5-28-15 The Children’s Writing Contest involved collaboration between more organizations that NILA and WCT

Last week I wrote about the collaboration between the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts (NILA) and Whidbey Children’s Theater (WCT) in organizing this year’s Celebrate Writing Contest. The contest was open to children in the 3^rd through 8^th grades who are students at any of the schools on Whidbey.

I got an email from NILA’s Program Director, Petra Martin, who pointed out that the collaboration involved in putting this contest together extended beyond our two agencies. Whidbey Life Magazine agreed to publish the winning entries and Whidbey TV was at Whidbey Children’s Theater in Langley filming the children reading their poems and stories.

Petra explained to me: “The ‘tragedy’ of not receiving a grant forced us to be creative about how we recognize winners. In the real world, writers who are ‘winners’ get published. Thanks to Whidbey Life Magazine, that is actually going to happen.”  She added, “Very good writers, like the JK Rowlings of the world, get on TV, and thanks to Whidbey Telecom, that is going to happen, as well.”

This is a win-win-win for all of these Whidbey organizations, and for the children, who are likely to share their successes with friends and family through social media.

Here is the link again about the contest and the winners:

http://wiwa.nila.edu/Celebrate-Writing-Contest-Winners-2015