River of Words Poetry and Art Contest

1. Competition Rules

Poems should not exceed 32 lines or 3 minutes (signed), and poems must be in English and Spanish. Participants may submit up to 5 entries for poetry and 5 for art (total of 10 entries).

2. Prizes

Every participant will receive a Watershed Explorer Certificate. Winners’ and finalists’ art and poetry will be published in our annual River of Words anthology and on their Web page.

Art and Poetry Category Winners: One winner is selected in Poetry’s four age/grade categories. One winner is selected in the four age/grade categories in Art. In addition, 1 International Grand Prize is awarded to one entry regardless of category. Categories are below:

• Category I: K-Grade 2 (Primary) or ages 5-7
• Category II: Grades 3-5 (Elementary) or ages 8-11
• Category III: Grades 6-8 (Intermediary) or ages 11-14
• Category IV: Grades 9-12 (Secondary) or ages 14-19

Specialty Prizes: 

• Shasta Bioregion Prize: Awarded to one entry, either art or poetry, honoring a Northern California watershed.
• Monkey’s Raincoat Prize: Awarded to a short poem in the tradition of the Japanese haiku.
• One Square Block Prize: Awarded to poems that examine city-scapes and the interaction between the manmade and the natural world.
• “On Writing” Poetry Finalists: Features narratives that reflect on the writing process and the speaker’s connection to writing. Awarded to approximately 5 poems every year.