Work from Harris County Department of Education’s creative teens in grades 7-12 who earned Gold Key awards in the 2017 Scholastic Awards regional competition will be showcased at the U.S. Department of Education’s Student Art Exhibit in Washington, D.C. The exhibit will be featured beginning September through October 2017. It is the first time in its 14 years as regional sponsor that HCDE has been selected for the prominent national spotlight.

Scholastic Art & Writing is a national art and writing competition which recognizes talent from teens in grades 7-12 from public, private and home schools. HCDE is one of 100 regional affiliates in the nation. Alumni from the program include notables such as Robert Redford, Sylvia Plath, Andy Warhol, Stephen King and Truman Capote.

Earlier this year, HCDE received the 2017 Gold Key for Excellence in the Field Award, presented annually to an outstanding affiliate partner of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, sponsors of Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The Alliance said it is proud to feature its partnership with HCDE as about 30 art pieces will be included in the regional highlight exhibit at the U.S. Department of Education.

“We are proud to be a sponsor of this program and are in awe of the talent exhibited each year by our Harris County teens and the incredible commitment and dedication of their teachers,” said County School Superintendent James Colbert Jr. “We continue to grow this program regionally to showcase our local artistic talent.”

For more information about how to enter, judge or sponsor the awards, go to www.hcde-texas.org/scholastic .

Photo: Kenedi Cooper of Klein Forest High School stands by her digital self portrait at a Harris County Department of Education regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards exhibit at Spring Street Studios, Houston in March 2017.

About Harris County Department of Education: HCDE helps school districts in the state’s largest county meet the needs of uniquely challenged learners, directly serving students at their schools or one of four HCDE-operated campuses across the county. Learn about these services and more at www.hcde-texas.org .