Hundreds of students from the greater Chattanooga area submitted their original works of prose and poetry to the competition in December. Members of the UT-Chattanooga English Department judged the entries on creativity, content and style.
The program has grown exponentially since it started in 1999 as an outreach program of the AEC Conference on Southern Literature. An astonishing 4,000 students from the greater Chattanooga area entered the 2010 contest, up from 500 entries in 1999. Because of the increased participation, the awards ceremony is broken up into two separate events for elementary winners and middle and high school winners.
“The AEC's Young Southern Student Writers program works with teachers to encourage students in the literary arts, in addition to helping inspire students to read and write,” explains AEC Executive Director Susan Robinson. “The program continues to play an integral part in the AEC's purpose of providing innovative, artistic experiences for the enrichment of the community.”
As part of each awards ceremony, noted speakers deliver an inspirational message about the importance of reading and writing in both school and in everyday life. This year’s speakers areAllied Arts’ Executive Director Dan Bowers and Sybil Baker, a local author and UT-Chattanooga English professor. Past keynote speakers have included Newbery Medal winner E.L. Konigsburg, Senator Bob Corker, Chattanooga authors Suzette Francis and Earl Braggs, Hamilton County School Superintendent Dr. Jim Scales and Councilwoman Sally Robinson.
Program chairperson Dr. Verbie Prevost, Head of the UT-Chattanooga English Department, credits teachers for the program’s success and popularity.
“It is the commitment of Chattanooga area teachers that has made the Young Southern Student Writers program so successful,” said Dr. Prevost. “These teachers want to find ways to encourage their students to write, and they want their good writers to receive recognition.”
The program also allows students to find their writing “niche” and make connections between their own writing processes and that of a real author. Like published authors, students must first select the most appropriate work for the competition. Then, with help from their language arts teachers, they go through the revision process, editing several drafts before submitting the final piece. AEC even designed the medals to resemble the official medals worn by the prestigious Fellowship of Southern Writers.
“Being recognized and rewarded for their hard work allows students to see themselves as a real author,” says Dr. Prevost. “It is our hope that this encouragement inspires the students to pursue becoming even better writers.”
The deadline for the 2011 Young Southern Student Writers contest will be set for mid-December. The complete contest rules and entry guidelines are online. For more information about the Young Southern Student Writers or other education enrichment opportunities, call 423-267-1218.
