Ohio’s Original Interscholastic Creative Writing Program for Middle Schools


Welcome, Alumni and Friends!

Whether you are looking to reconnect, support Power of the Pen's mission, or learn about the impact of giving, you have come to the right place! Thank you for making Power of the Pen stronger and continuing to support creative writing in Ohio's youth!

Volunteer

Volunteers make sure that Power of the Pen district and regional tournaments are a high-quality experience for everyone! You can help by:

» Serving as a judge to evaluate writing and provide feedback;
» Taking photos or videos;
» Sorting stories in the tab room.

If you never had a behind-the-scenes look at Power of the Pen as a student, now is your chance to see what it takes to make it all come together!

Volunteer for Power of the Pen

Connect With Power of the Pen

Alumni, we would love to hear from you! Whatever your career or hobbies, Power of the Pen would like to know about your life now and how Power of the Pen influenced you.

Please tell us about yourself, and send us photos - either from your time as a Power of the Pen writer or from today!

Connect

Make an Impact

Your donation helps thousands of Ohio middle school students develop their creative voices. In the 2019-2020 season:

» About 2,700 students participated in 16 district and 8 regional tournaments;
» Nearly 12,000 pieces of writing were evaluated;
» More than 600 judges provided individual feedback on student writing;
» Countless volunteers helped keep tournaments running smoothly; and
» More than 70 stories were selected to be published in the 2020 Book of Winners.

Our supporters make it possible for Power of the Pen to encourage young writers to develop their talents!

Donate

Alumni News

Author: Wyoming Middle School alum Jasmine Warga won a 2020 Newbery Honor for her third novel, Other Words for Home, about a young girl who must move from Syria to Cincinnati, Ohio. Jasmine is also the author of My Heart and Other Black Holes and Here We Are Now. The Shape of Thunder is coming out in spring 2021.

Jasmine says that Power of the Pen provided a supportive environment that formed her work ethic as a writer. "Power of the Pen taught me that writing is all about practice," she says. "The more hours you put into your craft, the more you will get out of it."  You can follow Jasmine on Twitter @jasminewarga. Read more ...

Author: No matter what you are writing, if it is high quality and makes an emotional connection, the work will find an audience, author and Power of the Pen alum Justin A. Reynolds told the Solon Middle School Power of the Pen team. He says that the most effective authors explore questions about life’s meaning: “Why are we here? What are we doing? What is the best way to live?”

His best advice to young authors is to trust themselves: “Your voice is unique, special, necessary, and urgent. We will all write a different story even if we live the same circumstances at the same time. No one can tell a story like you do.”

Read More in the Power of the Pen Spotlight...


Power of the Pen
PO Box 2640  |  North Canton, Ohio 44720
info@powerofthepen.org

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