The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers at CCS

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers is a national nonprofit organization established in 1994 to identify, motivate and validate the next generation of young artists and writers. The Alliance tracks the creative development of teenagers across the country each year through The Scholastic Art &Writing Awards program. This program is the longest running recognition program for creative young people in the country.

The Awards were launched in 1923 by Scholastic, Inc., the global children’s publishing and media company, to encourage, foster and reward creativity in our nation’s classrooms. Each year, students who excel in the visual arts and creative writing have the chance to earn recognition, get their work exhibited or published and to earn scholarships.

The Legacy of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have an impressive legacy dating back to 1923. Over the years, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have grown to become the longest-running, most prestigious program for creative teens in the U.S., and the nation’s largest source of scholarships for creative young artists and writers. A noteworthy roster of past winners includes Ken Burns, Amanda Gorman, Stephen King, Kay Walkingstick, Joyce Carol Oates, Zac Posen, Tschabalala Self and Andy Warhol.

The process begins across the country as young artists and writers in grades 7-12 submit work in 28 categories of art and writing to a network of regional affiliates who present award ceremonies and exhibits for selected works on a local level. Gold Keys, the highest awards, are then submitted from each region for national adjudication by luminaries in the visual and literary arts, some of whom are past award recipients. National Gold and Silver Medal winning students and their teachers receive national recognition, and are invited to attend the exhibit in New York and award ceremony at Carnegie Hall.

Students across America submitted nearly 340,000 original works last year. The top art and writing at the regional level were moved onto the national stage, where more than 2,500 students earned national Medals.

2025 Southeast Michigan & Thumb Region Affiliate Sponsor

Huron, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Sanilac, St. Clair, Washtenaw, Wayne Counties

The Southeast Michigan & Thumb Region of the Scholastic Art Awards is sponsored by the College for Creative Studies and supported by an advisory board of volunteer art teachers. This region receives more than 4600 works of art from middle school and high school students and over 170 portfolios from high school seniors which are then adjudicated and selected for Honorable Mentions, Silver and Gold Key Awards, American Vision nominations, and Best of Show Portfolios. The exhibit is held annually at the College for Creative Studies. Approximately 1,100 works of art are displayed in this exhibit throughout the Walter B. Ford II Building and Center Galleries. The award ceremony will be held at the historic Detroit Film Theatre at the Detroit Institute of Arts in February.

For more information, participants should visit: www.artandwriting.org/affiliate/mi004a