Gold Key Medalist Andrea Conley, Houston ISD

Teachers, are you looking for a way to inspire your teen artists and writers? Scholastic Art & Writing is an avenue for teens to get recognition for their artistic talents.
Local Village School student Gold Medalist Melanie Menkiti explains how the recognition feels.  It’s celebrating young artists the way that athletes are celebrated, she said, quoting filmmaker Ken Burns.
“Standing there with my fellow artists in Carnegie Hall where other greats once stood made me feel appreciated as a young artist,” Menkiti said.

Sponsored regionally by Harris County Department of Education, these awards are submitted for judging in December. A variety of categories ranging from poetry to science fiction to short stories for writing and from drawing to photography to video games for art are available.  Gold Key awardees advance to the national level for judging, and many get to attend medalist ceremonies at Carnegie Hall.
Here are three reasons you might consider getting involved with Scholastic Art & Writing this year to either enter, judge or sponsor.

1. The Awards offers opportunities for creative teens to earn recognition, exhibition, publication and scholarships for their writing or art.
2. Your school or district becomes part of a quality program which began in 1923 and includes alumni like Andy Warhol, Zac Posen, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote and Joyce Carol Oates.

You might have the opportunity to travel to New York City with your students if they earn national Medals. This recognition is “rock star” quality and allows both you and your student to celebrate your success as an artist, writer and teacher sponsor!

Here’s what local Cypress-Fairbanks student artist Judy Labib said about her experience in New York City this summer: “I am extremely thankful for the opportunity I had to travel to go to New York and attend various events. Through these events I met other gold key recipients from all over the U.S. that have accomplished what I have as well. Meeting other people not only gave me new insights into art-making but allowed me to connect with others who understood the logistics of art world. From the workshops to the inspirational speakers, I have definitely received more than just a Medal. These events ultimately gave me a new perspective on art-making, which is the most important intangible item I took away from Scholastic.”

We hope that you’ll consider being involved in our regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards during the upcoming school year. The experience is guaranteed to enliven your fine arts program.

Here are some resources to get you started:
http://hcde-texas.org/how-we-help-students/scholastic-art-writing-awards/
https://www.smore.com/c22ak-scholastic-art-and-writing-awards http://oomscholasticblog.com/post/icymi-2016-scholastic-art-writing-awards-carnegie-hall?linkId=25196842

About the blogger:
Andrea Segraves served in the public school system for 14 years as a teacher and an administrator before being named the current Director of the Teaching and Learning Center for HCDE. She is a boy-mom who spends her extra time at the ball fields and reading educational literature.