Contact: Stan Cleiland, Vice President, Community Relations and Strategic Communications
(904) 358-6366 • scleiland@wjct.org
For Immediate Release
WJCT Announces Local Winners of PBS Kids Writers Contest
First Place Winners Advance to the National PBS KIDS Writers Contest
(Jacksonville, FL, May 26, 2015); WJCT announces the local winners of the 2015 PBS KIDS Writers Contest. The first place winners in grades K-3 will advance to the national level of the contest. Over 180 creative entries were received from local children and 12 winners were chosen for first place, second place, third place and all remaining participants received honorable mention recognitions:
1ST PLACE WINNERS: Nishi Shah (K), Iliana Crider (1ST), Reilly Clarke (2ND), Alastair Jurs (3RD)
2ND PLACE WINNERS: Eliana Bruneau (K), Emily McCarthy (1ST), Ava Farnham (2ND), Cole Zaccour (3RD)
3RD PLACE WINNERS: Steven Kaminsky (K), Thomas Anderson (1ST), Macaiden Weise (2ND), Emma G. Whaley (3RD)
All other participants received honorable mentions.
“Every year, WJCT is a proud participant in the annual PBS KIDS Writers Contest because it underscores our commitment to the success of children from the First Coast and surrounding areas,” says, WJCT Vice President of Community Relations & Strategic Communications Stan Cleiland. “The process of creative writing has been proven to not only support the building of key academic skills but to help improve a child’s self confidence, creativity and imagination. WJCT wishes the winners advancing to the national contest the best of luck, and celebrates all of the talented First Coast and surrounding area children who entered this year’s WJCT contest.”
The annual PBS KIDS Writers Contest is a national initiative designed to promote the advancement of children’s literacy skills through hands-on, active learning. The contest encourages children in grades K-3 to celebrate creativity by submitting their own original stories and illustrations.
WJCT’s first place winners will advance to the national contest and a panel of some of America’s foremost children’s authors, illustrators, producers and media creators will serve as honorary judges and rank the top 12 finalists. National winners will be announced this summer and the winning stories will be featured on pbskids.org/writerscontest.
The national winners will receive prize packages including a library of ARTHUR® books by best-selling children’s author, Marc Brown, courtesy of national prizing sponsor, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and a personal technology device courtesy of PBS. The PBS KIDS Writers Contest is produced by PBS and based on the Reading Rainbow® Young Writers and Illustrators Contest, a concept developed by WNED-TV, Buffalo.
To learn more about the contest, visit pbskids.org/writerscontest.
About WJCT
WJCT is public broadcasting for the First Coast. WJCT is your community, your world. For more information on WJCT’s television and radio programming, log on to WJCT Online at wjct.org.
About PBS KIDS
PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, digital platforms and community-based programs. Kidscreen- and Webby-award winning pbskids.org provides engaging interactive content, including digital games and streaming video. PBS KIDS also offers mobile apps to help support young children’s learning. The PBS KIDS Video App is available on a variety of mobile devices and on platforms such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast. For more information on specific PBS KIDS content supporting literacy, science, math and more, visit pbs.org/pressroom, or follow PBS KIDS on Twitter and Facebook.
About WNED
Through WNED-TV, ThinkBright and Well/WORLD TV, WBFO-FM 88.7 and Classical 94.5 WNED, member-supported WNED|WBFO provides high-quality programming and services to local, regional and national audiences that enlighten, inspire, entertain and educate Western New York and Southern Ontario communities. Additional information about WNED|WBFO can be found at wned.org.
About Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers is a division of Hachette Book Group (HBG), a leading trade publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the third-largest publisher in the world. HBG publishes under the divisions of Little, Brown and Company, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Grand Central Publishing, Orbit, Hachette Nashville, and Hachette Digital. For more information, visit hbgusa.com.
For more information on WJCT’s in-depth programming content, log on to WJCT Online at wjct.org and news.wjct.org. WJCT Public Broadcasting —your community, your world.
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