Young Authors League
October 25th, 2009 | 
Author: Debra Gano is the Director for the Young Authors League (YAL) for the CIPA E.L.F. Education and Literacy Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering and inspiring school-age children to read and write.
The theme for the 2009 YAL Student Short Story Writing Competition is, “Making the World a Better Place.” Fourth and fifth grade students of the Cherry Creek School District in the Denver area were invited to submit a short story or artwork expressing this inspiring theme, and winning stories and art will appear in a book by this title to be published by the CIPA Education and Literacy Foundation later this year.
With so many great stories submitted, the judging was challenging!Story winners have been selected and are listed below (artwork winners are currently being determined and will be announced shortly). A big Thank You to ALL who entered - your participation in this contest really DID help "make the world a better place!" Keep writing……and students in other school districts, stay tuned - your turn is next!
This summer, YAL finalists, parents, and teachers, were brought together for a writing workshop conducted by Debra Gano, author Penny Holguin, and editor Faye Quam Heimerl. The goal of the workshop was to fine-tune the stories and give writing tips to the students prior to submitting their final entries.
CONGRATULATIONS STORY WINNERS!
Buffalo Trail Elementary Schol
Elizabeth Berrington
Canyon Creek Elementary School
Emily Eads
Challenge School
Stephanie Bang, Calista Bowen, Tessakiree Garber, Jewell Humphrey
Cimarron Elementary School
Duaa Qamar
Coyote Hills Elementary School
Makenzie Hendon, Jessica Kantra, Jaime Paterson
Dry Creek Elementary School
Avery Blackman, Edwin Bosch, Morgan Jenney, Hailey Natvig, Arianne Pusey, Kayla Rondinelli, Emily Webb, Madison Weber
Heritage Elementary School
Libby Garaghty
Indian Ridge Elementary School
Sophie Goodwin
Peakview Elementary School
Jane Higa, Lizzie Hoelscher
Sagebrush Elementary School
Leah Gibson, Josiah Kim, Alyssa King
Sunrise Elementary School
Raeshonique Luarks
Village East Elementary School
Helen Lee, Tanzilla Purnota, Gavin Woldu
Congratulations again! You did a great job and will soon be published authors!
Please leave a comment below,
we would love to hear from you!
Posted in Events | 
Tags: authors, CIPA, Colorado, Denver, education, literacy, publishing, Self Esteem, writing contest
Thank you Debra for giving our fourth and fifth grade students the opportunity to enter your contest. We are passionate about writing and it was wonderful to be able to provide “purpose” in the true sense of the word to students. The workshop over the summer was another bonus. The enthusiasm was contagious as students were able to meet one on one with real published authors and editors.
These are moments classroom teachers are eager to provide and your contest was the perfect forum for an unforgettable teaching opportunity. Come visit us soon.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Maloney
4th grade teacher
Dry Creek Elementary
This has been a tremendously rewarding experience for our daughter. She loves writing and the encouragement she has received from Debra and this program has been fantastic. Thanks so much and keep up the great work.
Thank you Debra for offering this exciting writing opportunity for our Cherry Creek students. My daughter loves to write and draw and having this experience allowed her to move through the many stages of the writing process to produce a piece she’s very proud of.
You were also an inspiration for our Cherry Creek students in the workshop offered this summer. The students felt like writers with a purpose with all of your support and from your colleagues!
Sincerely,
Mary Berrington
Reading Recovery Teacher Leader
Cherry Creek School District
I want to thank Debra and the Young Authors League for providing a truly valuable writing experience. My daughter’s passion and gift is writing. In my search for ways to encourage her, I have been disappointed by the lack of opportunities that exist for the young writer. Thank you for creating this contest and providing her with a purpose to create.
Thank you so much for offering this fantastic opportunity to our daughter! Her enthusiasm for writing has been enhanced by her participation in the program and the workshop was great. We are very grateful for the instruction and support she received.
This was a wonderful opportunity for my students to write with a purpose. They still talk about your writing workshop they attended this summer. It was a relevant, meaningful experience to them.
The workshop was an inspiration for our daughter whose enthusiasm for writing continues to grow. The feedback she received was helpful and she enjoyed applying it to her story. The contest and the workshop were both wonderful experiences our daughter will never forget.
Thank you, Debra, for providing the opportunity for young students to showcase their creative abilities in the Young Authors League contest. This contest was a wonderful chance for my daughter to gain confidence in her writing, her art and herself. She is excited about using the feedback she received to take on future writing assignments with a new enthusiasm and self-assurance and to approach her world knowing that the ability to effect positive change exists within herself.
Thanks so much for the great workshop, I really learned alot, especially about creating titles that get someone interested in reading your story and adding extra character information.
Thanks
Edwin truly enjoyed being a part of this contest. It appears he was one of only a handful of boys that made it to the winners list. I am just so proud of him! Thank you, Debra, and everyone that helped out at the workshop and throughout this contest. It has been a great experience.