offering free streaming video accessible on computer and mobile-device-based browsers.
Arkansas PBS, Arkansas’s only statewide public media network, empowers learners of all ages by educating, informing, entertaining and inspiring communities. Arkansas PBS serves as a daily and essential resource for Arkansans by creating, sharing, celebrating and driving conversation around Arkansas stories and classic, trusted PBS programs through multiple digital platforms, including livestreaming at myarpbs.org/watchlive, on-demand services and YouTube TV, and the distinct channels Arkansas PBS, Arkansas PBS Create, Arkansas PBS KIDS, Arkansas PBS WORLD and Arkansas PBS AIRS on SAP. Members with Arkansas PBS Passport have extended on-demand access to a rich library of public television programming. Arkansas PBS depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering quality programming. Additional information is available at myarkansaspbs.org. Arkansas PBS is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro), KETZ (El Dorado) and KETS (Lee Mountain).