Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 announced on April 23 the winners of its annual Young Authors Contest, recognizing students from kindergarten through eighth grade for their creative writing achievements.
The contest is an independent and voluntary project that encourages students interested in writing and publishing to share their work with others. This year, more than 200 students submitted stories, either individually or collaboratively. The selection process narrowed the field to one author per grade level from each school building, before a final district winner was chosen for each grade.
According to the district announcement, this year’s submissions showcased a wide range of themes and settings, including stories set in Park Ridge as well as alternate universes, time-travel adventures, and imaginative worlds like Candyland. Seven of the winning authors will have the opportunity to attend the statewide Young Authors Conference in Tinley Park on May 25. The event allows young writers to present their manuscripts to a broader audience and receive feedback from published authors.
The district recognized the following students as this year’s winners: Kindergarten – Azeeza Swank (Carpenter), first grade – Linden Zoufal (Washington), second grade – Claire Abplanalp (Roosevelt), third grade – Cora Young (Franklin), fourth grade – Eliza Renz & Katerina Koumarelas (Washington), fifth grade – Mallory Becker (Field), sixth grade – Aria Mehta (Lincoln), seventh grade – Emma Krizman & Elinor Hughes (Lincoln), and eighth grade – Madeline VanCannon (Emerson).
The return of the statewide conference after a hiatus marks an important opportunity for these young writers to engage with peers across Illinois. The district congratulated all participants for their creativity and dedication.
