Each year, over 300,000 7th-12th graders compete for the prestigious Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, a contest that honored luminaries such as Andy Warhol, Stephen King, Truman Capote, John Updike, Sylvia Plath, Richard Avedon, Robert Redford, and Zac Posen as teens. National medalists fly to New York, where they are honored at Carnegie Hall and see the Empire State Building illuminated in gold for them and their names emblazoned in a full page ad in The New York Times. How hard is it to win a Scholastic Art and Writing Award? Less than 1% win national gold and silver medals. 5% win gold keys, 8% win silver keys, and 12% win honorable mentions. Our results over the years are below.

imaginate ink Scholastic AWards

2023
11 students win 35 national awards including 1 silver medal, 1 1 American Visions Nominee (5 in the Bay Area out of 9 counties = .074% win), 9 gold keys, 5 silver keys, and 19 honorable mentions out of 340,000 entries.
2022
13 students win 28 national awards, including 1 American Visions Medal (1 medal awarded for the best art in the Western U.S.), 2 Gold Medals, 2 Silver Medals, 7 gold keys, 6 silver keys, and 10 honorable mentions out of 300,000+ entries. 
2021
14 students win 24 national awards, including 1 silver medal, 4 gold keys, 7 silver keys, and 12 honorable mentions out of 260,000 entries.
2020 
9 students win six gold keys, 8 silver keys, and 11 honorable mentions out of 300,000 entries.
2019
8 students win one gold and two national silver medals and 15 multi-state awards: 6 gold keys, 5 silver keys, and 4 honorable mentions out of 340,000 entries.
2018
6 students win one gold and one silver national medal and 21 multi-state awards: 4 gold keys, 6 silver keys, and 11 honorable mentions out of 346,000 entries.  
2017
13 students win 30 multi-state awards: 3 gold keys, 14 silver keys (1 for art + 13 for writing), and 13 honorable mentions (1 for art + 12 for writing) out of 331,000 entries.
2016
14 students win 2 national gold medals and 31 multi-state awards: 10 gold keys (1 film + 9 writing), 7 silver keys (2 film + 5 writing), and 14 honorable mentions out of 320,000 entries.
2015
14 students win 38 multi-state awards: 6 gold keys, 18 silver keys, and 14 honorable mentions in eight states out of 320,000 entries.
2014
24 students win 76 multi-state awards: 23 gold keys, 19 silver keys, 34 honorable mentions in ten states, and five national medals (one gold + four silvers) out of 255,000 entries. Jennifer, 15, wins Best in Grade for Poetry (two given in the world).
2013
17 students win 50 multi-state awards: 11 gold keys, 27 silver keys, 12 honorable mentions.  Caroline (age 13) and Elizabeth (age 15) win national gold medals out of 230,000 entries.

2012
16 students win 47 multi-state awards: 12 gold keys, 15 silver keys, 20 honorable mentions, and four national medals (2 silver, 2 gold) out of 200,000 entries. Sarah, 16, wins an American Voices Award. Only five art and writing entries from 9 states in the Western U.S. are chosen. Sydney (13), Carter (15), and Christine (16) are published by Scholastic. Carter and Christine are honored by the President's Committee on Arts and Humanities in Washington, D.C.  Their published work is exhibited at Scholastic's ART.WRITE.NOW.DC at the Department of Education. Carter also wins the M.R. Robinson National Constitution Center American National Tree Award, an annual honor Scholastic bestows upon one student. His essay is now a part of a permanent museum exhibit at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Read more here.
2011
Elizabeth and MaCall, ages 13 and 16:  Two national gold medals for poetry and short stories. My students also win 17 gold keys in a region that spans 26 states and 10 countries (13% of 7,000 win). Elizabeth also wins the one Creativity & Citizenship Writing Award Scholastic gives in the world and is published by them.
2010
Edward, age 15: One national gold medal for poetry (there were only four national gold medalists in the entire state of California); 15 of my students also win 20 state awards; my students win 13% of the awards given in the state of California. 1% of 40,000 entries win gold nationally; 8% win in California.
2009
MaCall and Tessa, ages 14 and 12: Two national silver medals for humor and short story writing. Seven Magic Pen Kids also win 15 state awards.
2008
Kendell, age 13:  National silver medal for her novel, Miss Lavender Venumn, a witty tale of a spank-a-holic owner of a School for Happy Orphans. There are only six novel winners out of 561 entries in the nation (1 gold and 5 silvers). Three of my students also win four state awards.  Kendall makes the cover of the Orange County Register.
2007
Colin, age 13:  Two national gold medals for short stories, 1 national silver medal for poetry.