Deadline Approaches for Local Kids Story Contest

Carbondale, IL - Hey, kids! Don't let the first few days of spring distract you from creating your own stories and entering them in WSIU Public Broadcasting's PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest. Sponsored regionally by Cedarhurst Center for the Arts in Mt. Vernon and My Favorite Toys at University Mall in Carbondale, the contest invites children in kindergarten through the third grade to write and illustrate their own stories.

Although it's not too late to submit entries, the clock is ticking, so now is the time for children to enter their stories. Entries must be postmarked no later than March 24 and should be mailed to: WSIU TV PBS Kids Go! Writers Contest, 910 S. Forest, SIUC Mailcode 6527, Carbondale, IL 62901. Entry forms and contest rules are available online at wsiu.org/writerscontest or call (618) 453-4344.

Judges will choose a first place winner and honorable mention for each grade level at the local level. First place winning stories will advance to the national contest, where they will compete for prizes such as laptops, digital cameras, and MP3 players.

WSIU-TV will announce the names of local honorees on the air and will post their stories online at www.wsiu.org. Local honorees also will be invited to an awards ceremony at Cedarhurst Center for the Arts this spring, where their work will be featured in a public exhibit. First place winners will be invited to record their stories to be broadcast on WSIU Radio later this spring or early summer. Other stories also will be chosen for a special exhibit at My Favorite Toys at the University Mall this summer. All children who enter the contest will receive a special Certificate of Achievement.

The PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest is a national-local contest designed to promote the advancement of children's reading skills through hands-on, active learning. It extends the powerful tradition and success of the 15-year national "Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest," which was discontinued after the Reading Rainbow series ceased production. Produced by WNED-TV Buffalo/Toronto and PBS, the Contest is part of PBS KIDS Raising Readers, a national initiative that uses the power of public media to build the reading skills of young children, with an emphasis on children from at-risk families.

WSIU is one of 20 stations across the nation participating in the PBS KIDS Raising Readers initiative at the local level.

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